diff --git a/apps/overlay/electron/main.js b/apps/overlay/electron/main.js
index cbfa9d8..1ae964b 100644
--- a/apps/overlay/electron/main.js
+++ b/apps/overlay/electron/main.js
@@ -88,15 +88,39 @@ const dragOffsets = new Map(); // BrowserWindow.id -> { dx, dy }
 const INVENTORY_VIDS = new Set([0x054c, 0x057e, 0x28de, 0x045e, 0x3537, 0x2dc8, 0x0f0d]);
 const hidControllers = new Map(); // key -> { vendorId, productId, name, serialNumber, connected }
 
+// #106: prefer node-hid for the inventory when available — the MAIN process can
+// enumerate serials + a per-unit `path` at launch with NO user gesture (the
+// renderer's WebHID requestDevice scan needs transient activation, which the
+// #104 auto-opened list lacks, so its rows showed no serials). Guarded: if the
+// native module isn't built for this Electron ABI it stays null and we degrade
+// to the Electron HID-event inventory below — no regression.
+let nodeHid = null;
+try {
+  nodeHid = require('node-hid');
+  console.log('[inventory] node-hid loaded — gesture-free serial enumeration active');
+} catch (e) {
+  console.log('[inventory] node-hid unavailable, using Electron HID events —', e.message);
+}
+
 // Drop XInput slot indices ("01"/"02") and other too-short non-serials so they
 // aren't mistaken for a per-unit id.
 function sanitizeSerial(s) {
   const t = s ? String(s).trim() : '';
   return t.length >= 6 ? t : null;
 }
-function hidKey(d) { return d.guid || d.deviceId || `${d.vendorId}:${d.productId}`; }
+function hidKey(d) {
+  // Prefer a physical-unit key (vid:pid:serial) so a multi-interface device
+  // collapses to ONE inventory entry — the Steam Puck exposes ~11 HID interfaces
+  // that all share a single serial, which would otherwise be 11 rows (#106).
+  const serial = sanitizeSerial(d.serialNumber);
+  if (serial) return `${d.vendorId}:${d.productId}:${serial}`;
+  return d.guid || d.deviceId || `${d.vendorId}:${d.productId}`;
+}
 
-function upsertHidController(d, connected) {
+function upsertHidController(d, connected, fromNodeHid = false) {
+  // When node-hid is the source of truth, ignore the Electron HID events so the
+  // two sources don't produce duplicate/rekeyed inventory entries.
+  if (nodeHid && !fromNodeHid) return;
   if (!d || !INVENTORY_VIDS.has(d.vendorId)) return;
   const key = hidKey(d);
   const prev = hidControllers.get(key) || {};
@@ -108,8 +132,79 @@ function upsertHidController(d, connected) {
     serialNumber: sanitizeSerial(d.serialNumber) || prev.serialNumber || null,
     connected,
   });
-  console.log('[inventory] HID', connected ? 'present' : 'gone', '-',
-    (d.name || d.productId), 'serial=', d.serialNumber || '(none)');
+  if (!fromNodeHid) {
+    console.log('[inventory] HID', connected ? 'present' : 'gone', '-',
+      (d.name || d.productId), 'serial=', d.serialNumber || '(none)');
+  }
+}
+
+// #106 win-2: some pads (the USB DualShock 4, 054c:05c4) leave iSerialNumber
+// empty but expose their Bluetooth MAC via a HID feature report — one Chromium
+// blocklists in WebHID (why the renderer can't read it), but node-hid in main
+// can. Probe once per device path and cache; the report id + layout are
+// per-controller (hardware-verified: DS4 report 0x12, MAC in payload bytes 1..6
+// little-endian). Returns a 12-hex-char MAC (matching node-hid's serialNumber
+// format for pads that DO expose one) or null.
+function macProbeFor(vendorId, productId) {
+  if (vendorId === 0x054c && productId === 0x05c4) return { reportId: 0x12, length: 16 }; // DualShock 4
+  return null; // DualSense/Switch/Steam already surface serialNumber
+}
+const _macProbeCache = new Map(); // path -> mac | null (avoids re-opening each poll)
+function probeUnitMac(device) {
+  if (!nodeHid || !device.path) return null;
+  if (_macProbeCache.has(device.path)) return _macProbeCache.get(device.path);
+  const probe = macProbeFor(device.vendorId, device.productId);
+  if (!probe) { _macProbeCache.set(device.path, null); return null; }
+  let mac = null;
+  try {
+    const h = new nodeHid.HID(device.path);
+    let bytes;
+    try { bytes = h.getFeatureReport(probe.reportId, probe.length); }
+    finally { h.close(); }
+    const raw = (bytes || []).slice(1, 7).reverse(); // 6 MAC bytes, little-endian -> MSB first
+    if (raw.length === 6 && raw.some((b) => b)) {
+      mac = raw.map((b) => b.toString(16).padStart(2, '0')).join('');
+    }
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.log('[inventory] MAC probe failed —', device.product || device.productId, '-', e.message);
+  }
+  _macProbeCache.set(device.path, mac);
+  if (mac) console.log('[inventory] MAC probe:', device.product || device.productId, '→', mac);
+  return mac;
+}
+
+// #106: rebuild the inventory from node-hid's live device list. `devices()`
+// returns metadata (vid/pid/path/serialNumber/product) WITHOUT opening the
+// device, so it never contends with the renderer's WebHID handles. No gesture
+// required. `path` is a stable per-unit id (distinguishes two same-vid:pid
+// units the renderer's WebHID handle cannot). Broadcasts only on change so the
+// polling interval doesn't spam snapshots.
+function enumerateHidViaNodeHid() {
+  if (!nodeHid) return;
+  let devices;
+  try { devices = nodeHid.devices(); }
+  catch (e) { console.log('[inventory] node-hid devices() failed —', e.message); return; }
+  const before = JSON.stringify([...hidControllers.values()]);
+  hidControllers.clear();
+  for (const d of devices) {
+    // Skip non-controllers sharing a vendor (e.g. Microsoft 045e keyboards/mice
+    // and productId-0 virtual HID collections that carry no name or serial).
+    if (!INVENTORY_VIDS.has(d.vendorId) || !d.productId) continue;
+    // #106 win-2: for pads that expose no iSerialNumber (USB DS4), fall back to
+    // their MAC read from a feature report — a stable per-unit id.
+    const serial = sanitizeSerial(d.serialNumber) || probeUnitMac(d);
+    upsertHidController({
+      vendorId: d.vendorId,
+      productId: d.productId,
+      name: d.product || null,
+      serialNumber: serial,
+      deviceId: d.path, // node-hid path → stable per-unit key via hidKey()
+    }, true, true);
+  }
+  if (JSON.stringify([...hidControllers.values()]) !== before) {
+    console.log('[inventory] node-hid enumeration:', hidControllers.size, 'controller(s)');
+    broadcastHidControllers();
+  }
 }
 
 function hidControllerList() { return [...hidControllers.values()]; }
@@ -275,6 +370,14 @@ app.commandLine.appendSwitch('disable-features', 'AutofillServerCommunication,Au
 app.whenReady().then(() => {
   createWindow();
 
+  // #106: populate the serial inventory immediately (no gesture) and poll for
+  // hot-plug/removal. node-hid enumeration is cheap and read-only; the interval
+  // only broadcasts when the device set actually changes.
+  if (nodeHid) {
+    enumerateHidViaNodeHid();
+    setInterval(enumerateHidViaNodeHid, 2000);
+  }
+
   // Create tray icon if asset exists
   try {
     createTray();
diff --git a/apps/overlay/forge.config.js b/apps/overlay/forge.config.js
index e200c87..28dc62c 100644
--- a/apps/overlay/forge.config.js
+++ b/apps/overlay/forge.config.js
@@ -40,5 +40,10 @@ module.exports = {
     //   },
     // },
   ],
-  plugins: [],
+  plugins: [
+    // #106: node-hid is a native module — unpack its .node binary out of the
+    // asar archive so it's loadable at runtime. Forge's package/make step also
+    // rebuilds native modules for the target Electron ABI via @electron/rebuild.
+    { name: '@electron-forge/plugin-auto-unpack-natives', config: {} },
+  ],
 };
diff --git a/apps/overlay/package.json b/apps/overlay/package.json
index 26011be..2294fb1 100644
--- a/apps/overlay/package.json
+++ b/apps/overlay/package.json
@@ -14,11 +14,13 @@
     "start:lobby": "electron . --lobby",
     "make": "electron-forge make",
     "make:dmg": "npm run package && bash scripts/make-dmg.sh",
-    "package": "electron-forge package"
+    "package": "electron-forge package",
+    "rebuild": "electron-rebuild -f -w node-hid"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@usersfirst/controller-core": "*",
     "@usersfirst/controller-visualizer": "*",
+    "node-hid": "^3.1.2",
     "three": "0.161.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
@@ -26,6 +28,8 @@
     "@electron-forge/maker-dmg": "^7.6.0",
     "@electron-forge/maker-squirrel": "^7.11.1",
     "@electron-forge/maker-zip": "^7.6.0",
+    "@electron-forge/plugin-auto-unpack-natives": "^7.6.0",
+    "@electron/rebuild": "^3.7.0",
     "electron": "^33.2.1"
   },
   "author": "Pete Gordon",
diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 74a9179..f003ed7 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
       "dependencies": {
         "@usersfirst/controller-core": "*",
         "@usersfirst/controller-visualizer": "*",
+        "node-hid": "^3.1.2",
         "three": "0.161.0"
       },
       "devDependencies": {
@@ -30,6 +31,8 @@
         "@electron-forge/maker-dmg": "^7.6.0",
         "@electron-forge/maker-squirrel": "^7.11.1",
         "@electron-forge/maker-zip": "^7.6.0",
+        "@electron-forge/plugin-auto-unpack-natives": "^7.6.0",
+        "@electron/rebuild": "^3.7.0",
         "electron": "^33.2.1"
       }
     },
@@ -211,6 +214,20 @@
         "node": ">= 16.4.0"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/@electron-forge/plugin-auto-unpack-natives": {
+      "version": "7.11.2",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@electron-forge/plugin-auto-unpack-natives/-/plugin-auto-unpack-natives-7.11.2.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-ktMQxO80vGjqVXVSFha+kWJscBmJaWud4Kqu7rKkbrCphr1zqaG+8EDNbkpGzV/+mhKOLuA5qII1hJ69gFNpdA==",
+      "dev": true,
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "dependencies": {
+        "@electron-forge/plugin-base": "7.11.2",
+        "@electron-forge/shared-types": "7.11.2"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">= 16.4.0"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/@electron-forge/plugin-base": {
       "version": "7.11.2",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/@electron-forge/plugin-base/-/plugin-base-7.11.2.tgz",
@@ -5340,6 +5357,12 @@
         "node": ">=10"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/node-addon-api": {
+      "version": "3.2.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/node-addon-api/-/node-addon-api-3.2.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-mmcei9JghVNDYydghQmeDX8KoAm0FAiYyIcUt/N4nhyAipB17pllZQDOJD2fotxABnt4Mdz+dKTO7eftLg4d0A==",
+      "license": "MIT"
+    },
     "node_modules/node-api-version": {
       "version": "0.2.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/node-api-version/-/node-api-version-0.2.1.tgz",
@@ -5371,6 +5394,23 @@
         }
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/node-hid": {
+      "version": "3.3.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/node-hid/-/node-hid-3.3.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-j+dFgJLRAE0nufQKXk3IfS6T6YuHhCgMvz4TrG0sgtb6DSCdYpfJ1etcdmeCmPQjUgO+yo32ktVrRliNs/+fmg==",
+      "hasInstallScript": true,
+      "license": "(MIT OR X11)",
+      "dependencies": {
+        "node-addon-api": "^3.2.1",
+        "pkg-prebuilds": "^1.0.0"
+      },
+      "bin": {
+        "hid-showdevices": "src/show-devices.js"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">=10.16"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/node-releases": {
       "version": "2.0.46",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/node-releases/-/node-releases-2.0.46.tgz",
@@ -5805,6 +5845,19 @@
         "node": ">=0.10.0"
       }
     },
+    "node_modules/pkg-prebuilds": {
+      "version": "1.1.0",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/pkg-prebuilds/-/pkg-prebuilds-1.1.0.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-jyai+KTQ2OwbN6iRYw88XbYOMgtpoSYJpjYebx7d9ihqz3txNi3ucsBt3va0iVWe6svSlaqpijMHFF/eJCMZzg==",
+      "license": "MIT",
+      "bin": {
+        "pkg-prebuilds-copy": "bin/copy.mjs",
+        "pkg-prebuilds-verify": "bin/verify.mjs"
+      },
+      "engines": {
+        "node": ">= 14.15.0"
+      }
+    },
     "node_modules/plist": {
       "version": "3.1.1",
       "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/plist/-/plist-3.1.1.tgz",
@@ -7520,7 +7573,7 @@
     },
     "packages/core": {
       "name": "@usersfirst/controller-core",
-      "version": "0.2.2",
+      "version": "0.3.2",
       "license": "MIT"
     },
     "packages/visualizer": {