The Steam in-game performance overlay has always been a fairly simple tool, but it recently got a major upgrade and now shows a lot more interesting and usable data. Including a brand new FPS counter that shows real frames and Fake frames (Frames generated using AI Frame Generators like DLSS and FSR). By default, this feature isn't enabled, so follow along as we show you how to view Real vs Fake Frames Using the Steam In-game Overlay Performance Monitor.

What does the Steam In-game Overlay Performance Monitor Show After the Update?

The new Steam Overlay update adds and/or expands on the following features.

• Actual (Game) FPS: Frames rendered by the game engine.
• Generated FPS: Additional frames produced using DLSS or FSR frame generation.
• ↓Min / ↑Max FPS: Slowest and fastest frame rates per second to highlight micro stutter.
• Optional Graphs: A live FPS graph and (if enabled) per-core CPU usage.
• System Metrics: CPU utilisation, GPU load and temp, GPU memory usage, and system RAM.

How to Show Real vs Fake Frames Using the Steam In-game Overlay Performance Monitor. (DLSS FSR XeSS)

Before we start, this feature will only work in games that have Frame Generation active. If you are playing a game that doesn't use Frame Gen tools like FSR, DLSS or XeSS, you won't see anything. I've also noticed that there are a few games that don't seem to show it, even when you are using frame gen tools, so it might still need a little bit of work.

• Open Steam.
• Go to Steam > Settings > In Game.
• Find the Performance Overlay section.

Choose a Detail Level

• Single FPS Value: Minimal display.
• FPS Details: Adds frame gen info and min/max.
• FPS + CPU & GPU: Adds hardware utilisation.
• Full Details: Adds RAM info and everything above.

To see both actual and generated FPS, choose at least “FPS Details” or higher.

• Set the overlay’s screen position.
• Adjust opacity, colour saturation, and text size.
• Toggle FPS graph and per-core CPU graph.
• Set a hotkey to toggle the overlay on or off in-game.

Real vs Generated Frames in Steam

With frame generation enabled (like DLSS 3 or FSR 3), Steam shows:

• DLSS/FSR FPS – The total number of frames displayed per second (real + generated).
• Game FPS – The actual rate at which the game is simulating and rendering frames.

Why this matters:

• Game FPS impacts input latency, simulation accuracy, and how responsive the game feels.
• Generated FPS improves visual smoothness, especially on high refresh rate monitors.

When frame generation is inactive, you'll see only a single FPS number with ↓Min and ↑Max. When it’s active, you’ll see both values clearly labelled.

Diagnosing Performance Issues

The overlay helps you answer questions like:

• Is my CPU or GPU maxed out?
• Am I running out of VRAM or system RAM?
• Is DLSS/FSR smoothing over poor game performance?
• Why am I getting micro stutter despite good average FPS?

Look at ↓Min FPS for signs of stutter. If it drops well below the average, you may be seeing long frames that interrupt smooth gameplay. Occasional drops are normal during scene transitions, but frequent dips suggest a bottleneck.