XSOverlay

About

XSOverlay is a single player action game. It was developed by Xiexe and was released on March 3, 2020. It received positive reviews from players.

XSOverlay is a single-player game currently in development for Windows 10 and 11, with features including full input customization, curved overlays, and user-editable localization. However, it has been reported to be very buggy, with some functionality not yet implemented. The game boasts outstanding music and offers customizable keyboard typing sounds, as well as the ability to save and load layouts for window management.

Genres & Tags

Early Access

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

86%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,252 reviews

music12 positive mentions

stability40 negative mentions

XSOverlay provides a clean and intuitive user interface, making it easy to access desktop applications while in VR.
The overlay allows for seamless multitasking, enabling users to control music, check notifications, and monitor system performance without leaving their VR environment.
The developer is responsive to user feedback and actively works on updates and improvements, enhancing the overall experience.

The software can be unstable, with frequent crashes and issues related to window management, particularly when using multiple displays.
Some users report that the overlay does not always function as intended, with problems such as unresponsive windows and difficulty with mouse input.
There are complaints about the lack of certain features and customization options, which can hinder usability for some users.

music
77 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
16%
80%
4%
The music functionality of the app is highly praised for its convenience and ease of use, allowing users to control their music playback (including popular services like Spotify) directly from a wrist overlay without needing to exit their VR experience. Many reviewers appreciate the clean interface and the ability to view currently playing songs, although some report occasional bugs with certain media players and music sources. Overall, it is considered an essential tool for VR users who want seamless access to music and performance stats while gaming.
- “It has so many features to use including bringing up your PC screen to control what you need and even stream music into your headphones/headset from any music source and be able to control it from in the game.”
- “The wrist overlay is also incredibly convenient when trying to change a song or look at your performance without having to take your headset off.”
- “I love the ability to play and pause my music at will without needing to get out of the groove of being in the game.”
- “Anytime whenever I'm listening to music or playing my soundboard, it gets very buggy and unable to use.”
- “Basically, this program is only good for the data that shows on the wrist, but if you're hoping to use xso to check things like Discord, Twitch, or your music player, xso will break and you will not have a good time.”
- “It works pretty well but sometimes my window I open won’t close and the music location doesn’t show my Amazon Music or my YouTube Music.”
optimization
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
74%
8%
The optimization of the software is a mixed bag; while some users praise its minimal performance impact and smooth integration with VR experiences, others report issues like microstutters, crashes, and inaccurate performance metrics. Overall, it appears to perform better than alternatives like OVR Toolkit, particularly on lower-spec systems, but some users still experience significant performance hits and bugs that detract from the experience.
- “Xsoverlay's performance optimization ensures a smooth VR experience without significant impact on frame rates, making it an excellent choice for gamers.”
- “The wrist overlay is super useful and having music control, performance stats for your PC and game, as well as all the other stuff I love to look at as a person who loves statistics and figures is great.”
- “It's the best with performance; it's incredible with simplicity yet effectiveness. If you need something to help you overlay your desktop or miscellaneous apps in VR, this is the one.”
- “A useless and bloated Unity-based overlay that hogs both CPU time and CPU cache, causes alarmingly frequent microstutters, and major frame drops when performance data is being polled.”
- “However, this software also comes with some bugs, like sometimes not being able to launch it, sometimes not being able to move windows, causing crashes with SteamVR, reading performance stats incorrectly, and more.”
- “The one I was using eventually started eating up more of my performance to the point where it was getting annoying.”
stability
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
91%
The stability of the software is a mixed bag, with many users reporting frequent bugs, crashes, and freezes that hinder usability. While some appreciate its overall functionality and smooth performance when it works, others express frustration over the time spent troubleshooting issues, particularly after recent updates that have introduced new glitches. Overall, the application is seen as potentially useful but often unreliable, leading to a significant number of users considering alternatives.
- “Runs great on desktop.”
- “Not buggy.”
- “10/10 runs great and very smooth.”
- “Borderline unusable buggy mess.”
- “This breaks 50% of the time, not worth the hassle and lengthy troubleshooting.”
- “The app still inexplicably crashes sometimes, or freezes/breaks to the point where I have to restart the application, which obviously means a trip back to my keyboard which tends to defeat the purpose.”
graphics
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
40%
30%
The graphics of the application are generally praised for their clean aesthetics and utility, offering a visually appealing user interface that enhances functionality. However, users have reported significant issues, including bugs with the overlay system, graphical glitches, and problems with readability in certain UI elements, particularly on lower-end PCs. Overall, while the visuals are considered better than built-in alternatives, performance inconsistencies and technical issues detract from the experience.
- “Much better than the built-in SteamVR or Oculus overlays; the UI is aesthetically pleasing and, more importantly, has great utility.”
- “The visuals are clean, it's easy to figure out, and it lets you control your music (I used Spotify). The keyboard is a full one that feels good to use and even lets you check your system's performance.”
- “+ nice aesthetics.”
- “However, I found that there were many bugs with the overlay system itself and couldn't get the menu to show even though I reset the system software and looked up many different solutions like changing out my graphics card (which I did and nothing happened). If I were to buy this again, I would not recommend it.”
- “The other overlays have had weird quirks with window capture, mouse positions being incorrect, graphical glitches, and just not being able to interact with windows like Discord.”
- “I have a high-end computer and adjusting graphics settings changed nothing.”
story
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews do not provide any insights into the story aspect of the game, focusing instead on technical compatibility and user experience with the Quest 2 headset. As such, there is no information available regarding the narrative or storytelling elements.
gameplay
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
28%
43%
The gameplay experience is highly customizable, allowing players to tailor settings to their preferences before diving into sessions. The intuitive push/pull mechanic and well-designed UI enhance smooth gameplay, enabling multitasking like accessing the desktop without interruption. Additionally, features such as window pinning and satisfying mechanical keyboard sound effects contribute to a more immersive and responsive gaming environment.
- “There are also plenty of customization settings to make it how you want, so I recommend you have a good look through all the settings and make it your own while you learn how to use it all before actually going in for an actual session of gameplay.”
- “The push/pull mechanic is very intuitive, and I love the amount of work that was put into the UI.”
- “The best part, of course, is being able to pin a window to your play area, a spot in your vision, or the back of your arm, so that it's still visible during gameplay.”
- “It's very nice to be able to open your desktop while still having gameplay in the background; sure, SteamVR beta features are coming where you can see the desktop similar to this, but this will still be better.”
- “The mechanical keyboard sound effects are reassuring too: I miss far fewer keystrokes, probably due to the haptic and audio feedback.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is highlighted by its amusing music and clever quips, such as the playful reminder about virtual responsibility, which adds a layer of comedic distraction to the experience. Overall, players find the humor to be a delightful and engaging aspect of the game.
- “Just remember, with great virtual power comes great virtual responsibility – and a ton of hilarious distractions!”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users express a mixed emotional response, highlighting that while the game provides a significant distraction from personal pain and offers a sense of pride in achievement, it also suggests a lack of long-term engagement, indicating that it may not hold lasting emotional value.
- “Distracted me from the pain and the struggles, and made me a true VR gamer, which made me feel prouder than if I had beaten Dark Souls with no gear and just my hands.”