A high frame rate is essential for a quality gaming experience while playing Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Most players display their FPS (frames per second) in-game while playing CS:GO to monitor rendering performance in real time. This guide will detail five methods to show FPS in CS:GO.
Quick take
Frames per second is an important performance metric players should monitor while they play CS:GO. Counter-Strike players can show their FPS in the game using launch options, the Developer Console, the Steam overlay, the NVIDIA GeForce Experience overlay, or the AMD Radeon overlay.
Table of Contents
How to show FPS in CS:GO using launch options
Counter-Strike players can use custom launch options to display their FPS in-game. Here’s how:
- Open Steam and right-click on the CS:GO icon.
- Select ‘Properties’ and find the area labeled ‘Launch Options.’
- Add the text +cl_showfps 1 in the Launch Options area.
- Your FPS will now be displayed in-game. To remove the FPS counter, simply delete the text from the Launch Options area before you start the game.
The advantage of using launch options is that you don’t have to think about them once they are set – launch options will be enabled each time you start the game.
How to show FPS using CS:GO console
You can display an FPS counter in-game with the Developer Console by following these steps:
- Launch CS:GO and head to the Settings menu.
- Under the Game settings tab, enable the Developer Console (~) option.
- Use the ‘~’ key to open the Developer Console and enter the text ‘cl_showfps 1.’ Press enter to confirm the command.
- Your FPS will now show in-game. Use the text ‘cl_showfps 0’ to disable the FPS counter.
Use the text ‘net_graph 1’ in the Developer Console to fully display all performance metrics. The net graph will show vital metrics like ping and packet loss, which can indicate issues while playing Counter-Strike.
How to show CS:GO FPS with Steam
CS:GO players can display their in-game FPS using the Steam overlay. Here’s how to enable the Steam overlay.
- Launch Steam on your PC.
- Click ‘Steam’ in the upper left corner and select Settings from the drop-down menu.
- Go to In-Game settings and check the box labeled ‘Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.’
- Use the ‘In-game FPS counter’ drop-down menu to choose where the FPS counter is displayed.
The Steam overlay can be used with any game on Steam. You can also choose the location on-screen where the FPS counter is located so that you don’t cover any vital game information with the FPS counter.
How to show CS:GO FPS with NVIDIA GeForce Experience
Counter-Strike players with NVIDIA graphics cards can use the NVIDIA GeForce Experience to show their FPS in-game. Here’s how to enable the GeForce Experience overlay:
- Open the GeForce Experience application.
- Click the settings icon in the top right corner.
- Under the General settings tab, enable the In-Game Overlay and select Setting underneath it.
- Select HUD Layout, choose Performance, and ensure FPS is enabled.
Players can use the GeForce Experience shortcut, Alt + R, to enable and disable performance metrics quickly. The GeForce Experience overlay also features metrics, like GPU temperature and CPU utilization, that can help paint a picture of how CS:GO performs on your machine.
How to show CS:GO FPS with AMD Radeon Overlay
CS:GO players with AMD graphics cards can use the Radeon software to display FPS and other vital performance metrics. Here’s how to enable Radeon Overlay:
- Right-click on your desktop background and select AMD Radeon Software.
- Once the AMD Radeon Software is open, click the Settings icon in the top right corner.
- Navigate to the Preferences tab and enable In-Game Overlay.
- Now, select the Performance tab at the top of the screen and click Overlay on the right side of the interface.
- Once in Overlay, enable Show Metrics Overlay. Your FPS will now be visible in-game.
The AMD Radeon overlay also features size, color, and location customization options.
