# Gaming modes and the performance HUD

> Keep the web over your game, and decide who gets the mouse and keyboard.

Source: https://sidewhisper.app/docs/gaming-modes-and-hud/

## The three Gaming modes

| Mode | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| Gaming: View | Topmost and click-through. The game keeps the mouse. Only the Window mode button stays clickable. |
| Gaming: Interact | Click Side Whisper controls without taking focus from the game. |
| Gaming: Focus | Keyboard and mouse go to Side Whisper, for typing, sign-in and search. |

Overlay opacity runs from 25 to 100 percent. In Focus, login, payment and other site popups keep keyboard focus.

## Default shortcuts

| Action | Shortcut |
| --- | --- |
| Enter or leave Gaming | `Alt+Shift+G` |
| Cycle the overlay mode | `Alt+Shift+O` |
| Toggle Focus | `Alt+Shift+F` |
| Unlock the cursor briefly | `Alt+Shift+I` |
| Show or hide the HUD (Pro) | `Alt+Shift+P` |

Every global shortcut is listed, and can be changed, in Settings, under General and Keyboard shortcuts. See [all shortcuts](https://sidewhisper.app/docs/keyboard-shortcuts/).

## Compatibility

> **Limitation.** Exclusive fullscreen and some anti-cheat titles can block overlays, focus changes or capture. Side Whisper suggests Borderless windowed when a fullscreen game would hide the overlay. That suggestion is a heuristic, not exclusive-fullscreen detection.

While Gaming is on, inactive browser windows and tabs are throttled by default. You can change this in Settings, under Advanced and Performance. Side Whisper makes no FPS promises.

## The performance HUD

> **Pro.** The HUD is part of Pro.

- **FPS** comes from Intel PresentMon, for the game process Side Whisper has validated.
- **CPU** and **RAM** cover the game, Side Whisper and the whole system.
- **GPU** is read from Windows GPU Engine for the game’s adapter. A real 0% shows as 0%.
- Temperatures appear only when your sensors report them. A value that is not available stays unavailable. Nothing is estimated.

The HUD has inline, column and minimal layouts. It can sit in the browser toolbar or float as a click-through overlay, on the left or right edge. Telemetry stays on your PC.

### Per-game profiles

A Pro profile remembers the Window mode, the opacity and the HUD visibility for one game. Side Whisper stores a hash of the game path, not the path.