- Valve integrates an advanced performance monitor into Steam, allowing you to view real-time FPS, CPU, GPU, and RAM data without additional software.
- Four customizable levels of detail: from a simple FPS counter to comprehensive hardware information and performance graphs.
- Initial support focused on Windows and popular GPUs, with future updates planned to expand metrics and platforms.
- Fully integrated, responsive design: adjust color, size, opacity, and position to suit individual player preferences.
The latest Steam update has brought with it a tool long requested by PC users: A performance monitor integrated directly into the platform that allows you to view key data on the performance of the titles and the hardware itself without leaving the game or installing external programs.
For years, gamers have turned to third-party applications like MSI Afterburner or proprietary solutions from NVIDIA and AMD, seeking to analyze How many FPS your graphics card gets, as well as CPU, GPU, and RAM usageNow, Valve is betting on centralizing this control within Steam, eliminating the need for additional software and making it easier for everyone to access detailed statistics on their PC's performance.
Key features of the new Steam Performance Monitor
The new monitor is integrated into the overlap in play Steam and is easily accessible from the settings menu, 'In-Game' settings, 'Overlay Performance Monitor' section. From there, users can activate and customize the tool to adapt it to your needs or tastes.
- Four levels of detail available: from a simple FPS value, through additional frame details, to complete information on CPU, GPU, and RAM usage.
- Differentiation of real and generated FPS: The monitor distinguishes, thanks to new metrics, between frames produced directly by the game engine and those generated through technologies such as NVIDIA's DLSS or AMD's FSR.
- Display minimums, maximums and charts in real time: It allows you to check the evolution of the FPS throughout the game, quickly identifying drops in performance or unusual situations.
- Real-time CPU, GPU, and RAM metrics: allows to detect if there is a bottleneck in some of the main components, something especially useful on less powerful computers or when using high graphics settings.
- Visual customization: Users have the option to modify text size, opacity, background color, and monitor position, avoiding distractions but always keeping relevant information in view.
How to enable and use Steam Performance Monitor
The tool is available to all users of the current version of Steam on Windows. To start the monitor:
- Update your Steam client to make sure you have the latest version available. You can tap on Steam > Check for Steam client updatesIf there are, the option to update and restart will appear at the bottom of the program.
- Now access Steam > Settings > In-Game and find the section “Overlay Interface Performance Monitor”.
- Choose the level of detail and select where you want to display this information on the screen.
- You can assign a hotkey to show or hide the monitor at will during the game.
- Modify the size, color and opacity options so that the monitor does not interfere with the visibility of the game.
All these settings can be changed at any time, even while the game is running., making it easy to adjust the experience on the fly to suit the needs of each title or user.
What does it offer compared to third-party solutions?
The big draw of this Steam-integrated monitor is that no additional software to download or install that may minimally affect system performance. Furthermore, thanks to integration with the platform, potential incompatibility issues, extra resource consumption, or security software blockages are avoided.
On the other hand, the distinction between real and generated FPS offers a much more accurate view of the game's true performance, something that not all external programs currently capture. Thus, Users can tell whether that smooth feeling is actually due to the hardware or the intervention of upscaling technologies., which can be very useful in competitive titles where latency and response are key.
Valve has announced that it will expand support to other less common operating systems and hardware models in upcoming updates, although it is currently Designed specifically for Windows and popular graphics cards (NVIDIA and AMD).
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