Steam does not provide one universal FPS limiter for ordinary Windows games. Start with the game’s own frame-rate setting. If it has none or behaves poorly, use a per-game NVIDIA or AMD driver profile, then RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) as a fallback. Steam Deck users should use SteamOS’s built-in Performance menu.
Why limit FPS?
Capping frames prevents a game from rendering more images than your display or play style needs. That can reduce GPU power use, heat and fan noise, especially in lightweight games, menus and loading screens. On laptops and handhelds, a lower stable target can also extend battery life.
A fixed limit may make frame pacing feel more consistent than a rate that constantly swings between high and low values. It can also keep output inside a variable-refresh-rate (VRR) range and may reduce tearing, although a cap alone does not guarantee tear-free presentation.
Very high frame rates can also expose timing problems in older games. For competitive play, however, a higher stable rate—or no cap—may be preferable. The best setting depends on your game, display and priorities.
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Choose a target FPS
Use your monitor’s refresh rate as a starting point, then lower the target if you are saving power or your system cannot sustain the refresh rate. With VRR, many players use a cap a few frames below the maximum refresh rate to remain inside the VRR window; this is a tuning convention, not a universal rule.
| Display refresh | Exact-rate starting point | Common VRR starting point |
|---|---|---|
| 60 Hz | 60 FPS | 58–60 FPS |
| 75 Hz | 75 FPS | 72–74 FPS |
| 120 Hz | 120 FPS | 117–119 FPS |
| 144 Hz | 144 FPS | 141–143 FPS |
| 165 Hz | 165 FPS | 162–164 FPS |
| 240 Hz | 240 FPS | 237–239 FPS |
For battery or heat reduction, a stable 30, 40, 45, 60 or 90 FPS target can be more useful than the highest possible number. Competitive players should compare responsiveness at the highest stable rate rather than assuming every limiter behaves the same.
Use the game’s built-in limiter first
- Launch the game from Steam.
- Open Settings, Options or Video/Graphics.
- Find Frame Rate Limit, FPS Limit, Maximum FPS, Frame Cap or a similar control.
- Set the target, apply it and restart if the game requests a restart.
- Verify the maximum FPS and frame-time behavior with the game’s counter or an overlay.
An in-game limiter is usually the best first choice because it is designed for that title and may provide better frame pacing. Some games offer only V-Sync rather than an adjustable cap, and implementation quality varies.
Steam Launch Options: useful only when the game supports the command
Launch Options are a per-game command-line field, not a Steam-wide frame limiter. To use one:
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- Open Steam and select Library.
- Right-click the game and choose Properties.
- Remain on the General tab.
- Enter the command in Launch Options, then close the window and launch the game.
Valve documents this path and notes that options vary by game: Steam launch options. For some Source-engine games, an example is:
+fps_max 60That command is defined by the game or engine, not by Steam, and will not work universally. Valve also warns that some listed options apply only to Valve titles: Valve video and display troubleshooting. If a command is ignored, remove it and use an in-game or driver profile.
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NVIDIA GeForce: set a per-game Max Frame Rate
- Right-click the Windows desktop and open NVIDIA Control Panel.
- Select Manage 3D settings, then open Program Settings.
- Choose the game. If it is absent, click Add and browse to its executable.
- Find Max Frame Rate, enable it and enter the target FPS.
- Click Apply and restart the game.
NVIDIA’s reference lists a selectable range of 20–1,000 FPS, although available values can vary by driver, GPU, application and interface: NVIDIA Manage 3D Settings reference.
- Use Program Settings for one title; avoid changing Global Settings unless you want the cap broadly applied.
- Background Application Max Frame Rate limits inactive applications and is separate from the foreground-game cap.
- If a game supports NVIDIA Reflex, its own latency controls may be preferable, but available options differ by game.
If the cap fails, check that you selected the actual game executable, then test fullscreen, borderless and windowed modes separately. Vulkan, DirectX 12, a launcher process or an anti-cheat overlay can change which process renders the game.
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AMD Radeon: Radeon Chill and FRTC
Radeon Chill
- Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition.
- Choose Gaming, select the game or create an application profile.
- Enable Radeon Chill.
- Set Chill Max to the desired maximum.
- For a fixed cap, set Chill Min and Chill Max to the same value, then relaunch if needed.
Chill dynamically changes frame rate according to activity, so unequal minimum and maximum values are not the same as a traditional fixed limiter. AMD defines Chill Max as the maximum during on-screen action and documents a stated maximum of 300 FPS: AMD Radeon Chill controls. Menu names and support vary as Adrenalin changes.
Frame Rate Target Control (FRTC)
FRTC is a separate AMD feature. AMD describes the current implementation as a target maximum for applications running in full-screen mode, supporting DirectX 9, 10, 11, 12 and Vulkan titles, with a 30–200 FPS target range on listed Radeon RX 6000 and RX 7000 hardware: AMD Frame Rate Target Control. Availability depends on hardware and software. Older Radeon documentation uses different menus and ranges: AMD legacy FRTC documentation. Do not assume an older instruction applies to your current driver.
Steam Deck and SteamOS
- Launch the game and press the three-dot button.
- Open the Performance tab and enable advanced view if necessary.
- Adjust Frame Limit, and optionally change display refresh rate.
- Enable Use per-game profile so the setting applies only to that title.
SteamOS supports matched combinations such as 60 Hz with 60/30/15 FPS and 40 Hz with 40/20/10 FPS. Valve has described 40 FPS at 40 Hz as a balance between responsiveness, consistency and battery life: Valve’s Steam Deck refresh-rate update. Current SteamOS releases continue to change; recent notes include fixes for frame-limit application and per-app performance settings: SteamOS news and release notes.
If a game has its own limiter, compare it with the SteamOS control. Check that Disable Frame Limit is off and that the selected refresh rate is the one you expect. Frame generation can make displayed FPS higher than natively rendered FPS, so identify which number your overlay reports.
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Use RTSS when built-in and driver limits fail
RivaTuner Statistics Server is a useful fallback when a game has no limiter, produces poor frame pacing, leaves menus uncapped or is not handled correctly by the driver profile. MSI’s Afterburner documentation explains where to obtain Afterburner and its RTSS component: MSI Afterburner support and MSI’s RTSS/OSD guide.
- Install RTSS from a reputable MSI or Guru3D distribution.
- Open RTSS and add the game executable if it is not detected.
- Select the game profile and set Framerate limit.
- Launch the game and verify the maximum FPS and frame-time graph.
- If behavior changes or errors appear, disable the profile or return the limit to zero.
RTSS injects into applications and can conflict with anti-cheat, DRM, overlays or unusual rendering APIs. It may require suitable permissions, and some games can bypass external limiters. Close RTSS while diagnosing crashes, black screens or unexplained performance changes.
FPS limiting, V-Sync and VRR are different controls
- FPS limiter: tells the game or driver not to render above a target.
- V-Sync: synchronizes presentation with the monitor’s refresh cycle, which can prevent tearing but may add latency or produce refresh-rate steps.
- VRR: allows a compatible display to vary its refresh behavior to match frame output within a supported range.
A limiter alone may still tear. V-Sync does not provide arbitrary targets such as 45 or 90 FPS on every display. Test the combination that suits your game rather than stacking several limiters during troubleshooting.
Verify that the cap actually works
Use the game’s counter, Steam’s performance overlay, the NVIDIA overlay, AMD’s performance metrics or RTSS/Afterburner. Check the maximum FPS, not only the average, and inspect frame-time graphs when smoothness matters. Steam’s newer overlay can distinguish rendered and generated frames in supported configurations: Steam performance overlay update.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshooting by symptom
The Steam launch option does nothing
The command may be unsupported, mistyped, tied to another engine version or overridden by a configuration file. Remove it, use the in-game setting, then try a per-game driver profile. For RTSS or NVIDIA, confirm the executable that actually renders the game.
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The driver cap is ignored
Restart the game after changing the profile. Check the selected executable, display mode, rendering API, launcher process, overlays and anti-cheat. Disable other limiters so only one control is active while testing.
Menus still run far above the target
Some games limit only gameplay. Use a driver-level profile or RTSS if reducing menu and loading-screen power use is important; AMD specifically identifies these screens as common sources of unnecessary high frame rates: AMD FRTC documentation.
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The cap causes stutter or feels less responsive
Disable all external caps and test the game’s limiter alone, then the driver limiter alone. Compare frame-time graphs, confirm the display refresh rate and check whether V-Sync, VRR, frame generation or a simulation tied to frame rate is changing behavior. A lower target increases frame time, but different limiters can produce different results on the same system.
The game crashes after RTSS is installed
Exit the game, disable its RTSS profile and temporarily close RTSS. Turn off overlays one at a time and use the game’s internal or GPU-driver limiter instead.
The Steam Deck limit is unavailable or ineffective
Open Advanced Performance View, check Disable Frame Limit, confirm the per-game profile and refresh rate, and note whether the Deck is on the stable, beta or preview SteamOS channel. A game launcher or its own limiter may override the SteamOS value.
Which method should you use?
| Situation | Best starting method |
|---|---|
| Game has a reliable FPS setting | In-game limiter |
| Source game with a documented command | In-game setting or supported launch command |
| NVIDIA GPU and one Windows game | NVIDIA Control Panel Program Settings |
| AMD GPU and a fixed target | Radeon Chill with Min and Max equal |
| AMD fullscreen title with supported hardware | FRTC |
| Driver controls fail | RTSS |
| Steam Deck | SteamOS Performance → Frame Limit |
| Battery or heat reduction | Lower in-game or OS cap |
| Competitive lowest latency | Compare uncapped, in-game and driver limits on your setup |
The Bottom Line
Use the game’s own limiter first. For Windows games without a dependable setting, create a per-game NVIDIA or AMD profile; use RTSS only when those options fail. Steam Deck owners should set the limit in the SteamOS Performance menu, then verify maximum FPS and frame times in gameplay and menus.
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