You’re there. You’re completely locked in, about to clutch a crucial round for your team. The tension is palpable. And then your eyes drift, just for a split second, to that little gray box in the corner of your screen with a number fluctuating wildly inside it. Suddenly, you’re not thinking about the game anymore; you’re thinking about your frame rate. That distracting little box, the FPS counter, can be a useful diagnostic tool, but when it’s stuck on your screen, it can be a real pain. If you’ve been wondering how to turn off FPS counter on Windows 11, you’ve come to the right place.
More often than not, this feature is tied to the Xbox Game Bar, and getting rid of it is easier than you think. This guide will walk you through the exact steps to reclaim your screen real estate and get back to focusing on what really matters: the game.
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What Is This FPS Counter on My Screen Anyway?
Before we banish it, let’s talk about what that little number box actually is. FPS stands for “Frames Per Second,” and it’s a measure of how smoothly a game is running on your PC. Each “frame” is a single still image; when you flash dozens of them per second, it creates the illusion of motion. A higher FPS means a smoother, more responsive experience. Gamers and PC enthusiasts often turn this counter on intentionally to test hardware performance or optimize game settings.
I remember the first time it happened to me. I had just finished building a new PC and was so excited to fire up a new game. Suddenly, this semi-transparent performance overlay was just… there. I hadn’t turned anything on. I spent the next 20 minutes digging through the in-game settings, getting more and more frustrated, before realizing it wasn’t the game at all.
It was Windows itself, specifically the built-in Xbox Game Bar. This tool is integrated into Windows 11 and includes a bunch of handy widgets for gamers, including screen recording, party chat, and, you guessed it, a performance monitor with an FPS counter. It’s a great feature, but it’s also the most common culprit when that counter won’t go away.
How to Turn Off FPS Counter on Windows 11: The Xbox Game Bar Method
Alright, let’s get down to business. The vast majority of the time, the unwanted FPS counter is the “Performance” widget from the Xbox Game Bar that has been accidentally pinned to your screen. “Pinning” just means it stays visible even after you close the main Game Bar overlay. Here’s how to fix it.
How Do I Open the Xbox Game Bar in the First Place?
First, you need to bring up the main overlay. The default way to do this is with a simple keyboard shortcut.
- Press the Windows Key + G on your keyboard at the same time.
- This will cause the screen to dim slightly and the Xbox Game Bar interface will appear as an overlay on top of whatever you’re doing.
If nothing happens when you press this shortcut, it’s possible the Game Bar has been disabled. You can re-enable it by going to Windows Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar and flipping the switch back on.
Where Is the Performance Widget Located?
Once the Game Bar is open, you’ll see several different windows, or “widgets.” You’re looking for the one labeled Performance. It usually shows your CPU, GPU, and RAM usage, along with that pesky FPS number. It might be floating around anywhere on your screen, but it will be inside the main Game Bar interface.
How to Turn Off FPS Counter on Windows 11 by Unpinning It
This is the crucial step. The reason the counter is stuck on your screen is because it’s pinned. Think of it like a sticky note that you’ve stuck to your monitor. You just need to un-stick it.
- Move your mouse cursor over the Performance widget.
- Look for a small pin icon on its title bar. It will likely be highlighted, indicating that it’s active.
- Click the pin icon.
- The pin should now look un-highlighted. This means the widget is no longer pinned to your screen.
That’s it! You’ve successfully unpinned the widget. Now, when you close the Game Bar, the FPS counter will disappear along with it.
How Do I Make the Game Bar Overlay Go Away?
Once you’ve unpinned the widget, you can close the Game Bar overlay and return to your game. You can do this in a couple of ways:
- Press the Windows Key + G shortcut again.
- Simply click anywhere on the main game screen outside of the Game Bar widgets.
The overlay will vanish, and your screen will be wonderfully free of that distracting little box.
What If the FPS Counter Comes from Something Else?
Now, what if you’ve tried the Game Bar trick and that little number is still there? While the Game Bar is the most common cause, it’s not the only one. Several other applications can put an FPS counter on your screen. If the Game Bar wasn’t the issue, you’ll need to do a little detective work.
Could It Be from NVIDIA GeForce Experience?
If you have an NVIDIA graphics card, you almost certainly have their GeForce Experience software installed. It has its own powerful overlay, called ShadowPlay, which includes a performance monitor.
- Press Alt + Z to open the NVIDIA overlay.
- Click the Settings cog.
- Go to HUD Layout.
- Select Performance and turn it off.
Is My AMD Radeon Software the Culprit?
Similarly, if you’re on Team Red with an AMD graphics card, their Radeon Software has an overlay with similar features.
- Press Alt + R to open the Radeon Software overlay.
- Navigate to the Performance tab.
- Look for the Metrics or Tracking section and disable the overlay from there.
What About the Steam Overlay?
Valve’s Steam platform, the largest digital storefront for PC games, also has a built-in FPS counter. It’s usually much smaller and less intrusive, often just a small number in the corner, but it’s another possibility.
- Open your Steam client.
- Click on Steam in the top-left corner and go to Settings.
- Select the In-Game tab.
- Look for the In-game FPS counter dropdown menu.
- Set it to Off.
Could It Be a Third-Party Tool like MSI Afterburner?
Many PC enthusiasts use powerful third-party tools like MSI Afterburner or RivaTuner Statistics Server to monitor their hardware in extreme detail. These programs are designed specifically to provide on-screen displays with a ton of information, including FPS. If you have any software like this installed, you’ll need to open that specific program and disable its on-screen display feature from within its settings.
Why Would I Even Want to Turn My FPS Counter Off?
While it’s a great tool, there are plenty of valid reasons to want that counter gone once you’re done tinkering.
Is the FPS Counter Just Too Distracting?
For me, this is the biggest reason. It’s hard to get fully immersed in a beautiful, story-driven game when a piece of the user interface is constantly reminding you that you’re just running a piece of software. It breaks the illusion. Your eyes are naturally drawn to movement and changing numbers, pulling your focus away from the game world. Removing it simply cleans up your screen and lets you get lost in the experience.
Can the FPS Counter Actually Lower My Performance?
This might sound counterintuitive, but yes, any overlay can have a minor impact on performance. Every program running on your computer requires a certain amount of system resources (CPU cycles, RAM, etc.) to function. While the impact of a simple FPS counter is usually very small, it’s not zero. This concept, known as software overhead, is a fundamental principle in computer science.
As explained in materials from university programs like the Computer Science Department at Stanford University, every instruction and process, no matter how small, consumes resources that could otherwise be allocated to the primary application—in this case, your game. For most people, this performance hit is negligible and not a reason to disable the counter. However, if you’re trying to squeeze every last possible frame out of an older or lower-end PC, disabling all unnecessary overlays can sometimes make a tiny, but measurable, difference.
Customizing the Xbox Game Bar for a Better Experience
Maybe you don’t want to get rid of the performance stats entirely, but you just wish they were less annoying. The good news is that the Xbox Game Bar is highly customizable. After pressing Windows Key + G, you can simply click and drag the widgets to different positions on the screen. You can move the Performance widget to a corner where it’s less likely to bother you. Some widgets also have their own settings, allowing you to change their size or transparency, making them even less intrusive. It’s worth spending a minute to arrange the layout in a way that works for you.
Ultimately, knowing how to turn off FPS counter on Windows 11 is about taking control of your gaming experience. Whether it’s the Xbox Game Bar, a GPU driver setting, or another app, you now have the knowledge to identify the source and reclaim your screen. A clean, uncluttered display lets you focus on your gameplay and fully immerse yourself in the incredible worlds that developers have created. So go ahead, banish that little box, and get back to gaming.+
Frequently Asked Question
How can I identify and disable other programs that might be causing the FPS overlay?
Close programs that might overlay FPS, such as NVIDIA GeForce Experience, AMD Radeon Software, Steam, or MSI Afterburner. You can disable their overlays through their respective settings or shortcuts; when the overlay disappears, you’ve identified the source.
What should I do if I cannot see the Performance widget in the Game Bar?
Click the Performance icon, which looks like a screen with a heartbeat line, to open the widget. Once open, you can unpin or close it to remove the FPS counter.
What are the main steps to turn off the FPS counter in Windows 11 using the Xbox Game Bar?
Open the Xbox Game Bar, locate the Performance widget, unpin it by clicking the thumbtack icon, and then close the widget. This removes the FPS counter from your screen.
How can I access the Xbox Game Bar on Windows 11?
You can open the Xbox Game Bar by pressing the Windows key + G. If it is disabled, enable it in Settings under Gaming > Xbox Game Bar, and then use the shortcut to access it.
What is the FPS counter and why does it appear on my screen?
The FPS counter displays how many frames per second your graphics card renders, indicating game performance and responsiveness. It appears on your screen when activated, often by accidental pinning through the Xbox Game Bar or other overlay tools.
