How to View FPS on macOS: Steam and Apple’s Metal HUD

To view FPS (frames per second) on a Mac, start with the performance counter built into your game or Steam. For Metal-based apps, Apple also provides the Metal Performance HUD, which can show frame rate, GPU time, and frame intervals while an app is running. The best method depends on how you launch the game and whether you need a simple FPS number or more detailed diagnostics.

Show FPS in a Mac game using Steam

Steam's in-game Performance Monitor is the most convenient starting point for compatible games launched through Steam. Valve updated its older FPS counter with a configurable performance display. Some advanced CPU and GPU metrics are primarily supported on Windows, so expect fewer data fields on macOS.

1. Open the Steam app on your Mac and choose Steam > Settings from the menu bar.
2. Select In Game. Check that Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game is on.
3. Find Performance Monitor or Performance Overlay. Choose Single FPS Value for a small counter, or another available detail level if you want more information. Set its position and appearance as needed.
4. Launch a game through Steam and look for the FPS readout in your selected corner.

If nothing appears, check the game's individual overlay setting under Library > [game] > Properties > General, then make sure the game supports Steam's overlay. You can normally open the Steam overlay with Shift + Tab, but that shortcut is not required to keep an enabled FPS readout on screen. See Valve's Performance Monitor guide and Steam Overlay troubleshooting for the current settings and limitations.

Show FPS with Apple's Metal Performance HUD

If your Mac game or application uses Apple's Metal graphics API, the Metal Performance HUD is another option. Unlike Steam's overlay, it is a graphics diagnostic tool rather than a universal FPS counter. It will not necessarily work with applications that use a different rendering system or do not expose a compatible Metal layer.

Option 1: Enable the HUD when launching an app

Apple documents the environment variable MTL_HUD_ENABLED=1 for enabling the HUD. On versions of macOS that support the open command's --env option, open Terminal and launch a compatible app with this pattern:

open /Applications/MyGame.app --env MTL_HUD_ENABLED=1

Replace MyGame.app with the actual application bundle path. Quit the game first so it starts a new process with the setting. Entering MTL_HUD_ENABLED=1 by itself does not launch a game, and the setting is not a general macOS FPS toggle. Apple's macOS 26 release notes show this launch pattern; behavior and available options can vary on older systems.

Option 2: Enable the HUD while developing in Xcode

If you are testing a Metal project in Xcode, use the built-in diagnostics setting instead:

1. Choose Product > Scheme > Edit Scheme for your project.
2. Select Run, then open the Diagnostics tab.
3. Turn on Show Graphics Overview, close the editor, and run the app.

Xcode will enable the HUD for that run scheme. For per-frame console statistics, Apple says to also select Log Graphics Overview. The official Metal Performance HUD documentation explains both options.

What do the FPS and frame-time numbers mean?

FPS indicates how many frames an application renders each second. Higher is not automatically better if frame delivery is uneven or the display cannot show every frame. The Metal HUD also reports frame interval (time between frames) and GPU time, which are useful when a game feels choppy despite an acceptable average FPS.

• 30 FPS corresponds to roughly 33.3 milliseconds per frame.
• 60 FPS corresponds to roughly 16.7 milliseconds per frame.
• 120 FPS corresponds to roughly 8.3 milliseconds per frame.

These are mathematical reference values, not promises about what any Mac can achieve. A consistent frame rate usually feels smoother than a higher average interrupted by sharp frame-time spikes. Apple's HUD customization guide explains how to adjust metrics, position, and graphs.

What happened to Quartz Debug and FrameMeter?

Older macOS instructions recommend downloading Additional Tools for Xcode, opening Quartz Debug, and choosing Window > FrameMeter. That was the approach in earlier versions of this guide. Apple still provides a developer downloads entry point, but the availability and compatibility of a particular Quartz Debug build should not be assumed on a current Mac. We could not verify FrameMeter as a supported, current macOS workflow, so the Steam and Metal methods above are safer starting points.

If your FPS counter is missing or the game is slow

• No Steam readout: Enable the Steam Overlay globally and for the particular game, and check the Performance Monitor detail level.
• No Metal HUD: Confirm that the app uses Metal, that the setting was applied before launch, and that your macOS version supports the launch method.
• Low or inconsistent FPS: Lower the game's rendering resolution or graphics quality, close other demanding apps, and compare performance in the same scene.
• FPS seems stuck at one value: Check the game's frame-rate cap, V-Sync setting, and display refresh rate before assuming a hardware fault.

For a quick gaming check, use Steam's FPS readout when available. Choose Apple's Metal Performance HUD when you need frame-time context or are diagnosing a Metal app. Neither overlay should be treated as a benchmark result without consistent test conditions.