TL;DR: Steam Shopper beta contributors can now view detailed efficiency metrics by way of the in-game overlay. Whereas it would not supply as a lot information as superior instruments like Afterburner, Valve’s new body price counter can show each actual and AI-generated frames when DLSS or FSR body technology is enabled.
Within the present steady launch, the Steam shopper solely reveals a primary 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 price graph
- Common and most CPU utilization
- Common and most clock frequency
- GPU utilization
- GPU temperature
- VRAM
- System RAM
Customers can even modify the overlay’s element degree, display screen place, distinction, saturation, and background opacity. A Steam Help web page outlines how Valve calculates every information level.
Some of the notable options is the separation of body price 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 would not scale back enter latency.
Conventional FPS counters, akin to these in MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner, or the Xbox overlay, do not distinguish between actual and generated frames. Because of this, enabling body technology can obscure precise efficiency and make it more durable to establish 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 price 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 strategy with minimal and most body price values. The minimal body price turns crimson if it falls beneath half the typical, signaling noticeable stuttering.
Additionally see: Body Technology Does not Enhance Efficiency – So What Does It Do?
CPU efficiency is one other space the place Steam’s new monitor takes a less complicated strategy than RivaTuner. Slightly than exhibiting 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 could exceed 100% when the CPU boosts past its base clock. GPU and reminiscence stats are easy, exhibiting 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 primary insights, customers in search of 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 assist for different working methods deliberate sooner or later. The efficiency monitor will ultimately roll out to the primary department, however customers can strive it now by opting into the Steam Shopper Beta through Steam > Settings > Interface > Shopper Beta Participation.
