Default Cmd+Escape binding silently conflicts with macOS Tahoe "Game Overlay" shortcut
Environment
- VSCode Claude Code extension v2.1.126
- macOS Tahoe (26.x)
- Panel mode (
claudeCode.useTerminal: false, the default)
Behavior
The extension binds cmd+escape to claude-vscode.focus / claude-vscode.blur to toggle focus between the editor and the Claude panel. macOS (Sequoia 15+, including Tahoe 26) ships a default system shortcut "Game Overlay" bound to Cmd+Escape (System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Game Controllers, enabled by default). The system shortcut consumes the keypress before VSCode receives it, so the extension's binding never fires and Cmd+Escape silently does nothing.
Diagnostic clue
In VSCode's Keyboard Shortcuts recorder, holding Cmd registers but pressing Escape while Cmd is held does not — confirming the OS is intercepting before VSCode sees the combo.
Workaround
System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Game Controllers → uncheck "Game Overlay" (or rebind it). After that, the extension's Cmd+Escape works as documented.
Suggested fix
Either:
- (a) change the default to a combo that doesn't collide with current macOS defaults, or
- (b) add a note to the extension README / settings panel calling out the conflict and the workaround.
Many users will hit this, see no effect, and have no obvious diagnostic path.
Related (not duplicate)
#53055 — Cmd+Escape also fails from inside the panel input due to the webview's keydown handler swallowing Escape without a modifier guard. That's a separate webview-side bug; this issue is about the OS-side interception that prevents the combo from reaching VSCode at all.
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