How to Show FPS in Every Game on Windows (Really!)
So, if you’re into gaming, you’ve probably wanted to see your FPS—the Frames Per Second—just to get a sense of how well your system is handling stuff. It’s weird because sometimes your game feels choppy, even if your hardware should be capable, and other times you just want to brag about hitting 144 FPS or whatever. Anyway, showing FPS in every game isn’t exactly a secret anymore, but it’s also not always obvious how to do it without messing with overlays or hacking things up. I got stuck on this myself, so here’s what finally worked for me—using a program called Fraps. Yeah, it’s a bit old school, but honestly, it just works without much fuss, especially if you want a universal overlay regardless of game or platform.
Getting Fraps for Windows
First, head over to the Fraps website. Don’t expect a sleek modern site; it’s pretty dated-looking, but the download process is straightforward. Make sure to run the installer as an administrator—right-click, select Run as administrator. Otherwise, it might not install or keep permissions to hook into game rendering properly. Once installed, launch the app. This part tripped me up a bit because, like, the interface looks like it hasn’t been touched since Windows XP, but once it’s open, you’re pretty much set.
The app might live at C:\Program Files (x86)\FRAPS\FRAPS.exe, sometimes in your Program Files folder—depends on your install choices. It’s a little pain to find, especially if it doesn’t show up in your Start Menu, but try searching or browsing those folders. Oh, and sometimes it doesn’t start correctly unless you run it as admin, so that’s worth double-checking.
Configuring Fraps to Display FPS
This is where things got a little fiddly for me. In the Fraps main window, there’s a tab labeled FPS. This is your hub for configuring the overlay. You’ll see an option for On-Screen Display—make sure to check that box. Then, you can set where on the screen the FPS counter appears. I found it easiest to pick a corner—top left or top right—so it doesn’t get in the way but is still visible. There’s a dropdown or a visual preview, which helps position it.
If the overlay doesn’t show up after setting it, the usual culprit is that it isn’t enabled properly or the game is taking exclusive control over fullscreen rendering, which can block overlays. A workaround I found sometimes works is to run the game in Windowed Mode. That way, the overlay can often overlay on top more reliably.
Another tweak I did was assigning a hotkey—say, Alt + F10—to toggle the FPS display on the fly. That’s handy if you want to switch it off during screenshots or minimaps and turn it back on during actual testing. These hotkeys are set in the Fraps settings, so nothing fancy—just pick something easy to remember.
Fine-Tuning the Appearance
Once the counter is showing, the last step was adjusting how it looks. I was able to change font size, color, transparency, and background to make it not distract my eye but still be usable. Hit Apply after tweaking. Be aware that sometimes changes don’t take effect until you restart Fraps or your PC. Also, keep in mind, if you switch display modes or connect/disconnect monitors, the overlay can go haywire and move somewhere unexpected.
It’s a bit of trial and error, honestly. The overlay can get hidden behind game menus or other overlays—like Steam or Discord—so if it’s not showing, check those settings. Also, some newer or heavily customized games with anti-cheat systems or overlays conflict with Fraps, so don’t be surprised if it refuses to show up there.
Testing & Troubleshooting
Once you think it’s configured, start your favorite game. If all goes well, the FPS counter should pop up in the corner you chose. If you don’t see it, double-check that the overlay is enabled in Fraps, that the hotkey isn’t conflicting with anything else, and that fullscreen isn’t blocking overlays. Sometimes, a simple restart of the game or Fraps itself fixes the problem. Also, in your display or graphics settings, make sure overlays are enabled—especially if you’re using platforms like Steam, which has its own overlay toggle (check Steam > Settings > In-Game).
From there, you should be able to monitor FPS in real time, which is super useful for performance testing or just satisfying that curiosity about how demanding your latest game is. Keep an eye on dips or spikes if you’re troubleshooting performance issues. It helps to also toggle hardware overlays in your GPU panel—like NVIDIA Control Panel or AMD Radeon Settings—because sometimes those can interfere too.
Honestly, setting this up was a bit of a mess at first, and I spent way too long trying different things. Just making sure the overlay is enabled, positioned somewhere visible, and doesn’t get hidden by other screens is key. Make sure your game isn’t blocking overlays, and don’t forget to check your GPU driver settings. Hope this helped—took me forever to figure out all the little quirks. Anyway, hope this saves someone else a weekend of fiddling around!