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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →The easiest way to see your FPS on Windows is Xbox Game Bar: launch your game, press Win + G, open the Performance widget, select FPS, and pin the widget. If you use an NVIDIA or AMD graphics card, its official overlay may provide additional performance statistics.
What FPS means
FPS means frames per second—the number of rendered frames shown each second. Higher FPS generally makes motion feel smoother, but FPS is not the same as your monitor’s refresh rate.
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A 144Hz monitor refreshes up to 144 times per second, but the game must produce comparable frame output to make full use of it. Average FPS also does not tell the whole story: uneven frame times can cause stutter even when the average looks high. An FPS counter measures performance; it does not improve it.
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Xbox Game Bar is the best first option for most Windows 10 and Windows 11 players because it is hardware-neutral and normally requires no separate monitoring utility. Intel documents using its Performance section to display FPS on Windows.
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- Launch the game and wait until you are in gameplay.
- Press Win + G.
- Open the Performance widget. If it is not visible, open it from the Game Bar widget menu.
- Select the FPS section or metric.
- If it displays
N/A, choose Request access and approve the Windows prompt. - Restart your PC if Windows requests it. This permission step is often required only once.
- Start the game again and press Win + G.
- Click the pin icon on the Performance widget so it stays visible while you play.
Close Game Bar with Win + G or click back into the game. The exact widget names and layout can vary after Xbox Game Bar updates; Microsoft’s older instructions refer to Overlay menu → Performance and an FPS tab.
Intel’s Xbox Game Bar guidance and Microsoft’s support instructions document the FPS permission and restart flow.
If Xbox Game Bar is missing
- Press Win + I and search Settings for Xbox Game Bar.
- Confirm that Game Bar is enabled and installed.
- Update Xbox Game Bar through the Microsoft Store.
- Open the game before opening Game Bar; the FPS widget may not report anything on the desktop.
- Restart Windows after granting FPS access.
Do not rely on old articles that quote a specific Xbox Game Bar minimum version. Version requirements and labels change with Windows and Store updates.
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Show FPS with an NVIDIA graphics card
NVIDIA’s current software direction is the NVIDIA App, which provides an in-game Statistics overlay. Depending on hardware and software support, it can show FPS, GPU and CPU utilization, 1% low FPS, and latency-related statistics.
- Open or install the NVIDIA App.
- Enable the in-game overlay in the app’s settings.
- Launch your game.
- Open the NVIDIA overlay using the shortcut shown in your installed version.
- Open Statistics or the performance section and enable FPS.
- Choose the overlay position and level of detail.
Alt + R has traditionally toggled NVIDIA’s performance display, while Alt + Z has opened the broader overlay in older and some current workflows. Shortcuts can vary by NVIDIA App release or user configuration, so check the app’s hotkey settings rather than assuming either shortcut is universal.
NVIDIA App may fail to display statistics when the overlay is disabled, the game is not recognized, another overlay conflicts with it, or an anti-cheat system or full-screen mode limits overlay access. Laptop hybrid-graphics modes can also affect which GPU and overlay are active. NVIDIA’s feature documentation explains the current overlay capabilities.
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- Sight Advantage: VA panel with native 3500:1 contrast ratio paired with 400 cd/m² peak brightness and HDR support reveals crisp enemy silhouettes in shadowed corners of FPS maps, so you never get ambushed by hidden opponents.
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Show FPS with an AMD graphics card
AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition includes a Metrics Overlay with an FPS metric and other hardware information.
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- Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition.
- Open Performance, then Metrics or the overlay settings.
- Enable Show Metrics Overlay.
- Select FPS and any other metrics you want.
- Launch the game.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + O to toggle the overlay, unless you changed the hotkey.
AMD lets you customize the overlay’s size, transparency, text color, displayed metrics, polling interval, and whether it appears in recorded or streamed video. The documented default hotkey is not permanent: it may be changed, unbound, or claimed by another application. See AMD’s Metrics Overlay documentation for current controls.
A minimal AMD software installation may expose fewer controls. If the overlay is enabled but absent, check its position, the active monitor, the game’s rendering mode, competing hotkeys, and whether a driver update changed your settings.
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- Adaptive Sync Technology: Support for AMD FreeSync Premium Pro technology with NVIDIA G-Sync and VESA Adaptive-Sync compatibility enables the monitor to dynamically adjust its refresh rate to the frame rate being output by the graphics card, thereby greatly reducing screen tearing, stuttering, and other artifacts.
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Use Steam’s FPS counter
For a Steam game, Steam’s own overlay can be convenient. Menu wording changes as the Steam client is updated, but the usual path is:
- Open Steam.
- Open Settings.
- Go to In Game.
- Find the FPS-counter or overlay-performance setting.
- Choose a screen corner or position.
- Enable the display and launch the game.
Some Steam versions present an Overlay Performance Monitor instead of a standalone FPS counter. Select the least-detailed option that includes FPS if you only want a number. This is not guaranteed to work in every non-Steam game added to your library, because Steam’s overlay must be supported and active.
Use the game’s built-in FPS counter
A native counter is often the most compatible choice because it does not depend on an external Windows, launcher, or driver overlay. Look in:
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- Settings → Video
- Settings → Graphics
- Settings → Display
- Settings → Interface or HUD
- Advanced graphics
- Telemetry
Depending on the game, the display may include current or average FPS, a frame-time graph, ping, or CPU and GPU frame-time information. A game counter and a driver overlay can show slightly different numbers because they measure at different points in the rendering pipeline. That difference does not automatically mean either counter is broken.
FPS counter not working? Try these fixes
- Make sure the game is running, not just its launcher or title screen.
- If you used Xbox Game Bar, complete Request access and restart Windows.
- Confirm that the relevant overlay is enabled and pinned.
- Check whether the overlay is disabled for that particular game.
- Try borderless windowed mode if exclusive full-screen mode blocks the overlay. This is a diagnostic test, not a guaranteed fix.
- Temporarily disable other overlays, including Game Bar, NVIDIA, AMD, Steam, Discord, recording tools, MSI Afterburner/RivaTuner, and laptop utilities.
- Update Windows, the game, and your graphics software.
- Try the game’s native FPS counter.
- Check whether anti-cheat or other game security controls block external overlays.
If the overlay appears but cannot be seen, check that it is pinned, positioned on the active monitor, and not hidden by transparency, text color, display scaling, resolution changes, or another HUD.
Which FPS counter should you use?
| Method | Best for | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Xbox Game Bar | Most Windows users | May require FPS permission and a restart. |
| NVIDIA App | NVIDIA GPU owners wanting extra statistics | Requires the NVIDIA software and compatible overlay behavior. |
| AMD Adrenalin | AMD GPU owners wanting configurable metrics | Requires AMD Software and its overlay can be affected by hotkeys or game compatibility. |
| Steam overlay | Steam games | Depends on Steam’s overlay being active and supported. |
| In-game counter | Maximum compatibility and minimum overlay interference | Not every game includes one. |
| NVIDIA FrameView | Benchmarking and logging | More than you need for a simple live FPS number. |
For a quick check, start with Xbox Game Bar. Use the NVIDIA App or AMD Adrenalin when you also want hardware metrics. Prefer the game’s own counter when external overlays cause problems or when you want the engine’s reported value.
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FPS, 1% lows, and frame time
Average FPS describes the broad performance level. 1% low FPS summarizes the average performance of the slowest 1% of frames; it is not the single worst moment and is not a guaranteed minimum. Frame time shows how long each frame takes to render, making spikes and uneven delivery easier to identify.
If you are comparing graphics settings, use the same repeatable scene or built-in benchmark, identical settings, and consistent measurements. A live counter is not a substitute for a benchmark. NVIDIA FrameView documentation covers average FPS and percentile-style analysis; its benchmarking guidance also notes that the overlay may be disabled to reduce measurement overhead.
How to turn off the FPS counter
- Xbox Game Bar: press Win + G, then unpin or close the Performance widget.
- NVIDIA App: open the NVIDIA overlay and disable Statistics; the exact menu varies by version.
- AMD: press Ctrl + Shift + O, or disable Show Metrics Overlay in AMD Software.
- Steam: return to Steam’s In Game settings and disable the FPS or performance display.
- In-game counter: disable FPS in the game’s Video, Graphics, Display, Interface, or HUD settings.
If several numbers remain, disable overlays one at a time—including third-party monitoring and laptop-maker utilities—until you identify the source.
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