In video games, gamers mainly pay attention to performance: the higher the number of frames per second (FPS), the smoother and more responsive the image. If you want to monitor the frame rate of your favorite game, use one of these programs.
Technical guides for PC gamers
There are a wide range of tools and applications that provide real-time FPS tracking, including solutions from NVIDIA and AMD, as well as built-in counters and independent utilities. Here is an overview of the most popular.
What is FPS in games
FPS, or frames per second, is a critical performance measure in the world of video games. High FPS provides more detail during animations and actions, making graphics smoother and improving the overall gaming experience. This is especially important in competitive projects, where every split second can affect the outcome of the match.
Tracking frame rates may not be necessary, but it is valuable information for assessing your system’s performance and comparing it to other configurations. This is also an important factor to consider when choosing a new monitor.
How to enable FPS counter on Steam
Steam offers a handy built-in FPS counter that can easily be added to any game in your library, even if it wasn’t purchased through Steam. The tool is a great solution for those who want to quickly check performance without having to install third-party applications, although they may be less detailed than other tools available.
Steps to enable counter on Steam:
- Launch Steam and go to the menu by clicking on the Steam name in the top left corner of the screen.
- Select from the list that opens “Institutions”and then go to the section “In the game”.
- Find the option “Display frame rate” and select the desired counter location on the screen. If you need a clearer display, activate the function “Contrast display frame rate”.
- After setting, click “OK”to save changes.
The meter will now appear in all games in your Steam library, so you can easily monitor performance in real time. Please note that the counter size is quite small so that it does not distract you from the gameplay.
How to turn on the counter using the Xbox Game Bar
The Xbox Game Bar is available on Windows 10 and 11 PCs and provides a handy tool for checking the FPS of any game. Due to its size, this tool can be a bit distracting, but it provides useful information not only about FPS, but other important performance metrics as well.
This is how you turn on the counter using the Xbox Game Bar:
- Press the hotkey “Win+G”to open the Xbox panel on your computer.
- Find and select the tab at the top of the interface “Performance”.
- In the window that opens “Performance Options” Make sure this is in the section “Statistics” article activated “Number of frames per second”.
Once configured, you can pin the FPS counter to a convenient location on the screen so that it is visible even when the panel is hidden. Additionally, the Xbox Game Bar tracks other important performance data, including CPU and GPU usage, making it a powerful tool for gamers.
How to enable FPS counter in Ubisoft Connect
Ubisoft Connect, like Steam, offers a built-in FPS counter for Ubisoft projects, making it easy to track their performance. You can enable it in just a few steps:
- Open Ubisoft Connect and click the three horizontal lines icon in the top left corner of the screen, then select “Institutions”.
- In the settings menu, find the option responsible for displaying the frames per second counter (Display the FPS counter in the game) and activate it.
Once you complete these steps, the FPS meter will display during gameplay, allowing you to monitor your system’s performance in real-time and make any necessary adjustments to optimize your gaming experience.
Enable frame counter in the EA app
The EA Origin game client also offers a built-in FPS counter that makes it easy to track your performance, similar to Steam and Ubisoft Connect. You can enable it as follows:
- Open the EA app client and click on the three bars in the top left corner of the screen and then select “Institutions”.
- In the settings menu, go to the tab “Application” and scroll to the section “In-game screen”.
- Press the hotkey during a game “Shift+F1” and check the box next to “Frame Rate Counter”.
View frame rate in NVIDIA GeForce Experience
The NVIDIA GeForce Experience tool allows NVIDIA graphics card users to easily enable FPS counter and other performance indicators for real-time monitoring. But before you do this, it’s important to ensure that your PC has the latest GPU driver updates. Here’s how to do it:
- Use a keyboard shortcut “Alt+Z”to open the GeForce Experience interface.
- Click the gear icon to open the settings and go to the menu “HUD Location”.
- In chap “Performance” Choose where on the screen you want the performance information to appear. If you are only interested in FPS playback, select this item.
Once the settings are activated, the meter will appear on the screen at the selected location during gameplay, allowing you to monitor your PC’s performance and also adjust settings for an optimal gaming experience.
How to Enable FPS Counter in AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition
For AMD graphics card users, enabling the counter is possible via AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition, which provides an intuitive way to monitor gaming performance. Before you do this, it is important to ensure that you have the latest version of the software installed on your PC. To activate the FPS counter:
- Launch the Radeon software by clicking the icon on your desktop or from the Start menu.
- Find and select the tab at the top of the interface “Performance”.
- In chap “Statistics” Indicate which performance metrics you want to see in the FPS overlay.
- Go to settings by clicking the gear icon in the top right corner and selecting the tab “Frequently Occur”.
- Activate the option “Game Overlay”where you can also configure the interface language and the position of the overlay on the screen.
Once installation is complete, the counter and other selected statistics will be displayed in the corner of the screen during gameplay.
How to find out FPS with MSI Afterburner
MSI Afterburner is one of the best-known tools for monitoring and overclocking GPUs, but its capabilities are not limited to just improving graphics card performance. Using an additional component, the RivaTuner statistics server, Afterburner also lets you track frames per second while playing, providing a wider range of system performance data.
To use MSI Afterburner to display the counter:
- Make sure you have both MSI Afterburner and RivaTuner Statistics Server installed on your computer before you begin. Both apps are included when you download Afterburner.
- Launch MSI Afterburner and in the main program window, click the settings icon (gear) to access the settings.
- In the settings window, go to the “Monitoring” tab. Here you will find a list of all possible parameters for tracking. Highlight the ones you want to see on the screen, including FPS, and activate the ‘Show in OED’ option for each of them.
- Scroll to the bottom of the list of options and set keyboard shortcuts to toggle the on-screen display (OSD) that displays in-game statistics.
- After completing the settings and saving the changes, start the game and activate the previously assigned hotkeys to display the FPS counter and other selected statistics.
Thus, MSI Afterburner combined with RivaTuner Statistics Server will be a powerful tool to monitor your PC’s performance in real time and provide information to analyze and improve your gaming experience. We’ve already talked about this program in more detail here – be sure to check it out.
How much FPS should be in games to play comfortably?
The number of frames per second for a comfortable gaming experience depends on the gamer’s personal preferences and the specifics of the game. However, there are certain generally accepted standards that are recommended:
- 30FPS: Considered the minimum acceptable threshold for many video games, especially those that do not require quick reactions. Gameplay at this frame rate can feel slightly unstable, but remains quite acceptable overall for most story-based projects.
- 60FPS: Is the gold standard for most video games. At 60 frames per second, gameplay looks smooth and fluid, which is especially important for competitive projects where every millisecond can be crucial.
- 100 FPS and higher: Aimed at gamers looking for maximum fluidity and responsiveness, as well as gamers who participate in competitive matches. The higher the FPS, the lower the input lag and the more realistic and smoother movements appear, giving gamers a competitive advantage.
It is important to note that to achieve high frame rates, the system hardware must be able to handle the demands of the game. Owners of monitors with a high refresh rate will also have the added benefit of a higher FPS, as this allows the full potential of the screen to be utilized.
Ultimately, the optimal FPS number depends on your personal preferences and type of games. It is important to find a balance between performance and image quality.
Here’s a quick guide to determining FPS in video games. This information will help you get the most out of your gaming experience by ensuring a smooth, high-quality experience. If you have any questions, notice any inaccuracies, or would like to add to the guide, please write in the comments.
Source: VG Times