RaceLab Support – Twitch Chat Overlay (Streaming – Twitch only)

Twitch Chat Overlay (Streaming – Twitch only)

The Twitch Chat overlay shows your live Twitch chat directly on screen as part of your RaceLab layout. This is useful when you want viewers on other platforms to see Twitch chat, or when you want your VODs and clips to include the chat feed alongside the racing.

Important: this overlay is focused on Twitch. Your Twitch account must be connected to RaceLab so that messages can be read and displayed. Other platforms use different systems and are not covered by this overlay.

How the Twitch Chat overlay behaves

  • Shows incoming messages from your Twitch channel in real time.
  • Displays viewer names and their messages in a scrolling list.
  • Can be styled with colours, fonts and background options in RaceLab.
  • Does not control moderation – it only displays what Twitch sends.

If you prefer a more compact or styled chat, you can also use the newer Chat Overlay from the Streaming Overlays – Free to Use group. Both options rely on the same basic idea: connecting Twitch chat to RaceLab.

1. Requirements

  • RaceLab app installed, running and logged in.
  • A Twitch channel with streaming access.
  • Streaming software such as OBS Studio or Streamlabs.
  • A layout in RaceLab that you use for streaming scenes.

2. Connect Twitch to RaceLab

  1. Open the RaceLab App.
  2. Go to the settings or streaming area where integrations are configured.
  3. Find the Twitch section.
  4. Click the button to connect or log in with Twitch.
  5. Sign in with your Twitch account and allow RaceLab to read your chat and basic channel information.
  6. Once connected, check that RaceLab shows your channel name correctly.
Tip – test in a simple scene first Before combining the overlay with racing, do a short test stream or recording in a basic scene. Make sure chat updates correctly and the overlay looks clean and readable.

3. Add the Twitch Chat overlay to a layout

  1. In RaceLab, go to Layouts.
  2. Create a new layout (for example “Stream – Twitch Chat”) or open your main stream layout.
  3. Click Add widget.
  4. Select the Twitch Chat overlay from the widget list.
  5. Place the chat panel where you want it:
    • Right or left side of the screen near your webcam.
    • In a separate column away from the main driving view.
  6. Resize the panel so:
    • Names and messages stay readable.
    • You can see several lines at once (not just one or two).
  7. Adjust style options:
    • Font size larger for high-resolution monitors.
    • Background colour dark or semi-transparent to stay readable.
    • Message spacing that is easy to read quickly.
  8. Save the layout.

4. Add the layout to OBS or Streamlabs

  1. In RaceLab, open your layout and copy the overlay URL or browser link.
  2. Open OBS Studio or your streaming program.
  3. Select the scene where you want Twitch chat to appear.
  4. Click Add > Browser Source.
  5. Name it something like “RaceLab – Twitch Chat overlay”.
  6. Paste the overlay URL into the URL field.
  7. Set the width and height:
    • For a side panel: width 350–500, height 700–1080 pixels.
    • For a compact box near your webcam: adjust smaller as needed.
  8. Press OK and move the panel into final position.
Tip – keep chat readable on mobile When placing chat, look at your stream on a phone. If you cannot read it there, most viewers will struggle too – increase font size or make the panel bigger.

5. Moderation and safety

  • The overlay only displays what Twitch sends – it does not filter messages by itself.
  • Use normal Twitch moderation tools:
    • Auto-mod settings.
    • Trusted moderators in chat.
    • Blocked words or phrases.
  • Remember that anything shown in the overlay will appear in VODs and clips. If you are concerned about this, use stricter filters or consider using the Chat Highlight overlay instead to feature only selected messages.

6. Common problems and quick fixes

  • No messages appear: Check that Twitch is connected in RaceLab, that you are streaming from the correct Twitch channel, and that you used the correct layout URL.
  • Overlay shows but is frozen: Refresh the browser source in OBS or restart the RaceLab app.
  • Text is too small: Increase font size in the RaceLab widget settings, or enlarge the browser source in OBS.
  • Chat covers important parts of the game: Move the overlay to a less busy area, resize it smaller, or use a separate “chat” scene for chat-heavy moments.
  • Messages disappear too quickly: Increase the number of visible lines, or adjust scroll or timeout behaviour if your RaceLab version supports 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 – Twitch chat overlay behaviour and streaming integration.
  • RaceLab community experiences using Twitch chat overlays in sim racing.
  • Practical testing combining RaceLab overlays with OBS and Streamlabs.