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Overlay Studio

Overlay Studio puts a transparent, always-on-top window on screen that mirrors your live pad in real time. It works as a controller overlay for streaming or local capture, drawing from the same input OmniControl already reads so viewers see exactly what you press.

Overview

Overlay Studio is a stream controller overlay and an on-screen input display. It renders a live 3D controller model that lights up as you play, and it sits above your game or desktop without stealing focus. The source can be real hardware connected over USB or Bluetooth, or a keyboard-and-mouse pad driving a virtual controller.

The overlay is Free. Free use adds a small omnicontrol.me watermark. Removing the watermark is part of Pro. Everything else covered on this page, including the styling, chroma-key, opacity, click-through, and multi-monitor controls, is available without Pro.

How it works

The overlay is a live mirror of the pad OmniControl is tracking, not a recording. Buttons light as you press them, sticks and triggers move as you move them, and the layout follows the connected controller model. Because it reads the same input stream feeding the Live Controller Viewer, the mirror stays in sync with your real inputs.

Widgets sit alongside the model. A battery widget shows the connected pad's charge, and an active-profile widget shows which profile is loaded, so you and your viewers can see the current setup at a glance.

The window itself is built for capture. Click-through lets your mouse pass through the overlay to the game underneath. Chroma-key mode fills the background with a solid key colour you can remove in OBS or another capture tool. Adjustable opacity blends the overlay into your scene, and the always-on-top behaviour keeps it visible above full-screen borderless games.

Getting started

1

Open Overlay Studio

Go to the Overlay Studio page in OmniControl.
2

Pick the source

Choose the pad to mirror. This can be a physical controller on USB or Bluetooth, or a keyboard-and-mouse pad if you are driving a virtual controller.
3

Choose a theme and model

Select the controller model and theme so the overlay matches the pad you play with and the look of your scene.
4

Enable the overlay

Turn the overlay on. It appears as a transparent, always-on-top window over your game or desktop.
5

Place and size it

Drag the overlay to the monitor and corner you want, then resize it to fit your layout.
6

Tune it for capture

Set the opacity, turn on chroma-key if your capture tool needs a key colour, and enable click-through so the window never intercepts your clicks.
7

Set a toggle hotkey

Bind a key to show and hide the overlay without leaving your game.

Common use cases

  • Live streaming. Show viewers every button, stick, and trigger as an input display in the corner of your scene, with the watermark removed on Pro.
  • Recorded tutorials and guides. Capture your inputs on screen so viewers can follow exactly what you press for a combo or a movement technique.
  • Verifying a keyboard-and-mouse pad. Mirror the virtual pad to confirm that WASD, mouse aim, and your bound keys are firing before you commit to a match.
  • Multi-monitor setups. Keep the overlay on a second monitor while you play full screen on the first, or anchor it in a capture region on the same display.
  • Checking rumble and profile state. Watch the battery and active-profile widgets to confirm the right profile is loaded and the pad still has charge.

Best practices

Anchor the overlay in a corner and keep it small. A compact overlay shows every input without covering the action. Test it against both a bright and a dark scene before you record, because opacity that reads well on one can wash out on the other.

Use chroma-key when your capture tool supports it. A clean key colour gives you a crisp cutout and full control over the overlay's edges in OBS. If you only need the overlay for yourself and not for capture, opacity alone is usually enough.

Match the controller model and theme to the pad you actually play with. The mirror is most useful to viewers when the layout on screen matches the buttons you are describing. Once the overlay looks right, leave it in place. Your position, size, and style are remembered for next time.

Tips

Keep it readable

A smaller, corner-anchored overlay stays out of the action while still showing every input. Enable click-through so your cursor passes to the game, and pick an opacity that holds up against your brightest scene.

If you play with Keyboard & Mouse, the overlay mirrors the virtual pad it drives. That makes it a fast way to confirm your bindings and aim mapping are working, since the on-screen pad moves exactly as your keyboard and mouse do.

Troubleshooting

The overlay does not appear over my game. Some games run in exclusive full screen, which sits above every other window. Switch the game to borderless or windowed full screen so the always-on-top overlay can draw over it.

The overlay blocks my clicks. Turn on click-through. Your mouse then passes through the overlay to whatever is underneath.

The background is not transparent in my capture. Enable chroma-key mode, set a key colour that does not appear on the controller, then remove that colour in your capture tool.

The overlay is on the wrong monitor. Drag it to the monitor you want. Position, size, and monitor placement are saved, so it returns there next time.

I still see the watermark. The watermark is present on Free. Removing it is part of Pro.

Anti-cheat boundary

OmniControl is built for single-player and controller-friendly games. It is not a tool for defeating anti-cheat, and kernel-level anti-cheat competitive shooters are out of scope by design. Do not use the overlay, emulation, remapping, macros, motion, or Keyboard & Mouse mode to bypass those protections. If a game blocks virtual controllers, that is expected, and OmniControl does not work around it.

FAQ

Is the overlay free?

Yes. The overlay is Free and includes a small omnicontrol.me watermark. Removing the watermark is part of Pro.

Which hotkey should I use to toggle it?

Any free key works. For example, you might use F9. Avoid F8, which OmniControl uses to start and stop keyboard-and-mouse turn-match calibration.

Can the overlay mirror a keyboard-and-mouse pad?

Yes. When you drive a virtual controller with keyboard and mouse, the overlay mirrors that pad. WASD, mouse aim, and your bound keys show on the overlay just like a physical controller.

Does the overlay work in OBS?

Yes. The overlay is transparent and always on top, and chroma-key mode gives you a solid key colour to remove in OBS or another capture tool. Adjust opacity to blend it into your scene.

Will it get in the way of my game?

No, if you enable click-through. Your cursor then passes through the overlay to the game. You can also hide it instantly with your toggle hotkey rather than closing OmniControl.

What widgets can it show?

The overlay can display a battery widget for the connected pad and an active-profile widget for the loaded profile, alongside the live controller model. For a full readout of every input, connection, and diagnostic, use the Live Controller Viewer.