Steam gets a new overlay for performance measurements

Steam is getting better tools for measuring performance: A new overlay, which can currently be tried out in the Steam beta client, shows GPU and CPU utilization as well as a frametime graph, among other things, to be able to measure game performance more meaningfully.

Previously, Steam only displayed the fps (frames per second). This is sufficient at best for rough orientation – for more meaningful metrics, you had to switch to external tools such as the Rivatuner Statistics Server or the tools of the graphics card manufacturers.

More than fps

fps is an average value that represents the average number of frames displayed per second over a period of time. More is better – but the average value does not provide any information about sometimes massive fluctuations that can massively affect the perceived performance. The new Steam overlay therefore not only shows fps, but also the largest downward and upward swings in two separate values marked with small arrows. In a small frametime graph, you can also see at a glance how the frame rate is developing and whether there are any annoying stutters. Steam even displays stutters in red by default to help with interpretation.

If you use frame generation via DLSS or FSR, you can see the output frame rate as well as the upscaled frame rate. This is nice for a quick overview, but you could also simply halve the new frame rate in your head to reliably get the underlying frame rate. Finally, you can use the Steam tool to display hardware temperatures and CPU and GPU utilization. The Steam tool can even display RAM and VRAM usage.

How to activate the Performance Monitor

To activate the new performance monitor in Steam, you must first switch to the beta client. This is quick and easy: Click on Steam in the top left-hand corner and switch to the settings. In the Interface tab, select “Client Beta Participation” and click on “Steam Beta Update”. After restarting the client, go to “In-game” in the settings menu and click through the various settings of the performance monitor. There you can choose between four different levels of detail – from the mere fps counter to the full program.

You can also adjust the performance monitor while playing. To achieve this, press Shift and Tab to open the overlay, where you can set the same options as in the main menu. Valve provides an interpretation aid for the new performance metrics on a support page.

(dahe)