How to Display FPS Counter While Gaming on PC

Hello friend! Are you looking to monitor and maximize your frame rates for super smooth PC gaming? As a long-time gamer and tech enthusiast, I‘m here to help explain everything you need to know about displaying your in-game FPS counter.

Trust me – actively tracking FPS can completely transform and improve your overall gaming experience.

What is FPS and Why Does it Matter for PC Gaming?

FPS stands for frames per second. It refers to how many unique consecutive still images (frames) your game renders on screen every second.

The more frames displayed per second, the smoother and more life-like the animations will seem. Higher FPS makes controls more responsive too.

For example:

30 FPS = 30 frames rendered every second
60 FPS = 60 frames rendered every second
120 FPS = 120 frames rendered every second

And so on. More FPS equals smoother performance.

Here‘s an in-depth look at how higher FPS improves gaming on PCs:

Smoother Motion and Camera Movement

Higher FPS produces much smoother character and camera movement. With 60+ FPS, panning the camera or spinning your character is silky smooth.

At lower FPS like 30, motion can appear slightly choppy and disjointed. It lacks fluidity.

Sharper and More Responsive Controls

Player inputs translate to on-screen actions faster at higher FPS. There‘s less latency between your mouse clicks/button presses and the game responding.

Actions feel snappier. Aiming and movements are more precise with minimal lag. Controls are more reactive at 120+ FPS.

More Immersive Gameplay Overall

Higher FPS just "feels" better to play. The whole virtual world connects with your senses more convincingly. It‘s easier to get drawn into the game and focus on gameplay.

Competitive Multiplayer Advantage

For fast-paced online gaming, higher FPS provides a real edge over other players. Seeing opponents and objects more sharply allows you to react quicker.

Maximizing FPS should be a priority for any serious competitive gamer. Even small FPS differences matter.

Here are common FPS targets based on your setup:

FPS Target	Hardware/Use Case
30 FPS	Minimum for playable performance on low-end systems
60 FPS	The sweet spot for smooth gaming on most rigs
120+ FPS	High-end systems for ultra fluid gameplay, especially on 120/144Hz monitors
240+ FPS	Top-tier hardware + optimized games on a 240Hz monitor for esports

Clearly, FPS has a major impact on gaming enjoyment and performance. That‘s why monitoring FPS is so useful – it helps you visualize and optimize this critical experience metric.

Steam‘s Built-In FPS Counter

For games purchased on Steam, the client has a super handy built-in FPS counter overlay.

Here‘s how to set it up:

Launch Steam and click Settings > In-Game at the top.
In the In-Game tab, locate the In-game FPS counter setting.
From the dropdown, select a position you want the counter overlay displayed. I prefer the top-right corner.
Boot up any game from your Steam library. The FPS counter should now display live during gameplay!

Steam FPS Counter — Steam‘s FPS counter positioned neatly in the corner.

What I love about Steam‘s counter is it‘s simple and unintrusive. The FPS stats update real-time but don‘t get in the way.

Pro tip: You can add non-Steam games to your library and launch them via Steam for the FPS counter to work with them too. Just hit Add a Game > Add a Non-Steam Game in your library.

Overall, Steam‘s FPS counter is a quick and easy way to monitor frame rates if you primarily play games purchased on Steam.

Activate the Xbox Game Bar on Windows 10

Windows 10 has a built-in Xbox Game Bar with various overlays to track gaming performance – including FPS.

Here are the steps to display FPS through the Game Bar:

In any game, press Win + G to open the Xbox Game Bar.
Select the Performance tab along the top.
Click the box that says FPS.
Pick one of the four corners to show the FPS counter.
If you get a prompt, click Request Access and follow instructions to enable the FPS counter. May require a PC restart.

Once set up, the Xbox Game Bar FPS overlay functions just like Steam. It displays live FPS front and center during games.

The Game Bar works for titles purchased outside Steam too which is awesome.

Both Xbox Game Bar and Steam overlays provide an easy FPS fix that doesn‘t require extra software. But for maximum customization, keep reading for more advanced third-party tools.

Leverage Your Game‘s Built-In FPS Counter

Before downloading any external programs, check if your game has a built-in FPS counter already. Many modern games come with the option buried in settings:

Look in Graphics/Video settings – Toggle "Show FPS" or similar. May be under Advanced.
Try pressing FPS hotkeys – Common examples: Alt + F1, F10, F7.
Check for an in-game console – ~ or F1 may open a console to enter "showfps 1" command.
Tweak config files – Enabling FPS may involve editing .ini, .cfg or other files.
Use launch options – Adding launch commands through Steam or shortcuts can show FPS.
Google "[Your Game] show FPS" – The community may know how to activate the counter.

Built-in FPS counters are ideal. They intelligently position themselves and account for UI elements. Definitely check for native options before installing anything new!

Third-Party FPS Monitoring Software

If you can‘t utilize built-in or Steam/Windows overlays, third-party tools are a foolproof option for displaying your FPS.

Popular choices like FRAPS and MSI Afterburner overlay your FPS on any game. The benefit is unlimited customization – position it anywhere and set fonts, colors, graphs etc.

Let‘s look at some top FPS counter programs:

FRAPS

One of the oldest and most popular FPS overlays. Simple to use – just set your desired corner position and font. Shows current FPS and min/max values. Extremely customizable.

MSI Afterburner

Originally GPU overclocking software. Includes the RTSS FPS monitor with fully customizable overlays. Graphs usage, temps, FPS over time.

NVIDIA GeForce Experience

NVIDIA GPU owners can enable an FPS counter through GeForce Experience settings. Just toggle on and set position.

And many more – CapFrameX, Razer Cortex, FPS Monitor, etc. Finding one with features you like is easy.

Third-party tools work for any game. And with full customization, you can display FPS exactly how you prefer. Definitely give them a look if built-in counters aren‘t cutting it.

Why Actively Monitor FPS?

"My games seem fine just playing normally. Why bother monitoring FPS?"

Actively measuring FPS during gameplay provides big benefits:

Confirm your FPS is high enough – Ensure it‘s matching your monitor‘s refresh rate.
Pinpoint hardware bottlenecks – Is FPS low due to GPU or CPU limitations? Monitoring usage identifies the culprit.
See the impact of upgrades – Increased FPS shows tangible improvements from new components.
Optimize graphics settings – Balancing graphics vs FPS becomes easy by watching FPS change in real-time as you adjust options.
Smoother online multiplayer – Every last FPS matters for fast-paced competitive gaming.
Diagnose issues – Wildly fluctuating FPS can indicate problems needing troubleshooting.

Monitoring FPS ultimately lets you tailor your PC‘s capabilities to run games as smoothly as possible. Players and hardcore enthusiasts agree – displaying FPS is incredibly useful!

Final Thoughts

I hope this guide has equipped you with everything needed to easily monitor FPS and maximize your gaming rig‘s potential.

Here‘s a quick recap of the presentation:

Understand FPS – Higher is smoother. Aim for 60+ FPS, 120+ FPS for high refresh rate monitors.
Use Steam/Windows overlays – Convenient FPS counters built into most systems.
Check for built-in counters – Many games have hidden FPS options to uncover.
Third-party software – Robust monitoring tools offering total customization.
Optimize performance – Monitor FPS to fine-tune your PC gaming experience.

Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions! I‘m always happy to chat PC gaming and tech. Enjoy those buttery-smooth high FPS framerates!