See-Through FPS Display in Windows 11 Games

Want to monitor your frame rate without a bulky overlay blocking your view? This guide shows you how to set up a transparent, always-on-top FPS counter that works in Windows 11 games. You’ll use the built-in Xbox Game Bar and a lightweight third-party tool for a cleaner look. No special hardware or advanced skills are required.

What You’ll Need

• A Windows 11 PC with the Xbox Game Bar (preinstalled, but we’ll verify it’s enabled).
• An internet connection to download the optional third-party tool (MSI Afterburner + RivaTuner Statistics Server).
• Administrator rights on your PC to install software.

Step-by-Step

Method 1: Using the Built-in Xbox Game Bar (Simplest)

1. Open Xbox Game Bar. Press Win + G while in any game or on the desktop. If nothing happens, go to Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar and ensure the toggle is on.
2. Find the Performance widget. In the Game Bar overlay, click the Widget Menu icon (looks like a grid of squares) at the top, then select Performance. This opens a small panel showing CPU, GPU, RAM, and FPS.
3. Make it transparent. Click the Performance widget’s title bar (the top strip) and drag it to a corner of your screen. Then, click the pin icon to keep it always on top. To adjust transparency, click the Settings gear icon in the widget, then move the Opacity slider down—try 50% for a good balance.
4. Customize what it shows. In the same settings, check or uncheck the metrics you want. For a minimal look, keep only FPS and maybe GPU.
5. Test it in a game. Launch a game and press Win + G again—the widget should appear. If it doesn’t, press Win + Alt + R to toggle the FPS counter in the corner (this is a simpler, but less transparent, option).

Method 2: Using MSI Afterburner + RivaTuner (More Customizable, Truly See-Through)

1. Download and install MSI Afterburner. Go to the official MSI website and download the latest version. During installation, keep the default options—it will install RivaTuner Statistics Server (RTSS) automatically.
2. Open RTSS. After installation, RTSS runs in the system tray (bottom-right arrow). Right-click its icon and select Show.
3. Add your game. In the RTSS window, click Add, navigate to your game’s .exe file (e.g., Cyberpunk2077.exe), and select it. This ensures the overlay only appears for that game.
4. Set the overlay hotkey. In RTSS, find Global or your game’s profile. Set On-Screen Display Hotkey to a key you won’t accidentally press (e.g., Ctrl + O).
5. Configure the overlay appearance. In RTSS, under On-Screen Display, set Show On-Screen Display to On (or use the hotkey). Then, click Setup to open the overlay editor. Here you can:
6. Make it transparent. In the overlay editor, go to Overlay tab. Set Background Transparency to a low value (e.g., 20%) or set it to None for no background. Adjust Text Transparency to your liking.
7. Choose what to display. In the same editor, go to Items tab. Uncheck everything except Framerate (and maybe Frametime). You can also change the text color, size, and position.
8. Apply and test. Click OK to close all windows. Launch your game and press the hotkey you set (e.g., Ctrl + O) to toggle the overlay. It should appear with a transparent background.

Common Mistakes

• Forgetting to pin the Game Bar widget. If you don’t click the pin icon, the widget disappears when you close the Game Bar.
• Not adding the game to RTSS. If you only set the global profile, the overlay might not appear in fullscreen exclusive games. Always add the specific game executable.
• Setting transparency to 0%. In some versions, 0% makes the text invisible too. Start with 20-30% and adjust.
• Using the wrong hotkey. If your hotkey conflicts with a game command, the overlay won’t show. Pick something like Ctrl + F1.
• Confusing FPS with frametime. FPS is frames per second (higher is better). Frametime is milliseconds per frame (lower is better). Don’t mix them up.

Tips

• Position matters. Put the counter in a corner where you naturally look, but not over important HUD elements. The top-left or bottom-right are common choices.
• Use a color that contrasts. If your game is dark, use white or green text. If it’s bright, use black or red. This keeps the counter readable without being distracting.
• For Game Bar, use the compact mode. In the Performance widget settings, enable Compact to show only a small graph and FPS number.
• RTSS can limit FPS. If you want to cap your frame rate (e.g., to reduce heat), set a framerate limit in RTSS—it’s more accurate than in-game caps.
• Update drivers. An outdated GPU driver can cause the overlay to glitch or not appear. Keep your drivers current.

Troubleshooting

• Overlay not appearing at all. First, check if RTSS is running (tray icon). If not, restart it. Then, ensure the game is added to the RTSS list. For Game Bar, press Win + G and check if the widget is pinned.
• Overlay appears but is not transparent. In RTSS, go to the overlay editor and set Background Transparency to something like 30%. Also, check that Show On-Screen Display is set to On (not Off).
• FPS counter shows 0 or inaccurate numbers. This often happens in games that use anti-cheat (like Valorant or Fortnite). Some anti-cheat blocks overlay tools. Try using the Game Bar instead, or check if the game has a built-in FPS counter.
• Overlay flickers or disappears in fullscreen. Some games run in exclusive fullscreen, which can interfere. Try setting the game to Borderless Windowed mode. In RTSS, you can also try enabling Application Detection Level to High in the global settings.
• Game Bar performance widget shows nothing. Ensure your PC meets the minimum requirements for Game Bar (it usually does). Restart your PC and try again. Also, check that the Game Bar is enabled in Windows Settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will an FPS overlay lower my game’s performance?

Negligibly. Both Game Bar and RTSS use very little GPU/CPU resources. You might see a 1-2 FPS drop in extreme cases, but usually it’s imperceptible.

Can I use the overlay in any game?

Yes, for most games. However, games with aggressive anti-cheat (like Fortnite or Valorant) may block overlays. In those cases, use the game’s built-in FPS counter or the Game Bar (which is whitelisted).

How do I move the overlay to a different corner?

For Game Bar, drag the widget’s title bar. For RTSS, go to the overlay editor, and under Position, choose a corner or drag the text in the preview window.

Can I change the font size of the FPS counter?

Yes. In RTSS, the overlay editor has Text Size slider. In Game Bar, the Performance widget has a zoom option (click the magnifying glass icon).

Does the overlay work in windowed mode?

Yes, it works in windowed, borderless, and fullscreen modes. In fullscreen exclusive, RTSS works if the game is added to its list.

Is there a way to show FPS only when I press a key?

Yes, both methods allow toggling. Game Bar: press Win + Alt + R to show/hide the simple counter. RTSS: use the hotkey you set in step 4 of Method 2.

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