TFT Overlay and OBS: Streaming With a Screen Overlay

TL;DR: Whether a TFT overlay appears on your stream depends on how you capture the game. A screen overlay is a separate window drawn on top of the game, not part of the game itself. Display capture records your whole monitor, so viewers see the overlay. Game or window capture records only the game, so the overlay usually stays off stream and private to you. Pick display capture to show an overlay and game capture to hide it.

How streaming software captures your game

OBS, Streamlabs and similar tools build your stream out of “sources.” For gameplay, these are the ones that matter:

Capture type	What it records	Does a screen overlay appear?
Display / Monitor Capture	Your entire monitor, everything drawn on it	Yes, the overlay is on the screen, so it is captured
Game Capture	Frames taken directly from the game	Usually no, a separate overlay window is not part of the game
Window Capture	Only the window you select; windows in front of it do not appear	Usually no, the overlay is a different window

The methods differ beyond the overlay, too. Display capture records the literal pixels on your monitor, so everything on it reaches viewers: your taskbar, notifications, your mouse and any desktop clutter. Game capture gives you a cleaner scene with just the game and no desktop, and OBS describes it as the most efficient way to add a game.

Setup checklist

To show your overlay to viewers:

1. In OBS, add a Display Capture source and select the monitor where TFT runs.
2. Run TFT in borderless windowed (not fullscreen exclusive) so the game and the overlay share one composited screen that display capture can read cleanly.
3. Use a dedicated gaming monitor or keep that screen clean: no notifications, private tabs or DMs.
4. Confirm in the OBS preview that both the game and the overlay appear before you go live.
5. Optionally crop the display-capture source to the game area to trim the edges of your screen.

To keep your overlay private (you read it, viewers see a clean game feed):

1. Use a Game Capture source targeting the TFT window.
2. Confirm in the OBS preview that the overlay does not appear, then go live.

”What overlay does [streamer] use?”

This question comes up constantly, and the honest answer is that it varies and no single tool is universal. Many streamers run a comp or stats overlay so viewers can follow the meta lines and item builds they reference, and some run a live coaching overlay for themselves. Rather than copy one streamer’s exact tool, decide what you want on screen: a meta cheat sheet for viewers, or live per-game coaching for you. Then pick the overlay and the capture method to match.

Where TFTSense fits, honestly

TFTSense is a screen overlay that reads your own screen with computer vision to coach your TFT games. If you stream, test your full setup off-stream before you go live: start a game with your capture software running and check that the overlay works for you and shows, or stays hidden, the way you want. You can try it from the download page and see the full feature list on the features page.

For a deeper comparison of what different overlays do, see our honest best TFT overlay comparison, and if you are worried about account safety with overlays generally, read are TFT overlays safe.