Couchlink 0.1.13

Couchlink 0.1.13: Steam's overlay (Shift+Tab) in games on real Steam, saved layouts, and fixes for a game losing frames while another one is in front.

Already on 0.1.4 or newer? Update from inside the app: the Update button next to the version, or Settings, General, Updates.

Windows: Couchlink-0.1.13-windows-x64.zip below. Unzip it anywhere and run couchlink.exe. Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit.

Linux: Couchlink-0.1.13-linux-x64.tar.gz below. Unpack it and run ./couchlink.

New in 0.1.13

• Steam's overlay (Shift+Tab) in games on real Steam. Couchlink starts each copy itself, so Steam never put its overlay in. Now each copy loads Steam's own overlay, also for players on their own Steam account, so Shift+Tab opens friends, invites and achievements for that player. On by default; each game's page has a switch to turn it off. Games on the Steam emulator have the same switch for its overlay.
• Saved layouts. In the screen editor, "Save layout" keeps the screen as it is, gaps included. Keep as many as you like and put any of them on a screen in any game. A game's page can pin one, so that game always starts with it.
• Close a player's own Steam. Players, a player's Steam account: "Close their Steam". Settings, General: "Close their Steam when a session ends". Your own Steam stays open.
• Show a cursor for each player (Settings, Bindings): turn off Couchlink's extra cursor for games that draw their own.
• Keyboards and mice only control the games while a game is in front (Settings, Bindings, on by default): typing in Discord or another app no longer reaches the games.

Fixed

• A game lost frames while another one was in front. Windows gives the window in front more of the PC. Couchlink now takes the focus off a game copy whenever one is clicked into, so every copy runs alike (not when someone plays on the desktop's own keyboard and mouse).
• Couchlink's cursor showed on top of other apps after switching away from the game. It now stays with its game window.
• Checking whether a player's own Steam runs took up to a minute on some PCs, which also slowed starting games with it. It is instant now.

The full list of changes is in CHANGELOG.md.

Good to know

• Tell us how your games run on the Co-op Anything Discord; Settings, General, Logs has "Save full report" for when something breaks.
• Couchlink works with any installed copy of a game.
• A macOS build is in the works.