Steam beta adds new in-game performance metrics overlay, can show DLSS frames

TL;DR: Steam Client beta participants can now view detailed performance metrics through the in-game overlay. While it doesn’t offer as much data as advanced tools like Afterburner, Valve’s new frame rate counter can display both real and AI-generated frames when DLSS or FSR frame generation is enabled.

In the current stable release, the Steam client only shows a basic FPS counter via Steam > Settings > In-Game > In-Game FPS Counter. The new performance monitor introduces a broader set of metrics, including:

• Average frame rates with and without frame generation
• Minimum and maximum frame rates
• A frame rate graph
• Average and maximum CPU utilization
• Average and maximum clock frequency
• GPU utilization
• GPU temperature
• VRAM
• System RAM

Users can also adjust the overlay’s detail level, screen position, contrast, saturation, and background opacity. A Steam Support page outlines how Valve calculates each data point.

One of the most notable features is the separation of frame rate counts between AI-generated and traditional “real” rendered frames. While DLSS and FSR frame generation use machine learning to insert interpolated frames – making gameplay appear smoother – this process doesn’t reduce input latency.

Traditional FPS counters, such as those in MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner, or the Xbox overlay, don’t distinguish between real and generated frames. As a result, enabling frame generation can obscure actual performance and make it harder to identify bottlenecks.

Steam addresses this by calculating rendered and generated frame rates separately, updated in one-second intervals. AI-generated frames appear under “DLSS” or “FSR,” depending on which is active, while traditionally rendered frames are listed under “FPS.”

Although Steam’s new monitor includes a frame rate graph, it does not display frame times in milliseconds – a key metric for identifying micro stutters and frame pacing inconsistencies. Instead, Valve opted for a simplified approach with minimum and maximum frame rate values. The minimum frame rate turns red if it falls below half the average, signaling noticeable stuttering.

Also see: Frame Generation Doesn’t Boost Performance – So What Does It Do?

CPU performance is another area where Steam’s new monitor takes a simpler approach than RivaTuner. Rather than showing per-core or per-thread utilization, Steam provides two numbers: average utilization across all cores, and maximum utilization of the busiest core.

The maximum value may exceed 100% when the CPU boosts beyond its base clock. GPU and memory stats are straightforward, showing how demanding a game is or whether system resources like RAM are becoming constrained.

While the new monitor eliminates the need to install third-party tools for basic insights, users seeking more advanced diagnostics may still find it lacking. Notably absent are metrics like CPU temperature, GPU clock frequency, and power consumption.

The update primarily focuses on Windows for now, with support for other operating systems planned in the future. The performance monitor will eventually roll out to the main branch, but users can try it now by opting into the Steam Client Beta via Steam > Settings > Interface > Client Beta Participation.