Guides
Setup, troubleshooting and design for controller overlays, from what we learned building gamepad.lol.
How to add a controller overlay to OBS
A step-by-step guide to showing your gamepad inputs on stream with OBS Studio: create an overlay, add it as a Browser Source, and fix common problems.
Controller overlay not working in OBS? Fixes that actually work
Your gamepad overlay is frozen, blank or following the wrong controller in OBS. Why browser source overlays break, and how to fix each case, from a single button press to the OBS update that matters.
Stick drift on stream: why your overlay twitches and which deadzone to set
Your controller feels fine in games, but the stick on your overlay keeps twitching. What stick drift is, why overlays show what games hide, and how to pick a deadzone that hides the wobble without eating real movement.
GamePad Viewer alternatives: how the OBS controller overlays compare
GamePad Viewer, input-overlay, Open Joystick Display and gamepad.lol all put your controller on stream, in different ways. What each one does well, where it falls short, and which one fits your setup.
How to make a controller overlay viewers can actually read
Size, placement, contrast and motion tips for gamepad input overlays that stay readable through stream compression, small phone screens and busy game footage.
Style your controller overlay with custom CSS
A reference for restyling gamepad.lol overlays with CSS: every selector, the pressed state, what to leave alone, the limits, and examples you can paste straight in.
Free tools
Check your controller before you go live.
Gamepad tester
Plug in any controller and press a button. You will see every button, trigger and stick react live, with the exact values your browser reads.
Stick drift test
Find out whether your sticks drift and by how much. The test measures each stick at rest for five seconds and suggests a deadzone that keeps the wobble off your stream.
Your controller, on stream in a minute.
No install. Sign up free, pick a skin and paste one link into OBS.