Articles on: Overlay Controls

Use Eye Tracking with the Overlay (Beta)

Eye Tracking is a Beta feature for the PlayAbility overlay. When connected, filtered gaze can drive overlay hover, dwell targeting, and virtual joysticks, while snap assist helps keep focus on one nearby control.


Requirements and current scope


  • A Windows PC. Eye tracking is not currently available on macOS or Linux.
  • A compatible eye tracker already installed, connected, and calibrated in Windows or its vendor software.
  • Eye Tracking Beta access enabled for your PlayAbility installation.
  • An overlay layout with the buttons or virtual joysticks you want to control.


PlayAbility supports the Tobii Eye Tracker 5 through Tobii Experience and the Tobii.Interaction provider. It can fall back to compatible Windows Eye Control devices through the Windows Gaze API. Legacy Tobii Game Integration is not used.


The current Beta controls the PlayAbility overlay. It is not a general Windows cursor and eye gaze is not offered as a normal profile-mapping trigger.


Prepare the overlay for gaze


  1. Open Overlay from the PlayAbility sidebar.
  2. While the overlay is closed, choose the display where the eye tracker is calibrated.
  3. Select Open Overlay, then Edit Overlay.
  4. Add and position the required buttons and virtual joysticks.
  5. For a button you want to activate without clicking, select its gear button.
  6. Turn on Dwell mode and set Activation mode to Hover.
  7. Choose a dwell action and timing appropriate for the control.
  8. Make gaze targets large enough and leave clear space between nearby controls.
  9. Select Save and exit.


A normal Click-mode button requires a click even when gaze moves the overlay pointer. Hover plus Dwell is the recommended click-free configuration.


Connect the eye tracker


  1. Return to the main Overlay page.
  2. Find the Eye Tracking Beta section.
  3. Select Enable Eye Tracker.
  4. Wait for the status to show Connected. The active provider may be shown as Tobii.Interaction or Windows Gaze API.
  5. Turn on Auto-start eye tracker if you want PlayAbility to connect it automatically after the app starts.


After a successful manual connection, PlayAbility enables gaze as the overlay pointer and enables gaze snap assist.


If the Eye Tracking section is not present, the eye-tester Beta feature is not enabled for that installation.


Use gaze in the overlay


  1. Make sure the overlay is open and in play mode.
  2. Look around the selected display.
  3. Confirm that the gaze feedback circle follows your gaze.
  4. Rest your gaze on a dwell-enabled button until its progress completes.
  5. Move your gaze away and verify the configured release behavior.
  6. Look within a virtual joystick and move your gaze around its range to test the assigned stick or D-pad.


Snap assist stabilizes hit testing on one button or zone until you look away or make a clear eye movement. This reduces switching between nearby controls.


Show or hide the gaze feedback circle


  1. Select Edit Overlay.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Open Eye gaze.
  4. Set Eye tracker circle feedback to Visible or Hidden.
  5. Close Settings and select Save and exit.


Hiding the circle does not disable gaze control, snap assist, or dwell targeting.


Disconnect the tracker


  1. Return to the main Overlay page.
  2. In the Eye Tracking section, select Disconnect Eye Tracker.


Manual disconnection prevents auto-start from reconnecting the tracker again during the same PlayAbility session.


Verify the setup


  1. Confirm that the Eye Tracking status is Connected.
  2. Confirm that the gaze feedback circle moves on the same display as the overlay.
  3. Dwell on a harmless test button and confirm that progress completes.
  4. Enable Main Output and verify one real overlay action in a safe application or controller test screen.


Troubleshooting and limitations


  • The Eye Tracking section is missing: Beta access is not enabled for this installation.
  • Enable Eye Tracker fails: Confirm that Windows and the tracker’s vendor software can see the device, complete vendor calibration, and restart PlayAbility.
  • Tobii Eye Tracker 5 does not connect: Confirm that Tobii Experience is installed and the tracker works there. PlayAbility does not use the legacy Tobii Game Integration provider.
  • The status is connected but no gaze circle appears: Open the overlay, verify the selected display, and set Eye tracker circle feedback to Visible.
  • Gaze moves but a button does not activate: Enable Dwell mode and use Hover activation on that button. Also confirm Main Output is enabled for the resulting action.
  • Dwell switches between nearby buttons: Increase spacing or button size. Snap assist is enabled after connection to reduce this behavior.
  • Dwell resets during small eye movements: Increase Look-away tolerance in overlay dwell settings.
  • Hold or Repeat stays active: Enable Release on look away, dwell on the control again, or use Release All.
  • The tracker follows the wrong display: Close the overlay, select the calibrated display under Display Selection, reopen the overlay, and reconnect if necessary.
  • No eye-gaze mapping trigger appears: This is expected in the current Beta. Eye tracking controls the overlay rather than the normal mapping editor.
  • Non-Windows system: The eye-tracker module intentionally reports that eye tracking is Windows-only.

Updated on: 29/07/2026