Turning off the FPS counter in Windows 11 is easy once you know where it comes from. First find which app is showing the counter, most often the Xbox Game Bar, GeForce Experience, AMD Radeon overlay, Steam, or MSI Afterburner. Then open that app’s settings and disable the overlay or FPS display. Finally, restart the game or app to verify the counter is gone. This guide shows step-by-step actions for each common source so you can remove the FPS readout quickly and get back to a clean screen.
Step by Step Tutorial
These steps will walk you through the most common places that show an FPS counter on Windows 11, and how to turn each one off.
Step 1: Disable the Xbox Game Bar in Settings
Open Windows Settings, go to Gaming, select Xbox Game Bar, and switch it off.
Turning Xbox Game Bar off in Settings disables its overlays across all apps. This is the fastest way to stop Game Bar from showing an FPS counter if that is the source. If you want to keep other Game Bar features, use the overlay method below instead.
Step 2: Turn off the Game Bar FPS widget using Win+G
Press Win and G together to open the Xbox Game Bar, find the Performance widget, and close or disable the FPS display.
When Game Bar is open, the Performance widget shows CPU, GPU, and FPS information. Click the widget to expand it, then either close the FPS option or use the widget’s settings to stop showing FPS. This keeps Game Bar active while removing just the counter.
Step 3: Disable NVIDIA In-Game Overlay
Open GeForce Experience, go to Settings, and toggle off In-Game Overlay, or press Alt and R and turn off the HUD performance option.
NVIDIA’s overlay often shows FPS via the HUD layout. Turning the overlay off in GeForce Experience removes the FPS counter and any other on-screen HUD elements from NVIDIA. If you want the overlay but not the FPS, open the overlay, go to HUD Layout, pick Performance, and set it to off.
Step 4: Turn off AMD Radeon Performance Metrics
Open AMD Radeon Software, go to Performance or Settings, and disable the Metrics Overlay or performance monitoring.
AMD’s overlay can display FPS as part of its performance metrics. Turning off the metrics overlay stops the FPS counter. If you use Radeon tools for tuning, you can leave those enabled and just switch off the on-screen metrics.
Step 5: Disable Steam’s FPS Counter
Open Steam, go to Settings, click In-Game, and set In-Game FPS Counter to Off.
Steam has a built-in FPS counter you can place in the corner of the screen. Setting it to Off removes the counter for games launched through Steam. Remember this only affects Steam’s own overlay and not other apps.
Step 6: Turn off MSI Afterburner or RivaTuner OSD
Open MSI Afterburner, go to Settings, open the Monitoring tab, select FPS, and uncheck Show in On-Screen Display; also disable RivaTuner if used.
MSI Afterburner with RivaTuner often supplies detailed on-screen stats including FPS. Unchecking the FPS display stops it from appearing. If you do not need MSI Afterburner at all, you can exit the program to remove the overlay.
Step 7: Restart and verify
Close the app showing the counter, restart the game or program, and confirm the FPS counter is gone.
A quick restart ensures the change takes effect. Some overlays only stop after the game or system is restarted, so this step confirms the counter is truly disabled.
After you complete these actions, the FPS overlay should disappear from your screen for the app you changed. If the counter remains, double-check other apps on your system, like third-party monitoring tools. You may need to quit or uninstall the program that is still showing FPS.
Tips for Disabling the FPS Counter
- If you are unsure which app shows the FPS, close programs one by one until the counter disappears.
- Use Win+G to quickly check Xbox Game Bar settings, it is enabled by default on Windows 11.
- Turning off an overlay usually keeps the app installed, so you can re-enable it later if needed.
- Some apps require you to restart the game or PC for changes to take effect, so save your work first.
- If multiple overlays run, disable them all to be sure, because more than one program can show FPS at once.
- Keep drivers and overlay software updated to avoid bugs where the FPS display refuses to turn off.
- If you want an FPS counter sometimes, configure a hotkey to toggle the overlay on and off.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an FPS counter and why would I want to turn it off?
An FPS counter shows frames per second to help you measure game performance. You might turn it off to reduce screen clutter, improve captures, or avoid distracting overlays while streaming or recording.
Which program usually shows FPS on Windows 11?
The Xbox Game Bar is a common source because it is built into Windows 11. NVIDIA, AMD, Steam, and monitoring tools like MSI Afterburner also show FPS. Check those if the Game Bar is not the cause.
Will turning off the FPS counter affect game performance?
No, disabling the FPS overlay usually does not change how well a game runs. Overlays use a small amount of resources, so removing them can sometimes slightly reduce overhead, but the effect is usually negligible.
Can I disable the FPS counter only for one game?
Some overlays let you toggle display per application, but many settings are global. Steam’s counter affects only Steam games. For more control, use software that supports per-app profiles.
What if the FPS counter still appears after turning it off?
If it remains, close or fully quit the overlay program, restart the game, or reboot your PC. Check other tools and overlays you have installed, and update or uninstall anything that continues to show FPS.
Summary
- Disable Xbox Game Bar in Settings
- Close FPS widget with Win+G
- Turn off NVIDIA In-Game Overlay
- Disable AMD Metrics Overlay
- Turn off Steam FPS counter
- Disable MSI Afterburner/RivaTuner OSD
- Restart and verify
Conclusion
Turning off the FPS counter in Windows 11 is a straightforward process once you know which app is responsible. Most of the time the Xbox Game Bar is the culprit because Windows turns it on by default. If you find the counter coming from another place, like GeForce Experience, AMD Radeon Software, Steam, or MSI Afterburner, the fix is similarly simple. Just open the app, find its overlay or HUD settings, and turn off the FPS display. If you prefer to keep overlays but not the FPS number, many programs let you customize which metrics they show. That gives you the best of both worlds, control plus useful on-screen info when you need it.
If the FPS counter still appears, try closing the program entirely or restarting your game and PC. Sometimes overlays need a restart to stop showing. Also, updates to drivers or overlay tools can change where settings live, so check for an updated menu or a new hotkey. For streamers and content creators, disabling an FPS overlay can improve the look of your video or reduce accidental information leaks. For casual players, removing the counter cleans up the screen and lets you enjoy games without extra numbers.
If you want to revisit the FPS briefly, put a reminder in the app’s settings to set a toggle key or re-enable the counter when you want to test performance. For reference or troubleshooting, keep a note of which overlays you disabled so you can restore them if needed. Finally, if you need step-by-step help for a specific app, consult the app’s support pages or return here and I can walk you through the exact menu for that program. By following these steps you will confidently know how to disable the Windows 11 FPS counter and get back to a cleaner gaming experience.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.