I think it’s far more useful for each hardware vendor to offer their own overlays. For example, Corsair, Razer and EVGA are now offering overlay support through the Game Bar. Microsoft has managed to persuade some third-party hardware vendors to roll out support for the Game Bar overlay rather than go their own way. Better to remember NZXT’s Cam (Ctrl+O) or Asus’s GPU Tweak II (Ctrl+Alt+T).
For example, the Xbox Game Bar has overlay widgets that you can install for Corsair’s iCue as well as EVGA’s Precision X and Razer’s Cortex. I never use the game bar and would inadvertently dump it overboard but it may actually be the best place for all vendors to fill their overlays. If so, Nvidia is also to blame for this). Microsoft’s Xbox Game Bar overlay is likely to be the most annoying of the features because it gets your face to tell you that it appears every time you launch a game (if you have GeForce Experience installed). If you ask me Steam, Ubi, GOG and Origin may have an increase in overlays because they don’t offer much utility and none- No one-Can remember your hot keys. Still, its popularity and usefulness make it a solid No. I’m a fan of MSI’s Afterburner, but that probably doesn’t count as an overlay of annoyance because you have to install it intentionally and it takes quite a few steps to setup, including choosing the default overlay hotkey. If you run AMD Radeon graphics, its Adrenaline software overlay also matters (Alt+R). You’re going to keep at it, even if you feel like it’s a little tiring. So which one will I keep? The Netflix of overlays is apparently Nvidia’s GeForce Experience overlay (Alt+Z). But they’re probably more akin to streaming services than pop-up ads. To be fair, I find game overlays valuable.