How to Show FPS in Any PC Game: Every Built-In and Free Method

Frames per second (FPS) is the number of images your graphics card draws every second. It is the single most useful number in PC gaming: if a game feels sluggish, the FPS counter tells you whether your hardware is actually struggling or whether the problem lies elsewhere. Sixty frames per second is the smoothness target most PC players aim for, while competitive players on high-refresh monitors often chase 120, 144 or beyond.

The good news is that you do not need to buy or download anything exotic to see your frame rate. Chances are the software already installed on your PC has a counter waiting to be switched on. Here is every free method, starting with the simplest.

Steam's Built-In FPS Counter (the quickest)

If you launch the game through Steam, this is the easiest option. The counter is tiny, free, and requires the Steam overlay to be running.

1. Open Steam and click Steam in the top-left corner, then Settings.
2. Select In Game in the left sidebar.
3. Find the In-game FPS counter dropdown (it is set to Off by default) and pick a corner: top-left, top-right, bottom-left or bottom-right.
4. Optional: tick High contrast color so the number is easier to read against bright scenes.
5. Launch a game. The counter appears in your chosen corner.

If the counter never appears, the Steam overlay is probably disabled. Go back to Settings > In Game and make sure the in-game overlay is enabled, or right-click the game in your library, open Properties > General, and tick Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.

You can even use this with non-Steam games: Games > Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library, then launch the game from your Steam library. It works for many titles, though some launchers and anti-cheat systems refuse to cooperate with the overlay.

Xbox Game Bar (built into Windows)

Every Windows 10 and 11 PC already has the Xbox Game Bar, and its Performance widget includes an FPS counter that works in games from any launcher.

1. Launch your game, then press Win + G to open the Game Bar overlay.
2. Open the Widget menu (the icon that looks like three stacked lines) and select Performance.
3. Click the FPS tab. The first time you do this, Windows asks you to Request access — confirm the prompt and restart your PC. This is a one-time step.
4. The Performance widget shows FPS alongside CPU, GPU, VRAM and RAM usage. Pin it so it stays visible while you play.

Note that Game Bar sometimes needs a moment to start counting after you open it over a running game — press Win + G once more to refresh the readings if it shows dashes.

NVIDIA App Overlay (GeForce GPUs)

On NVIDIA graphics cards, the free counter lives in the NVIDIA App, which replaced GeForce Experience. First make sure the in-game overlay is switched on in the app's settings.

1. In a game, press Alt + Z to open the NVIDIA overlay.
2. Click the gear icon (Settings), then open HUD Layout.
3. Select Performance. Choose Basic for FPS only, or Advanced for FPS plus GPU temperature and usage.
4. Pick a screen position, then close the overlay. The counter appears in-game.

You can toggle the performance readout on and off during play without reopening the settings, which makes this one of the least intrusive options.

AMD Software: Adrenalin (Radeon GPUs)

Radeon owners get their counter in AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition. Check that the in-game overlay is enabled under Settings (cog icon) > Preferences first.

1. In a game, press Ctrl + Shift + O to toggle the metrics overlay on and off. This is the quickest route to a live FPS number.
2. For the full overlay — FPS plus GPU clock, temperature, fan speed and utilisation — press Alt + R instead, then open the Performance section and tick Metrics to choose which stats appear.
3. You can rebind either hotkey under the Hotkeys tab in AMD Software's settings if the defaults clash with a game.

MSI Afterburner + RivaTuner (any GPU, full detail)

MSI Afterburner works on NVIDIA and AMD cards alike, and it pairs with RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) — bundled with the installer — to draw a fully customisable overlay in almost any game. This is the enthusiast pick when you want frametimes, temperatures and usage next to the FPS number.

1. Install MSI Afterburner from MSI's official site, making sure the RivaTuner Statistics Server component is ticked during setup.
2. Open Afterburner, click the gear icon, and go to the Monitoring tab.
3. Tick the metrics you want — at minimum Framerate — and for each one check Show in On-Screen Display at the bottom of the panel.
4. Under the On-Screen Display tab, set a hotkey for Toggle On-Screen Display so you can hide the readout instantly in-game.
5. Confirm the RTSS icon is sitting in your system tray, then launch a game. The counter appears in the top-left corner by default.

If the overlay misses a particular game, open RTSS and raise the Application detection level from Low to Medium. Avoid High unless you must — it can conflict with some games and anti-cheat systems.

Check the Game's Own Settings First

Before installing anything, check the game's options menu. Many titles ship a built-in FPS display buried under graphics, interface or debug settings — often labelled "Show FPS", "Performance stats" or "Developer console". Multiplayer games in particular tend to include one. It costs zero overhead and never fights with anti-cheat.

Which Method Should You Use?

For most players the answer is simple: use Steam's counter if the game is on Steam, the Game Bar if it is not, and Afterburner when you are actually diagnosing a performance problem.

Troubleshooting a Counter That Will Not Show

Run through this checklist in order:

• Steam counter missing? The overlay must be enabled globally and per game (see above). Restart Steam after changing the setting.
• Game Bar shows dashes? Complete the one-time Request access step and restart your PC. The bar must be enabled under Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar.
• NVIDIA or AMD overlay not opening? Another program may have claimed the hotkey (Alt + Z and Alt + R are popular). Rebind it in the app's settings.
• Nothing works in one specific game? Games running in exclusive fullscreen with certain anti-cheat systems block overlays. Try borderless windowed mode, or fall back to the game's own FPS option.
• Game crashes with an overlay on? Turn the overlays off and test again. If the crash persists, verify the game's files are intact before blaming your hardware.

Once your number is visible, you can put it to work: pair it with our guide on what to do when a game's performance is not what the store page promised if the frame rate tells a story you did not pay for.