TL;DR: Steam Consumer beta contributors can now view detailed efficiency metrics by means of the in-game overlay. Whereas it does not supply as a lot knowledge as superior instruments like Afterburner, Valve’s new body fee counter can show each actual and AI-generated frames when DLSS or FSR body era is enabled.
Within the present secure launch, the Steam consumer solely reveals a primary FPS counter by way of Steam > Settings > In-Sport > In-Sport FPS Counter. The brand new efficiency monitor introduces a broader set of metrics, together with:
- Common body charges with and with out body era
- Minimal and most body charges
- A body fee graph
- Common and most CPU utilization
- Common and most clock frequency
- GPU utilization
- GPU temperature
- VRAM
- System RAM
Customers can even alter the overlay’s element stage, display screen place, distinction, saturation, and background opacity. A Steam Assist web page outlines how Valve calculates every knowledge level.
One of the crucial notable options is the separation of body fee counts between AI-generated and conventional “actual” rendered frames. Whereas DLSS and FSR body era use machine studying to insert interpolated frames – making gameplay seem smoother – this course of does not scale back enter latency.
Conventional FPS counters, reminiscent of these in MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner, or the Xbox overlay, do not distinguish between actual and generated frames. Consequently, enabling body era can obscure precise efficiency and make it tougher to determine bottlenecks.
Steam addresses this by calculating rendered and generated body charges individually, up to date in one-second intervals. AI-generated frames seem underneath “DLSS” or “FSR,” relying on which is energetic, whereas historically rendered frames are listed underneath “FPS.”
Though Steam’s new monitor features a body fee graph, it doesn’t show body occasions in milliseconds – a key metric for figuring out micro stutters and body pacing inconsistencies. As an alternative, Valve opted for a simplified method with minimal and most body fee values. The minimal body fee turns purple if it falls under half the typical, signaling noticeable stuttering.
Additionally see: Body Technology Does not Increase Efficiency – So What Does It Do?
CPU efficiency is one other space the place Steam’s new monitor takes a less complicated method than RivaTuner. Slightly than exhibiting per-core or per-thread utilization, Steam gives two numbers: common utilization throughout all cores, and most utilization of the busiest core.
The utmost worth might exceed 100% when the CPU boosts past its base clock. GPU and reminiscence stats are simple, exhibiting how demanding a sport is or whether or not system sources like RAM have gotten constrained.
Whereas the brand new monitor eliminates the necessity to set up third-party instruments for primary insights, customers in search of extra superior diagnostics should still discover it missing. Notably absent are metrics like CPU temperature, GPU clock frequency, and energy consumption.
The replace primarily focuses on Home windows for now, with help for different working techniques deliberate sooner or later. The efficiency monitor will finally roll out to the principle department, however customers can attempt it now by opting into the Steam Consumer Beta by way of Steam > Settings > Interface > Consumer Beta Participation.
