TL;DR: Steam Shopper beta individuals can now view detailed efficiency metrics via the in-game overlay. Whereas it does not provide as a lot knowledge as superior instruments like Afterburner, Valve’s new body charge counter can show each actual and AI-generated frames when DLSS or FSR body technology is enabled.
Within the present steady launch, the Steam consumer solely reveals a fundamental FPS counter through Steam > Settings > In-Recreation > In-Recreation FPS Counter. The brand new efficiency monitor introduces a broader set of metrics, together with:
- Common body charges with and with out body technology
- Minimal and most body charges
- A body charge graph
- Common and most CPU utilization
- Common and most clock frequency
- GPU utilization
- GPU temperature
- VRAM
- System RAM
Customers also can regulate the overlay’s element degree, display place, distinction, saturation, and background opacity. A Steam Assist web page outlines how Valve calculates every knowledge level.
Some of the notable options is the separation of body charge counts between AI-generated and conventional “actual” rendered frames. Whereas DLSS and FSR body technology use machine studying to insert interpolated frames – making gameplay seem smoother – this course of does not scale back enter latency.
Conventional FPS counters, similar to these in MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner, or the Xbox overlay, do not distinguish between actual and generated frames. In consequence, enabling body technology can obscure precise efficiency and make it more durable 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 beneath “DLSS” or “FSR,” relying on which is energetic, whereas historically rendered frames are listed beneath “FPS.”
Though Steam’s new monitor features a body charge graph, it doesn’t show body occasions in milliseconds – a key metric for figuring out micro stutters and body pacing inconsistencies. As a substitute, Valve opted for a simplified method with minimal and most body charge values. The minimal body charge turns purple if it falls under half the typical, signaling noticeable stuttering.
Additionally see: Body Technology Would not Increase Efficiency – So What Does It Do?
CPU efficiency is one other space the place Steam’s new monitor takes an easier method than RivaTuner. Relatively than displaying per-core or per-thread utilization, Steam offers 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, displaying how demanding a sport is or whether or not system assets like RAM have gotten constrained.
Whereas the brand new monitor eliminates the necessity to set up third-party instruments for fundamental insights, customers looking for extra superior diagnostics should 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 programs deliberate sooner or later. The efficiency monitor will ultimately roll out to the primary department, however customers can attempt it now by opting into the Steam Shopper Beta through Steam > Settings > Interface > Shopper Beta Participation.
