How to Show FPS on PC: Every Method That Actually Works (2026)

You want to see your FPS on screen while gaming. The fastest way: press Shift + Tab inside any Steam game to open the overlay, go to Settings > In-Game, and set the FPS counter to a corner. No extra software needed. But there are better methods depending on your setup. This guide covers all of them.

Why Checking Your FPS Actually Matters

FPS stands for frames per second. It tells you how smoothly your game is running. A higher number means smoother motion. A low or dropping FPS means something is wrong, whether that is your GPU struggling, CPU bottlenecking, or background apps eating resources.

Seeing your FPS counter in real time helps you:

• Know if your hardware is keeping up with your game settings
• Spot performance drops before they ruin a match
• Test if a driver update or settings change actually helped
• Decide when to lower graphics settings for a better experience

It is not just for enthusiasts. Even casual players benefit from knowing their FPS, especially if the game feels choppy but they cannot figure out why.

Method 1: Steam Overlay FPS Counter

This is the easiest method if you play games through Steam. It requires no extra software and works across all Steam games.

Steps to Enable Steam FPS Counter:

1. Open the Steam client on your PC
2. Click Steam in the top left corner, then click Settings
3. Go to the In-Game tab on the left sidebar
4. Find the In-game FPS counter dropdown
5. Select a position: Top Left, Top Right, Bottom Left, or Bottom Right
6. Optionally check High Contrast Color to make it easier to read
7. Click OK and launch any Steam game

The Steam overlay counter is lightweight and adds essentially zero performance overhead. It is the go-to choice for Steam users who just want a quick number on screen.

The Steam FPS counter shows only your frame rate. If you want more data like GPU temperature or frame time, use MSI Afterburner instead.

Method 2: Xbox Game Bar (Built Into Windows)

If you do not use Steam, Windows 10 and Windows 11 both have a built-in FPS counter through the Xbox Game Bar. No downloads needed.

How to Use Xbox Game Bar FPS Counter:

1. Press Win + G to open Xbox Game Bar while in a game
2. Look for the Performance widget on screen
3. If it is not visible, click the widget icon in the toolbar and enable Performance
4. You will see CPU, GPU, RAM, and FPS all in one panel
5. Click the pin icon to keep it visible during gameplay

The downside is that the Xbox Game Bar widget can be a bit large and clunky. Some games also do not play well with it, especially older DirectX 9 titles or games with anti-cheat software.

If Xbox Game Bar does not appear, go to Windows Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar and make sure it is enabled.

Method 3: NVIDIA GeForce Experience Overlay

If you have an NVIDIA GPU, GeForce Experience includes a clean in-game overlay called NVIDIA In-Game Overlay. It shows FPS and lets you record or stream too.

Enabling FPS Counter via NVIDIA Overlay:

1. Open GeForce Experience (install it from NVIDIA’s website if needed)
2. Click the settings gear icon
3. Go to General and make sure In-Game Overlay is toggled ON
4. Click Open In-Game Overlay or press Alt + Z
5. Click HUD Layout
6. Select FPS Counter and choose a screen position
7. Close the overlay and play your game

NVIDIA’s overlay also shows a frame time graph, GPU and CPU usage when you enable the Performance HUD. It is more detailed than Steam’s simple counter but slightly heavier.

Method 4: AMD Radeon Software Overlay

AMD GPU owners have a similar option built into Radeon Software (also called AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition).

Enabling FPS Counter via AMD Radeon Software:

1. Right-click your desktop and open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition
2. Click the Performance tab at the top
3. Select Overlay on the left
4. Toggle Enable Overlay to ON
5. Customize which metrics show: FPS, GPU temp, CPU usage, etc.
6. Press Alt + R during gameplay to toggle the overlay

AMD’s overlay is clean and well-integrated. It shows more than just FPS, including GPU clock speeds and power draw, without needing any third-party software.

Method 5: MSI Afterburner (The Best Overall Option)

MSI Afterburner combined with RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) is the most powerful and flexible FPS counter available. It works on any GPU, any game, and gives you a fully customizable on-screen display with every stat you could want.

This is what serious gamers and PC hardware reviewers use. You can learn more about how to configure it from the Guru3D MSI Afterburner guide: https://www.guru3d.com/story/msi-afterburner-overclocking-guide/

Setting Up MSI Afterburner FPS Counter:

1. Download MSI Afterburner from the official MSI website (it is free)
2. During installation, make sure to also install RivaTuner Statistics Server when prompted
3. Open MSI Afterburner and click the Settings gear icon
4. Go to the Monitoring tab
5. Scroll down and find Framerate in the list
6. Check the box next to Framerate, then check Show in On-Screen Display
7. Repeat for any other stats you want: GPU temp, CPU usage, RAM, etc.
8. Click OK and launch your game

You can customize the font size, color, and position of the MSI Afterburner overlay by opening RivaTuner Statistics Server directly. Make it look exactly how you want.

MSI Afterburner works with NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel Arc GPUs. It is the most reliable method and the one to use if you want full control. The only downside is the initial setup takes a couple of extra minutes.

Method 6: In-Game Console Commands and Settings

Many popular games have built-in FPS counters hidden in their settings or accessible through console commands. You do not need any extra software for these.

Valorant Go to Settings > Video > Stats. Enable Client FPS and choose to display it as text, graph, or both. Also shows frame time, which is useful for spotting stutters.

Fortnite Open Settings > Video. Scroll down and toggle Show FPS to ON. It appears in the top right corner.

CS2 (Counter-Strike 2) Open the developer console with the tilde key and type cl_showfps 1 and press Enter. For a more detailed stats overlay, type net_graph 1.

Minecraft Java Edition Press F3 during gameplay. The debug screen shows FPS in the top left along with dozens of other stats. It is a bit cluttered but always available without any setup.

Apex Legends Go to Settings > Gameplay and enable Performance Display. You can show FPS, ping, and packet loss all at once.

Overwatch 2 Go to Options > Video and scroll to the bottom. Enable Display Performance Stats and check the FPS box.

Which FPS Counter Should You Use?

Method	Works With	Setup Difficulty	Shows More Than FPS	Cost
Steam Overlay	Steam games only	Easy	No	Free
Xbox Game Bar	Most PC games	Easy	Yes (CPU, GPU, RAM)	Free / Built-in
NVIDIA GeForce Overlay	NVIDIA GPUs only	Easy	Yes	Free
AMD Radeon Overlay	AMD GPUs only	Easy	Yes	Free
MSI Afterburner	Any GPU, any game	Medium	Yes (fully customizable)	Free
In-Game Settings	Supported games only	Easiest	Varies by game	Free / Built-in

What About Frame Time? (More Important Than You Think)

FPS tells you the average number of frames per second. But frame time tells you how consistently those frames are being delivered. A game running at 60 FPS sounds fine, but if frames are arriving unevenly, like 5ms then 25ms then 10ms, it will feel stuttery even though the FPS average looks good.

Tools like MSI Afterburner, Valorant’s built-in stats, and NVIDIA’s Performance HUD can show frame time graphs. If you ever notice that a game feels choppy despite a decent FPS number, check the frame time. Digital Foundry covers this topic well: https://www.digitalfoundry.net/performance-analysis-guide

What Is a Good FPS for PC Gaming?

There is no single right answer because it depends on the game type, your monitor refresh rate, and your personal preference.

FPS Range	Experience	Good For
Below 30 FPS	Unplayable for most	Needs immediate attention
30 to 45 FPS	Playable, but noticeable	Slow strategy or turn-based games
60 FPS	Smooth and comfortable	Most game types, baseline standard
100 to 144 FPS	Very smooth, noticeably better	Competitive shooters, fast-paced action
165 FPS and above	Ultra smooth, best possible	High refresh rate monitors, esports

Your FPS should ideally match or exceed your monitor’s refresh rate. If your monitor is 144Hz, there is no visual benefit to having 200 FPS on it. And if your FPS is lower than your monitor’s refresh rate, consider using V-Sync or frame limiters to avoid screen tearing.

Troubleshooting: FPS Counter Not Showing?

If you set up a counter and it is not appearing, here are the most common causes:

• The game is running in exclusive full-screen mode and blocking overlays. Try switching to borderless windowed mode in the game’s display settings.
• Anti-cheat software is blocking the overlay. Some games with aggressive anti-cheat like Valorant block third-party overlays. Use the game’s built-in FPS counter instead.
• RTSS is not running. If you use MSI Afterburner, check that RivaTuner Statistics Server is also running in the system tray.
• The overlay is behind the game. This can happen with some DirectX 12 and Vulkan titles. Try switching the game’s renderer in settings if an option is available.
• Conflicting overlays. Running Steam overlay, Discord overlay, and NVIDIA overlay at the same time can cause conflicts. Disable the ones you do not need.

How to Get Better FPS (Quick Wins)

Once you see your FPS and it is lower than you want, here are the fastest ways to improve it:

• Lower your in-game resolution or switch to a lower quality preset
• Turn off or reduce shadows and ambient occlusion, which are the most demanding settings in most games
• Update your GPU drivers through GeForce Experience or AMD Adrenalin
• Close background apps: browsers, Discord video, streaming software
• Make sure the game is running on your dedicated GPU and not integrated graphics
• Enable hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling in Windows 11 if your GPU supports it
• Set the game’s priority to High in Task Manager

Conclusion

Showing FPS on your PC comes down to what tools you already have. If you are on Steam, the built-in overlay takes 30 seconds to set up. If you want something that works everywhere and gives you real insight into your PC’s performance, MSI Afterburner is the best choice. AMD and NVIDIA both have solid built-in options too.

Start with the method that fits your setup. Check your FPS in a demanding game, note where it drops, and use that information to tune your settings. A stable frame rate always feels better than a high but inconsistent one. Check frame time too, not just the FPS number.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does showing FPS lower my performance?

Almost negligibly. Most FPS counters use less than 1% of CPU and GPU resources. MSI Afterburner and Steam overlays are both considered zero-impact for practical purposes. You will not notice any difference in your gaming performance.

Can I show FPS on PC without any software?

Yes. Windows 11 and 10 both include the Xbox Game Bar with a built-in FPS counter. Press Win + G in any game to access it. Many individual games like Fortnite, Valorant, and CS2 also have FPS displays in their own settings, requiring no extra software at all.

Why does my FPS counter show 0 or not appear?

The most common causes are exclusive full-screen mode blocking the overlay, anti-cheat software interfering, or a conflicting overlay from another app. Switch your game to borderless windowed mode and make sure you are only running one overlay at a time. If it still does not work, use the game’s built-in counter if it has one.

What is the difference between FPS and refresh rate?

FPS is how many frames your GPU renders per second. Refresh rate is how many frames your monitor can display per second. If your GPU produces 120 FPS but your monitor is 60Hz, you only see 60 frames. Matching your FPS to your monitor’s refresh rate gives the best experience and avoids screen tearing.

Which method works on non-Steam games like Game Pass or Epic Games?

Xbox Game Bar works on all PC games including Game Pass, Epic, and GOG titles. MSI Afterburner also works universally. The Steam overlay only works with games launched through Steam, although you can add non-Steam games to your Steam library as a workaround.