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In current Steam desktop clients, the old In-Game FPS Counter is generally found as Overlay Performance Monitor. Open Steam → Settings → In Game → Overlay Performance Monitor, enable Show performance monitor, choose a corner, and select Single FPS Value for a simple counter. Higher detail levels add frame-time, graph, CPU, GPU, and RAM data when your operating system, hardware, driver, and game expose it.
Valve announced the expanded monitor on June 30, 2025. Its initial full-data focus was Windows and common GPU hardware, so a basic FPS number is a more reliable cross-platform expectation than an identical hardware dashboard. Valve’s announcement and Steamworks overlay documentation describe the current scope and prerequisites.
Quick setup in the Steam client
- Open the Steam desktop client.
- Choose Steam in the upper-left menu, then select Settings.
- Open In Game.
- Find Overlay Performance Monitor. Older guides may call this In-Game FPS Counter.
- Turn on Show performance monitor.
- Pick a screen position and choose a Performance detail level. Select Single FPS Value for the least distracting readout.
- Adjust text size, color saturation, background opacity, graphs, and the monitor hotkey if those controls are present in your client.
- Launch the game from Steam.
Steam’s overlay must be working for the monitor to appear. Shift+Tab opens the overlay by default, although you can change that shortcut. It is not a guaranteed universal FPS-counter toggle; the monitor’s own hotkey depends on your client and configuration.
What the four display levels show
| Level | Best for | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Single FPS Value | Everyday play | One current frames-per-second value. |
| FPS Details | Checking smoothness | More FPS context and, where supported, frame-time or graph information. |
| FPS Details, CPU & GPU Utilization | Finding a likely processor or graphics limit | FPS plus utilization information when the platform and hardware provide it. |
| FPS, CPU, GPU & RAM Full Details | Detailed troubleshooting | The broadest panel, but also the most intrusive and the least consistent across systems. |
Valve says the monitor can include minimum and maximum single-frame values, an FPS graph, CPU and GPU information, system memory, and—where supported—separate generated frames from actual game frames. These fields are not guaranteed on every operating system, GPU, driver, rendering API, or game.
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Windows 10: the most complete Steam-monitor experience
Use the universal path above. On Windows 10, start with Single FPS Value; switch to FPS Details, CPU & GPU Utilization or FPS, CPU, GPU & RAM Full Details when diagnosing stutter or graphics settings. Windows is where Valve initially concentrated the expanded monitor, but even here the available fields depend on the Steam client, GPU model and driver, rendering technology, and whether the game is launched through Steam.
After launching, press Shift+Tab. If the overlay opens, Steam has successfully hooked into that game and the monitor should be able to draw. If you changed the monitor hotkey, use the configured shortcut instead. The same procedure generally applies to Windows 11, but Steam’s labels can change as the client is updated.
macOS: enable the same setting, expect less telemetry
On macOS, open Steam → Settings → In Game → Overlay Performance Monitor, enable Show performance monitor, select a position, and choose a detail level. A basic FPS readout is the sensible expectation; CPU, GPU, RAM, graph, temperature, or frame-generation fields may be absent.
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Steamworks documents overlay support for macOS and for Metal and OpenGL, but support for the overlay in general does not guarantee that every game will display the monitor. A native Mac game, an older title, and a Windows game running through Wine, CrossOver, or another wrapper can hook differently. Games launched directly outside Steam may not receive the overlay even if their files are added to your library.
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If the counter is enabled but invisible, press Shift+Tab first. Then try another corner, increase text size and background opacity, and restart Steam and the game. High-DPI scaling, unusual resolutions, wrappers, and exclusive display modes can make an otherwise functioning overlay appear misplaced.
Linux: desktop Steam, native games, and Proton
Desktop Linux uses the same menu path: Steam → Settings → In Game → Overlay Performance Monitor → Show performance monitor. Native Linux games, Vulkan and OpenGL titles, and Windows games running through Proton can have different overlay behavior. Confirm that the game was started from Steam, then test Shift+Tab before changing Proton versions.
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- Check the Steam package format. Flatpak or another sandbox can affect integrations and permissions.
- Verify your graphics driver and the game’s actual renderer.
- On hybrid-graphics laptops, Steam may report the integrated GPU even when the game is intended to use the discrete GPU. A ValveSoftware/steam-for-linux issue documents this as a reported failure mode, not a universal Linux result.
- If you need deeper Linux telemetry, MangoHud is a separate alternative; it is not part of Steam’s monitor.
Missing CPU, GPU, or RAM fields do not automatically mean the FPS counter is broken. Linux support and hardware reporting can be narrower than Windows support for a particular client, driver, game, or Proton path.
Steam Deck and SteamOS are a separate interface
Steam Deck’s Gaming Mode has its own Quick Access performance controls and presentation. Do not assume that the desktop-Linux Settings → In Game page looks identical in SteamOS Gaming Mode. This guide covers the desktop Steam client; use the Deck’s device-specific performance controls when playing in Gaming Mode.
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- Return to Steam → Settings → In Game → Overlay Performance Monitor.
- Choose a different corner, adjust size, saturation, opacity, or graphs, or select a simpler detail level.
- To hide it, turn off Show performance monitor (or use the client’s disabled/off option if your build labels it differently).
- Restart the game after changing settings if the old display remains.
Troubleshooting when no FPS appears
The setting is enabled, but nothing is on screen
- Confirm Show performance monitor and a visible position are selected.
- Launch the title through Steam, not its executable directly.
- Press Shift+Tab. If the overlay does not open, enable Steam Overlay for that game in its Steam Properties and restart.
- Temporarily try borderless-windowed or windowed mode if exclusive fullscreen is interfering.
- Disable other overlay software temporarily, update Steam and your graphics driver, and test another Steam game.
The overlay opens, but the monitor is invisible
Move it to another corner, increase text size, saturation, and background opacity, and return temporarily to Single FPS Value. Unusual aspect ratios, display scaling, wrappers, Proton settings, or an unsupported detail level can hide the panel. Restart the game after changing the monitor options.
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FPS works but hardware data is missing
This is usually a support limitation rather than a failed FPS counter. Valve described the first release as focused on Windows and common GPU hardware; macOS and Linux may expose fewer fields, and individual drivers or games can provide less telemetry.
Only one game fails
If the overlay works elsewhere, investigate that game’s renderer, compatibility layer, fullscreen mode, or conflicting overlay. Steam supports DirectX 7–12, OpenGL, Metal, and Vulkan, but individual games can still fail to hook. Software-rasterized applications do not receive the Steam overlay. The Steamworks documentation also explains that overlay injection can expose rendering or memory problems; disabling the overlay can be a compatibility workaround without proving Steam caused the underlying defect.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to interpret the number
FPS is rendered frames per second, not a complete smoothness score. A high average can coexist with uneven frame pacing, stutter, or input latency. Frame-time graphs and minimum values are often more revealing than the headline number. With DLSS or FSR frame generation, generated frames may be counted separately from frames produced by the game engine when the monitor supports that distinction, so do not compare every displayed number as though it represented the same workload.
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Alternatives if Steam’s monitor is not enough
| Tool | Where it fits |
|---|---|
| MangoHud | Highly configurable Linux and Steam Deck/Linux monitoring. |
| NVIDIA App overlay | Broader telemetry for NVIDIA hardware, but vendor-specific. |
| AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition metrics overlay | AMD-focused monitoring, also vendor-specific. |
| Xbox Game Bar | Built into Windows; unavailable on macOS and Linux. |
| MSI Afterburner/RivaTuner Statistics Server | Powerful Windows monitoring with more setup than Steam’s counter. |
These are optional fallbacks. No additional download or purchase is required for Steam’s built-in display.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Steam’s FPS display work on Windows 10?
Yes. The current desktop-client path is Steam → Settings → In Game → Overlay Performance Monitor. Enable Show performance monitor and choose Single FPS Value or a higher detail level.
What does Shift+Tab do?
Shift+Tab opens Steam’s in-game overlay by default. It is a useful test that the overlay can hook into the game, but it is not automatically the FPS monitor’s toggle unless configured that way.
Why does Steam show FPS but not GPU usage?
Advanced telemetry depends on the operating system, GPU, driver, Steam client, and game. A working FPS readout with missing CPU, GPU, or RAM fields can be an expected support limitation.
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Yes. Generated frames and game-rendered frames are not the same measurement. Steam may distinguish them in supported situations, but that distinction is not guaranteed on every platform or game.
Does Steam Deck use this exact desktop setting?
Not necessarily. SteamOS Gaming Mode has its own Quick Access performance controls, so its interface should not be treated as identical to desktop Linux Steam.
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