Twitch chat provides a way for viewers and streamers to communicate with each other. So streamers need to be able to see the Twitch Chat while streaming.
But you need at least two monitor setups to see the Twitch chat. There are many beginner and hobbyist streamers that can only stream with only one monitor. The limitation of having one monitor is, it will be hard to see the chat room
Twitch chat is essential for streamer because it let streamer engage with their viewers. If you as a streamer ignore the chat room while you’re streaming, most of your viewers will leave your stream
This article will explain on how to view your Twitch chat room while you’re streaming. Because we use software, our method can be used on YouTube, Facebook Gaming, and other streaming platforms. We will also explain how to view the chat room using a smartphone or tablet.
How To See Twitch Chat While Streaming With One Monitor Setup
The easiest method to see the chat room while you’re streaming on Twitch is to run the game in Windowed Mode. But not all games support this feature. For Streamlabs users, you can use Streamlabs overlay to overlay the chat while you’re streaming. Your smartphone and tablet can be used as an extra monitor to view the Twitch chat.
So, if you’re a streamer that only has one monitor, you need to use some tweaks to be able to see the Twitch chat while you’re streaming
There are few methods to do so. You can choose one method you prefers to live stream on Twitch with only one monitor
Run the Games In Windowed Mode
Running the game in Windowed Mode allows you to easily view the Twitch chat while you’re playing. But not all games support Windowed Mode.
If you’re playing a non-heavy game like Minecraft, Among Us, or League of Legends, then you can stream the game in Windowed Mode.
Go to your Twitch stream and pop out of the Twitch chat. Resize the Twitch chat and place it beside the windowed game. On OBS, create a new capture area which only as big as the game window.
With this method, you can easily view the chat without any additional equipment or software to use
Use Streamlabs Game Overlay
Streamlabs Game Overlay is a feature that lets you overlay the Twitch chat on your screen while you are in the game. The best part is, you can use Streamlabs overlay on one monitor setup
Streamlabs Game Overlay is customizable, so you can setup it based on your streaming preference. You can let the Twitch chat always appear when you’re streaming. Or, if you want the it to disappear, you can use hotkey to close the overlay in one click
To enable Streamlabs Game overlay, follow these steps:
Step 1: Open Streamlabs OBS application on your PC
Step 2: Click Setting Icon
Step 3: On the “Game Overlay” Menu, Toggle on “Enable in-game overlay”, “Show Chat”, “Show Recent Events”, and “Toggle Positioning mode”
Step 4: If you only want to show Twitch chat, don’t toggle “Show Recent Events”.
Step 5: Adjust the opacity of the overlay window
Step 6: Click the “Hotkeys” menu. Scroll down and setup the hotkeys for “Toggle in-game overlay” and “Toggle overlay positioning mode”
You must setup the Hotkeys, or else the Game Overlay feature will still be disabled for you
Note:
Streaming on game capture mode won’t show the Twitch chat overlay to your viewers. So if you want to hide the overlay on Streamlabs OBS, then use the game capture mode
If you’re using the Display capture mode, the Twitch chat will be visible to the viewers
If you experience issues with the Game Overlay features, change the in-game setting to borderless window mode.
If you want a video tutorial on how to setup chat overlay in Streamlabs OBS, you can watch this video on YouTube
Use Smartphone, Tablet, and Laptop to show the Twitch Chat
You can use your smartphone and Tablet to show the chat room while you’re streaming. Follow these steps below to turn your smartphone or tablet into an extra monitor for Twitch chat
- Download the Twitch mobile app on your smartphone or tablet and sign in to your Twitch account. If you use a laptop, you can download the Twitch app on the Windows store
- When you’re streaming on your PC, open the Twitch app.
- On there, you can see the chat room for your stream
- Place your smartphone or tablet to the holder so it can stay positioned upright
The disadvantage of using the smartphone to view the chat room is it is hard to see because of the small screen. Not only that, it will take time to reply on the Twitch chat.
Anyone that types on a smartphone know how annoying autocorrect is. If your viewer sees you taking too much time typing on the smartphone, some of them may leave your stream.
So make sure you at least use a tablet instead of a smartphone. The best option is if you use a laptop because it will be easy to view and type on the chat room
Use Baffler, a free Twitch chat overlay software
Baffler Transparent Twitch Chat Overlay is a free software that lets you create a transparent overlay over your game. Baffler is a project hosted on GitHub, and the developer keeps updating the software until now, fixing any bug that appears on Baffler. So you can use Baffler without any worries
How to Enable Twitch Chat Overlay on Baffler
Step 1: Download Baffler on: https://github.com/baffler/Transparent-Twitch-Chat-Overlay/
In case you don’t know how to download on GitHub, click the Code button, then choose “Download Zip”
Step 2: Extract Baffler Zip files, then right-click and choose “Run as administrator”
Step 3: Open setting, paste your Twitch channel link to the channel information section, and save the setting
Step 4: Baffler will show you the chat room if you’re online on Twitch. Drag the overlay to the area you want.
If you want to hide the annoying border on the overlay, click the [o] button in the top corner of the application
Why There are many Streamers Use One Monitor Setup?
According to research by Streamlabs, 60% of live streamers are using a single monitor when they are streaming on Twitch. The reason why streamers can only use one monitor is because they can’t afford to buy an extra monitor for streaming. Some streamers also don’t have enough space to place a second monitor on their desk
How To View Twitch Chat While Streaming with Two Monitors
If you have two monitors for streaming, you can choose one of them to display your channel chat room while streaming. Usually, streamers buy a second monitor with a 21-inch size and place it in a portrait/vertical position. The second monitor will only be used to display alerts and Twitch chat, so you don’t need to buy an expensive gaming monitor for your second monitor for streaming
You don’t need to use any extra software to do this. Follow these steps below:
- Connect the second monitor to your PC
- Click Start or Window Logo and click Cog Icon to open Windows Setting
- Click System > Display
- Click “Detect” if your PC doesn’t detect your second monitor
- On the “Multiple Display” section, choose “Extend these displays”
Should I Show Twitch Chat on My Stream?
Streamer should only show the Twitch chat only when needed. When streaming serious games, showing the chat can distract both the streamer and the viewer from having an immersive experience. So if you stream casual games, you can show the Twitch chat. If not, hide the chat on your stream
There are advantages and disadvantages of showing the chat on your stream. Here is the list of pros and cons so you can weigh which ones are better for your Twitch channel
The Advantage of Showing Chat on Your Stream
The biggest advantage of showing chat on your stream is when you export your stream to YouTube, your YouTube viewer can see the chat. This can make your video more immersive to the viewers. Of course, this can annoy some viewer that doesn’t like having a chat on your video
Consider resizing your channel’s chat room to make it smaller and show fewer messages on the screen
The Disadvantages of showing Chat on Your Stream
Showing the chat on your stream can make your stream looks crowded. Some of your stream viewers may look at the chat too much and not pay attention to your stream. This situation is common on channel moderators, they keep watching the chat. So make sure to hide your chat when not needed
Conclusion
Even though you can still view the chat with one monitor setup, we recommend to have a second monitor for streaming purposes. It doesn’t need to be expensive because you will only use it for showing Twitch chat or YouTube videos for entertainment.