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For games launched through Steam, Steam’s newer Performance Overlay is often the most convenient choice. NVIDIA GeForce owners can use the NVIDIA App, AMD Radeon owners can use Adrenalin, and MSI Afterburner with RivaTuner Statistics Server is the most configurable option.
Which FPS counter should you use?
| Method | Best for | What you need | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xbox Game Bar | A quick counter with no GPU-vendor installation | Windows 11 | Win + G |
| Steam Performance Overlay | Games launched through Steam and additional performance data | Steam on Windows 11 | Shift + Tab for the Steam overlay |
| NVIDIA App | Supported NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards | Current NVIDIA App and supported driver/GPU | Alt + R after setup |
| AMD Adrenalin | AMD Radeon graphics cards | AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition | Ctrl + Shift + O |
| MSI Afterburner + RTSS | Detailed, highly customizable monitoring | MSI Afterburner and RivaTuner Statistics Server | Your configured OSD hotkey |
All five methods display a live value while a game is running, but they do not necessarily measure the same point in the rendering process. In particular, frame generation can cause an overlay and an in-game counter to report different numbers. Steam’s current overlay can distinguish rendered and generated frames where supported, and NVIDIA exposes DLSS-related statistics in its current overlay.
1. Use the built-in Xbox Game Bar FPS counter
Best for: anyone who wants a simple FPS counter without installing graphics-card software.
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Xbox Game Bar is built into Windows 11 Home, Pro, and other standard editions. Microsoft’s current shortcut is Win + G. The FPS readout is part of the Game Bar Performance widget—not Windows 11’s Game Mode setting.
Set up the counter
- Start the game in which you want to see FPS.
- Press
Win + Gto open Xbox Game Bar. - Open the Game Bar widget menu and select Performance. If Performance is not listed, add it from the widget menu.
- In the Performance widget, select the FPS section.
- If the counter says N/A or asks for permission, select Request access.
- Approve the UAC administrator prompt.
- Restart Windows if Game Bar requests a restart.
- Open the game and Xbox Game Bar again, return to Performance, and select the widget’s Pin icon.
After you close Game Bar, the pinned Performance widget remains visible over the game. To remove it later, press Win + G and select the widget’s Pin icon again.
If Xbox Game Bar shows N/A
The FPS permission request is separate from enabling Game Bar itself. The counter may remain at N/A until you approve the administrator request and restart Windows. If Performance is missing, add that widget through the Game Bar widget menu before looking for the FPS section.
Do not expect Settings > Gaming > Game Mode to display a number. Game Mode can affect Windows gaming behavior, but it is not the FPS-counter switch. The live readout comes from the Game Bar Performance widget. Microsoft’s Windows settings documentation is available through Microsoft Support.
2. Use Steam’s current Performance Overlay
Best for: games launched through Steam, especially if you want more than a single FPS number.
Steam added its newer Performance Overlay on June 30, 2025. Depending on the selected display level and hardware support, it can show a single FPS value, expanded FPS information, CPU and GPU utilization, RAM usage, frame time, and separate rendered and generated frames for technologies such as DLSS or FSR. Steam describes the feature in its June 30, 2025 announcement.
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Enable Steam’s Performance Overlay
- Open the Steam desktop client.
- Select Steam > Settings > In Game.
- Find Performance Overlay.
- Choose the display level you want, such as Single FPS Value. Select a more detailed level if you also want utilization, memory, or frame-time information.
- Set the overlay position, appearance, and hotkey if needed.
- Launch the game through Steam.
The Steam in-game overlay normally opens with Shift + Tab. If the Performance Overlay does not appear, check that Steam > Settings > In Game > Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game is enabled. You can also enable it for an individual title by opening Library, right-clicking the game, selecting Properties…, opening General, and enabling Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game. These settings are also covered by Steam Support.
Why Steam’s FPS number may differ
Steam’s overlay may not report the same figure as a game’s own counter. When frame generation is active, Steam can identify rendered frames separately from generated frames where the hardware and game support that information. An in-game counter may count a different stage of the pipeline. Therefore, compare like with like when testing a graphics setting: use the same overlay, the same mode, and the same frame-generation setting.
Users with uncommon or older graphics hardware may not see Steam’s full set of performance data. A missing advanced metric does not necessarily mean that the Steam overlay itself is broken.
3. Use the NVIDIA App Performance Overlay
Best for: supported NVIDIA GeForce GPUs when you want FPS alongside graphics-card statistics.
For current NVIDIA systems, use the NVIDIA App rather than copying older GeForce Experience instructions. NVIDIA is directing users to the NVIDIA App and has announced that the remaining GeForce Experience services will be shut down. The migration guidance is on NVIDIA’s upgrade page.
Configure and show the NVIDIA counter
- Install or open the current NVIDIA App.
- Start the game.
- Press
Alt + Zto open the NVIDIA overlay. - Select Statistics at the bottom of the overlay sidebar.
- Open Statistics View.
- Select Custom, or choose another statistics view that includes FPS.
- Close the configuration overlay.
- Press
Alt + Rto show or hide the configured statistics overlay.
The NVIDIA overlay can display frame rate, GPU utilization, temperature, and other statistics. NVIDIA documents the current Statistics and Statistics View workflow in its NVIDIA App feature information.
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Common NVIDIA App mistakes
- Using
Alt + Rbefore configuring the overlay:Alt + Rtoggles the configured statistics display; it does not choose which metrics appear. Configure it throughAlt + Z> Statistics first. - Following the old GeForce Experience path: instructions such as GeForce Experience > Alt + Z > HUD Layout > Performance use legacy terminology. The current NVIDIA App path uses Statistics and Statistics View.
- Statistics is missing: update the NVIDIA App and graphics driver, then verify that the in-game overlay is enabled in the app’s settings.
- The number does not match the game: frame generation and other rendering technologies can make the NVIDIA overlay and an in-game counter measure different types of frames.
4. Use the AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition metrics overlay
Best for: PCs with AMD Radeon graphics hardware.
AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition includes a metrics overlay that can show Frame Rate, frame time, GPU and CPU utilization, temperatures, clock speeds, memory usage, and other information.
Enable the AMD FPS counter
- Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition.
- Select Performance.
- Open Metrics.
- Open the Overlay section.
- Enable Show Metrics Overlay.
- Start a game.
- Press
Ctrl + Shift + Oto show or hide the metrics overlay.
AMD documents Ctrl + Shift + O as the default Toggle Performance Overlay shortcut in its Performance Metrics Overlay FAQ.
Change AMD’s overlay hotkey
- Open AMD Software.
- Type Hotkey in the search box.
- Select Hotkey Settings.
- Select the hotkey tile for the performance-overlay command.
- Press the replacement key combination.
If the overlay is enabled in AMD Software but does not appear, confirm that the game has been detected in AMD Software’s gaming interface and that Show Metrics Overlay remains enabled. Some games can report N/A for FPS; AMD has documented cases where FPS is unavailable in particular titles.
Be careful with older tutorials. AMD redesigned the Adrenalin interface in version 23.12.1. Current installations use Performance > Metrics > Overlay, rather than older paths such as Gaming > Global Settings > Performance Monitoring. AMD’s release notes describe the interface change at AMD Support. The documented current shortcut is Ctrl + Shift + O, not older or unofficial alternatives such as Alt + Shift + F.
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Best for: users who want a configurable overlay with FPS, frame time, temperatures, utilization, clock speeds, and memory usage.
MSI Afterburner is the monitoring and configuration application, but RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) is the component that normally draws the in-game on-screen display. Install both:
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- MSI Afterburner
- RivaTuner Statistics Server
MSI says RTSS is bundled with the Afterburner installer, but you must select it during installation. Download Afterburner only from MSI or the authorized source identified by MSI. Fake Afterburner sites and modified installers are a known malware risk. See MSI’s official on-screen display guide.
Configure the FPS display
- Open MSI Afterburner.
- Select Settings.
- Open the Monitoring tab.
- In Active hardware monitoring graphs, select Framerate.
- Enable Show in On-Screen Display.
- Select Apply, then OK.
- Confirm that RivaTuner Statistics Server is running.
- Start the game.
The FPS counter should now appear in the RTSS overlay. To add more readings, select each metric in Afterburner’s Monitoring tab and enable Show in On-Screen Display for it.
Change the Afterburner overlay controls
- Return to Afterburner’s Settings window.
- Open the On-Screen Display tab.
- Assign a hotkey to Toggle On-Screen Display if you want a keyboard shortcut.
- Select More to open RivaTuner Statistics Server’s settings.
- Adjust the overlay’s position, size, fill, transparency, and other behavior in RTSS.
If the MSI Afterburner counter is missing
- Installing Afterburner without RTSS lets you monitor values inside Afterburner but does not provide the normal in-game overlay.
- Make sure RTSS is running and that Show On-Screen Display is enabled in RTSS.
- Some games—particularly titles with aggressive anti-cheat systems or unusual rendering modes—can block or interfere with injected overlays. MSI suggests trying Xbox Game Bar or another monitoring method when the OSD does not appear.
- Do not use random portable, repacked, or unofficial Afterburner installers. The download source matters as much as the configuration.
Which option is best for your situation?
- Want the fewest steps? Use Xbox Game Bar. It is already in Windows 11 and needs no GPU-vendor utility.
- Play through Steam? Use Steam’s Performance Overlay, especially if you want frame time, utilization, memory, or rendered-versus-generated frame information.
- Have an NVIDIA GeForce GPU? Use the NVIDIA App’s Statistics overlay. Do not rely on old GeForce Experience instructions.
- Have an AMD Radeon GPU? Use Adrenalin’s Performance > Metrics > Overlay interface.
- Need extensive customization? Install both MSI Afterburner and RTSS, then configure the metrics and appearance.
Outdated FPS-counter advice to avoid
| Claim | What is correct now |
|---|---|
| Windows 11’s Game Mode displays FPS. | Game Mode does not create a counter. Use the Xbox Game Bar Performance widget. |
| GeForce Experience is the current NVIDIA method. | Use the NVIDIA App and its Statistics and Statistics View controls. |
| Steam only has the old basic in-game FPS counter. | Steam added the more capable Performance Overlay on June 30, 2025. |
| AMD’s current path is Gaming > Global Settings > Performance Monitoring. | Current Adrenalin versions use Performance > Metrics > Overlay. |
| MSI Afterburner alone draws the in-game counter. | The normal OSD requires RivaTuner Statistics Server as well. |
| A Windows command can turn on a universal FPS overlay. | There is no universal command for this. Tools such as dxdiag provide diagnostic information; they do not create a live in-game FPS display. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Windows 11 Game Bar FPS counter say N/A?
Select Request access in the Game Bar Performance widget, approve the UAC prompt, restart Windows if requested, and reopen the widget. FPS permission is separate from enabling Xbox Game Bar.
Why is my FPS number different between Steam, NVIDIA, AMD, and the game itself?
Different counters can measure different stages of rendering. Frame-generation technologies may add generated frames or expose rendered and generated frames separately, so the values are not always directly comparable.
Does MSI Afterburner need RivaTuner Statistics Server for an FPS overlay?
Yes. Afterburner selects and monitors the Framerate metric, while RTSS normally draws the in-game on-screen display. Select RTSS during the Afterburner installation.
Can I show FPS without installing NVIDIA or AMD software?
Yes. Xbox Game Bar is built into Windows 11 and can display FPS through its pinned Performance widget. Steam’s Performance Overlay is another option for games launched through Steam.
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The Bottom Line
For most Windows 11 players, start with Xbox Game Bar: Win + G > Performance > FPS, then request access and pin the widget. Use Steam’s Performance Overlay for Steam games, the NVIDIA App or AMD Adrenalin for hardware-specific statistics, and MSI Afterburner plus RTSS when you need the most control.
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