Ensure Steam Overlay Is Enabled

1. Navigate to the “Steam” menu in the top-right corner
2. Select “Settings” (on Windows) or “Preferences” (on macOS).
3. Go to the “In Game” tab in the left sidebar and activate the toggle next to “Enable the Steam Overlay While In-Game.”
4. It’s worth noting that Steam allows users to turn off the overlay for specific games. If the overlay doesn’t work in a particular game, ensure it’s not disabled for that game. To check this, go to the “Library” tab at the top, right-click on the game, and select “Properties.”
5. Navigate to the “General” tab in the left sidebar and turn on the toggle next to “Enable the Steam Overlay While In-Game”.

Ensure You’re Pressing the Right Hotkey

To open the overlay in any game, you have to press a designated hotkey. It’s set to Shift+Tab by default, but you can easily customize it. Steam Overlay won’t work if a different hotkey is pressed than the one selected in the settings.

1. Go to the “Steam” menu in the top-left corner and select “Settings” (on Windows) or “Preferences” (on macOS).
2. Navigate to the “In Game” tab in the left sidebar and ensure that the same shortcut (that you’re pressing) is listed next to “Overlay Shortcut Key(s).”
3. If the selected hotkey differs from what you’re pressing, change it or return to the game and press the currently set shortcut. This will ideally prompt the overlay to open and resume working normally.

Reset Steam Overlay for a Particular Game

If the overlay isn’t working in one game but works fine elsewhere, you might need to clear the in-game overlay data for that specific game.

1. Go to the “Library” tab at the top
2. Right-click on the game, and choose “Properties.”
3. In the Properties window, head to the “General” tab
4. There you’ll see a “Delete” button next to “In-Game Overlay Data.” Click on it, and hit “Delete” again when a confirmation box appears.

Verify the Integrity of Game Files

Corrupt game files can also hinder the normal function of Steam Overlay. To rule out this possibility, you should verify the integrity of game files. Steam offers a built-in feature that automatically looks for and repairs corrupt game files.

1. Launch Steam and head to the “Library” tab.
2. Right-click on the game where the overlay isn’t working correctly, then select “Properties.
3. Go to the “Installed Files” tab on the left and click “Verify Integrity of Game Files.”