Steam overlay now shows real vs generated frames
Valve has integrated a new performance monitor into Steam, enabling users to analyze game performance and frame generation techniques.
This new performance monitor provides detailed insights into a game’s operational characteristics. It not only displays the overall frame rate but also differentiates between frames rendered natively and those generated using upscaling technologies such as Nvidia’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) or AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR). This functionality is accessible through a recently distributed update to the Steam Client. Valve has specified that this initial iteration of the monitor is primarily optimized for users operating on Windows platforms and utilizing widely prevalent graphics processing unit (GPU) hardware configurations.
The integrated performance monitor offers users a selection of four distinct levels of detail, providing granular control over the displayed information. The most basic setting presents a singular value indicating frames per second (FPS). A more comprehensive option expands upon this by showing detailed FPS metrics. Further levels of data disclosure include the display of central processing unit (CPU) and GPU utilization percentages. The most exhaustive setting, designated as “FPS, CPU, GPU & RAM Full Details,” provides a comprehensive overview encompassing FPS, CPU usage, GPU usage, and random-access memory (RAM) utilization. As the chosen level of detail increases, the monitor’s display footprint on the screen proportionally expands.
This is how it looks (Image: Steam)
Previously, Steam incorporated a basic FPS counter. The enhanced monitor’s capability to distinguish between natively rendered frames and algorithmically generated frames offers users a refined understanding of the interplay between visual smoothness and underlying game engine performance. Valve stated in a support document that “Frame generation can’t help with things like input latency that matter to competitive gamers, but it can make things look visually smoother on today’s high refresh rate monitors.” This distinction is critical for users to comprehend whether perceived visual fluidity stems from genuine engine performance or from interpolated frames that do not reduce input latency.
This distinction is particularly relevant for scenarios where a game might visually appear to run at a high frame rate due to frame generation, while the intrinsic game engine operates at a lower FPS, for instance, 30 frames per second. The monitor effectively clarifies whether a game’s perceived smoothness is a result of native rendering or the interpolation of “fake frames” by technologies like DLSS or FSR, which augment visual fluidity on high refresh rate displays without directly improving the game’s internal processing speed or reducing input lag.
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Valve has previously implemented similar monitoring tools in its Steam Deck handheld gaming device and the SteamOS operating system, incorporating utilities such as MangoHud. These tools enable users to monitor CPU, graphics, and RAM performance, assisting in resource management, particularly for optimizing battery life on portable devices. The integration of comparable monitoring capabilities directly into the desktop Steam client enhances the accessibility of these performance insights for a broader user base.
Valve has outlined future enhancements for the performance overlay. These planned updates include the incorporation of additional data points within the overlay. The company intends to develop functionalities that can identify common hardware performance bottlenecks. Furthermore, subsequent updates will introduce a more comprehensive summary of game performance accessible within the overlay itself, triggered by pressing the Shift-Tab key combination.