Love gaming? Same here! But sometimes, those small numbers in the corner of your screen—yep, the FPS counter—can get annoying. Especially when you’re trying to enjoy a stunning cutscene or get lost in the action. Good news: turning it off is super simple!
TL;DR (Too Long, Didn’t Read)
If you don’t want to see the Steam FPS counter anymore, don’t worry. You can easily turn it off from the Steam settings. Just uncheck a box, and boom—no more numbers in the corner. All it takes is a minute or two.
What Is the Steam Overlay FPS Counter?
The Steam Overlay FPS counter shows how many frames per second your game is running. It’s helpful if you’re testing performance. But if you’re not benchmarking or optimizing, it’s kind of…well, in the way.
Steam offers this tool in its Overlay system. While the overlay gives cool features like friends list, browser, and screenshots, the FPS counter is optional—but enabled by many gamers who forget it’s even there!
Why Disable It?
Great question! Here are a few reasons:
- Distraction: It pulls your attention from the game.
- You don’t need it: Most people don’t monitor FPS constantly.
- Cleaner screen: Say goodbye to those extra digits hanging in the corner.
Ready to clean up your screen? Let’s go!
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Turn Off the FPS Counter in Steam
Step 1 – Open Steam
Simple enough, right? Launch your Steam app just like you normally do.
Step 2 – Head to Settings
Look to the top-left corner of Steam. Click on “Steam” in the menu.
Then choose “Settings” from the dropdown.
This opens a new window with all sorts of options.
Step 3 – Click on “In-Game”
In the Settings window, find the “In-Game” tab on the left sidebar. Click it!
Step 4 – Look for FPS Counter Settings
Now you’ll see a setting called “In-game FPS counter”.
You’ll probably see it set to “Top-left”, “Top-right”, etc. That means it’s enabled.
Step 5 – Turn It Off
Click the dropdown menu next to it.
Select “Off”.
That’s it! No more FPS counter in your games 🥳
Bonus Tip: What If You Want To Keep It But Make It Less Annoying?
Maybe you still want to see the FPS, just don’t want it glaring at you like a neon sign.
Good news—Steam lets you adjust the FPS counter’s color and transparency too!
- Just below the dropdown for FPS location is an option called “High contrast color”.
- Uncheck this box to make the FPS display more subtle.
This won’t turn it off, but it’ll definitely chill it out.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting to hit “OK” or “Apply”: Steam might not save your changes unless you confirm them.
- Looking in the wrong tab: Don’t look in “Interface” or “Library”—the FPS stuff is under “In-Game”.
- Using a different FPS counter: If you’ve got another tool like MSI Afterburner running, Steam’s settings won’t affect it.
What If It’s Still Showing Up?
Hmm, strange. It might not be Steam. A few games have their own built-in FPS counters too.
Try checking if:
- You’ve enabled FPS display in the game’s settings.
- Another app (like NVIDIA GeForce Experience or FRAPS) is showing it.
If that’s the case, you’ll need to go into those apps and turn their counters off separately.
Quick Way to Toggle Steam Overlay Entirely
If you think you’ll never use Steam Overlay again (gasp!), you can disable the whole thing.
How?
- Go to the same “In-Game” tab in Steam Settings.
- Uncheck the box that says “Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game”.
This removes access to friends list, web browser, FPS counter, and more—while playing games.
Just be careful. You won’t be able to take screenshots using Steam, either.
How to Re-Enable It Later
Did you miss the FPS numbers? Regret? Nostalgia?
No problem. You can turn the FPS counter back on just as easily.
- Open Steam and go to “Settings”.
- Select the “In-Game” tab.
- In the “In-game FPS counter” dropdown, pick a corner (top-left, bottom-right, etc.).
Voila! Numbers are back.
Conclusion
There you have it. Disabling the Steam Overlay FPS counter is a piece of cake. Whether you’re looking for an uncluttered screen or just tired of the distraction, now you know exactly what to do.
Game on, your way 🎮
