Video games generally run at a certain FPS (frames per second).The higher that number, the smoother and more visually appealing the gameplay. But, of course, to get those high frame rates, your hardware needs to support it and actually be free for your game to use. It’s all about having a GPU (graphics card) that isn’t bogged down by a bunch of other apps, so it can give your game the juice it needs to run nicely.
Sometimes, though, despite decent hardware, games still feel choppy or aren’t hitting those expected FPS numbers. That’s when adding an FPS counter comes in handy. It lets you monitor the real-time performance, so you can see if your system is struggling or if it’s just a matter of tweaking settings. Plus, it’s useful to figure out whether your GPU or CPU is the real bottleneck — kind of frustrating, but knowing where the slowdown is helps when deciding if you need an upgrade or just a settings tweak.
How to Fix or Improve Your In-Game FPS and Monitoring Tools
Method 1: Configuring Your System’s Built-in & Third-Party Tools
This kind of stuff can be hit or miss depending on your setup, but generally, installing an FPS counter involves a few steps: download the software, activate the overlay, and see if the numbers show up while gaming. Sometimes, these tools can impact performance — on some machines, the FPS counter might cause a tiny dip in frame rate, or it might not display correctly until you tweak some settings. The key is to pick reliable tools that are known to be lightweight and compatible with your OS (Windows 10 or 11).In some cases, updating your GPU drivers or Windows itself can fix overlay issues.
Method 2: Using Built-in Game Features or Windows Tools
Many popular games now include native options to display FPS and performance stats. For instance, in games like Call of Duty, Doom Eternal, Overwatch 2, or Counter-Strike 2, you usually find these in the settings under “Interface” or “Telemetry.” Turning these on involves toggling a simple switch; in some cases, you might need to enable specific overlays or hotkeys (like pressing Alt + R in AMD Radeon or Ctrl + Shift + E for Steam).On Windows, the Xbox Game Bar (hit Win + G) also has a performance widget that displays FPS and system info. If that’s too bulky or causes issues, you can turn it off—you only need to launch the game and then toggle the overlay on or off as needed.
Method 3: Using Platform-Specific Apps — Ubisoft, Steam, or Overwolf
If you’re on PCs using platforms like Ubisoft Connect or Steam, most have built-in FPS counters you can enable. For Ubisoft, just go to Settings > Interface and check the box for “Display FPS in-game.” On Steam, press Shift + Tab during gameplay to open the overlay, then go into settings to toggle the FPS display. Overwolf’s FPS Monitor is another handy app that supports hundreds of games and provides detailed system performance data, including CPU, GPU, and network metrics. To get it, visit the Overwolf Appstore, search for “FPS Monitor, ” and install it.
Method 4: Fixing Common Overlay Issues
If your FPS counter isn’t showing up or is bugging out, try these quick fixes: update your graphics drivers, disable conflicting overlays (like GeForce Experience or AMD Radeon software), and make sure the overlay feature is enabled in the settings. Also, some antivirus programs or system cleaner apps might interfere with overlay apps, so temporarily disable those. Restarting your PC after setting changes can help too — Windows has a weird way of sometimes not applying new overlay settings right away.
Wrapping Up
Getting an FPS counter up and running isn’t always a seamless process, but with some patience, it’s totally doable. Whether you prefer built-in game functions, Windows tools, or third-party apps, there’s something out there that can give real insights into your gaming performance. Don’t forget, if that counter causes performance hiccups, you might have to experiment with different software options or dial back some graphics settings to boost FPS.
Summary
- Pick a trusted FPS monitoring tool (MSI Afterburner, Nvidia, AMD, or built-in game tools) depending on your setup.
- Check for updates — drivers, software, Windows — to fix bugs or overlay compatibility issues.
- Configure overlays or hotkeys to display the FPS counter during gameplay.
- If you notice significant performance drops, tweak settings or try a different program.
Wrap-up
Usually, a combination of keeping your drivers updated, choosing lightweight software, and correctly activating overlays does the trick. On some setups, it might take a little fiddling — that’s just part of the process. Hopefully, this speeds things up a bit and keeps your gameplay smooth. Fingers crossed this helps someone clear up performance mysteries — worked for me a few times, anyway.