RaceLab Support – Chat Overlay (Streaming – Twitch only)

Chat Overlay (Streaming – Twitch only)

The Chat overlay lets you show your Twitch channel chat directly on your stream as a browser source. Viewers can see chat even in clips and VODs, and people watching on TV or in full-screen don’t have to open the chat panel. This overlay is designed for Twitch chat only at the moment.

Important: the Chat overlay works with Twitch only. You need to connect RaceLab to your Twitch account. YouTube and other streaming platforms are not supported for this overlay yet. If you stream on multiple platforms, treat this as your Twitch-only chat box.

Before you start

  • RaceLab app is installed, signed in, and working.
  • You have a Twitch account for your stream.
  • Your streaming software is set up (OBS Studio, Streamlabs, etc.).
  • You already have (or will create) a layout in RaceLab that is used only for your stream overlays, not for your driving screen.

Step-by-step: connect Twitch to RaceLab

  1. Open the RaceLab App.
  2. Go to the Settings or Streaming section (wording can change slightly between versions).
  3. Look for a button or option similar to “Connect Twitch” or “Twitch login”.
  4. Click it – a browser window opens asking you to log into Twitch and authorise RaceLab to read your chat.
  5. Complete the login and authorisation. When you return to RaceLab, the app should show that your Twitch account is connected.

Once Twitch is linked, RaceLab can pull your live chat messages and send them to the Chat overlay in your streaming scene.

Step-by-step: create a stream layout with Chat overlay

  1. In the RaceLab app, go to Layouts.
  2. Create a new layout and give it a clear name, for example “Stream – Chat & Alerts” or “Twitch – Main Scene”.
  3. Make sure this layout is not used on your main driving monitor. It is purely for your streaming software.
  4. Click Add widget.
  5. Choose the Chat overlay from the list of widgets.
  6. Resize and position the chat box roughly where you want it on your stream (for example, right side of the screen or under your webcam).
  7. Save the layout when you are happy with the basic placement.

Add the Chat overlay to OBS / Streamlabs

  1. In RaceLab, find the layout you just created and look for the overlay URL or browser source link for that layout. Copy this URL.
  2. Open OBS Studio (or your streaming software).
  3. Select the scene where you want the Twitch chat to appear.
  4. Click Add > Browser Source.
  5. Give it a name such as “RaceLab – Chat overlay”.
  6. In the URL box, paste the overlay URL you copied from RaceLab.
  7. Set the width and height. Common starting points:
    • Width: 450–600 pixels
    • Height: 800–1000 pixels
  8. Tick “Shutdown source when not visible” if you only use it on some scenes and want to save resources, or untick it if you prefer it to stay warm and load quickly.
  9. Press OK. You should now see the chat overlay appear in your preview window.
  10. Use the mouse in OBS to move and scale the chat box into its final position on your layout.
Tip – transparent background If your Chat overlay shows a solid background that hides part of the game, adjust the background / opacity settings in RaceLab (or in the overlay style options) so it becomes transparent or semi-transparent. A slightly dark, semi-transparent background often gives the best readability.

Making the chat readable

  • Font size: increase the font size in RaceLab until you can read it easily when sitting back from the screen.
  • Line height: a little extra spacing between lines makes long messages easier to read.
  • Background opacity: if the game image behind the chat is very busy, increase the box opacity slightly so the text stands out.
  • Emotes and badges: check that they do not make text too tall or push messages off the screen too quickly.
  • Slow mode / moderation: fast chat will scroll quickly in the overlay. Consider using Twitch slow mode or stricter moderation during busy streams.

Common problems and quick fixes

  • No messages appear:
    Check that Twitch is connected in RaceLab, that you are live on the same Twitch channel, and that the correct layout / overlay URL is used in OBS.
  • Overlay is blank but source is loaded:
    Make sure the layout in RaceLab actually has the Chat widget added and not a different overlay by mistake.
  • Chat cuts off at the top or bottom:
    Increase the Browser Source height in OBS, or reduce font size / line spacing in RaceLab so more lines fit inside the box.
  • Text looks blurry:
    Set the Browser Source to a resolution that matches your stream resolution ratio (for example, 1920×1080 stream → 600×900 chat box). Avoid scaling the browser source too small inside OBS.
  • Chat appears behind other overlays:
    In OBS, move the chat source higher in the source list so it is drawn on top of other overlays that should not cover it.

This page was created by a RaceLab community member Scottozy, based on personal experience using RaceLab overlays together with publicly available documentation and community feedback. It is an unofficial help page and is not an official RaceLab publication.

Sources & references

  • RaceLab – official information about streaming overlays and chat features.
  • RaceLab community discussions about Twitch chat overlay setup and troubleshooting.
  • Practical testing by sim-racers combining RaceLab overlays with OBS / Streamlabs on Twitch.