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How to Show FPS in Games on Windows 11 PC

Press Win+G, open Performance, and read the FPS figure. Here is how to show FPS on Windows 11 with Game Bar, Steam, NVIDIA, or AMD, and what the numbers do and do not tell you.

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To show frames per second in a Windows 11 game, press Win+G while the game is running, open the Performance widget, and read the FPS figure. Pin the widget if you want the reading to stay on screen after the full Game Bar closes. If you launch the game through Steam, or you use NVIDIA or AMD graphics software, each of those offers its own FPS overlay, and the sections below cover them too.

Show FPS with Xbox Game Bar

Xbox Game Bar is the built-in route and needs no extra download. Intel’s Windows 11 support article, last reviewed September 5, 2024, describes the same Win+G and Performance steps.

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  1. Start the game and wait until gameplay is on screen.
  2. Press Windows key + G to open Xbox Game Bar.
  3. Open the Performance widget and locate the FPS reading.
  4. Click the pin control on the Performance widget to keep it visible during play. Unpin or close it when you are finished.

Menu labels and pin controls can shift between Game Bar versions, so look for the Performance widget by name rather than by exact position. Xbox Wire’s announcement dated October 22, 2019 introduced the FPS counter to the Performance overlay, and the overlay lets you choose which resources it displays and adjust its appearance.

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Show FPS through Steam

If the game runs through the Steam client, Steam’s own overlay can show performance data without Game Bar. This route applies only to games launched through Steam.

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  1. Open Steam and go to Settings > In Game.
  2. Turn on the Performance Monitor and choose its detail level.
  3. Launch the game from your Steam library and check the overlay during play.

Steam says the monitor can show detailed FPS performance alongside CPU, GPU, and system RAM information. Its Support FAQ also explains that minimum and maximum values and a graph can reveal dips that a single average hides.

Show FPS through NVIDIA or AMD software

If your graphics card is made by NVIDIA or AMD, the vendor’s control software offers an overlay as an alternative to Game Bar. Each one has different settings, so check the software you actually have installed.

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NVIDIA App overlay

NVIDIA’s product page says the NVIDIA App overlay can display real-time FPS and performance statistics, including FPS 1% Low and system information. The page does not establish that the overlay works in every game or system configuration, so confirm the reading appears in the game you play. The menu path and toggle key for the overlay are not stated in that source.

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AMD Adrenalin Performance Metrics overlay

AMD’s Adrenalin support article, updated November 12, 2024, documents a configurable Performance Metrics overlay. You can set which metrics appear, along with their location, size, columns, and transparency. The default overlay toggle is Ctrl+Shift+O.

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The metrics include frame rate, frame time, and 99th-percentile FPS. AMD’s instructions are based on an Adrenalin 23.9.1 example configuration, and AMD cautions that your system configuration may change which options appear.

Compare the four options

Tool Where to turn it on What it can show Limits stated by the source
Xbox Game Bar Press Win+G, then open Performance FPS; displayed resources can be customized Menu labels can change between versions
Steam Settings > In Game > Performance Monitor FPS at a chosen detail level; CPU, GPU, and system RAM; minimum and maximum values and a graph Applies only to games launched through Steam
NVIDIA App NVIDIA App overlay (menu path not stated in the source) Real-time FPS, FPS 1% Low, and system information Game-by-game and system compatibility not established
AMD Adrenalin Performance Metrics overlay; default toggle Ctrl+Shift+O Frame rate, frame time, 99th-percentile FPS, and configurable layout Available options depend on system configuration

Read the number correctly

An FPS counter is a live reading, not a full picture of how smooth the game feels. A healthy-looking average can still hide stutter, because one slow frame can be noticeable even when the average stays steady. To judge smoothness, watch the same demanding part of a game and note the dips rather than a single number.

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  • FPS: frames rendered per second at the moment or over the period the tool displays.
  • Minimum or 1% low: a figure that reflects the slowest frames. Check how each tool defines it.
  • Frame time: how long each frame takes, which is where stutter shows up. AMD’s overlay can display it.
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If the counter does not appear

  • Confirm the game is the active window before pressing Win+G, and that the Performance widget is open.
  • For Steam, confirm the Performance Monitor is turned on in Settings > In Game and that you launched the game from Steam.
  • For AMD, use Ctrl+Shift+O if the default toggle is unchanged, and check that the metrics you want are enabled in the overlay settings.
  • If an AMD option is missing, AMD notes that your system configuration can affect which options appear.
  • If one overlay does not show a reading in a particular game, try another tool from the table above.

Software details can change between updates, so the menu labels above may differ slightly on your PC. The dates of each source are noted where they matter.

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