Have you noticed that tiny number sitting in the corner of your screen while gaming on Windows 11? Yep, that’s the FPS counter. It’s helpful when you want to monitor performance, but it can be annoying once you’re done tweaking settings or showing off to friends. Don’t worry — turning it off is super easy!
In this article, we’ll look at two quick ways to hide that FPS counter on Windows 11. No tech degree needed (whew!). Let’s get started.
Why Does the FPS Counter Show Up?
Windows 11 comes with built-in performance tools. One of them is the Xbox Game Bar, which includes an FPS (frames per second) counter. It’s a neat little feature for gamers to see how smooth their game is running. But if you’re not benchmarking or troubleshooting, it can become distracting fast.
Luckily, turning it off takes just a minute or two.
Method 1: Turn Off FPS Counter via Xbox Game Bar
This is the most common way the FPS counter sneaks onto your screen. Xbox Game Bar is deeply integrated into Windows 11.
Here’s how to turn it off:
- Press Windows + G to open the Xbox Game Bar.
- At the top of the screen, click the Performance widget (looks like a mini graph).
- If it’s minimized, click the small arrow to expand it.
- Inside the widget, click the FPS tab.
- Click on the pin icon to unpin it from your screen.
- Alternatively, just close the widget by clicking the ‘X’.
And just like that — poof! The FPS counter is gone.
Tip: If you want to bring it back later, just press Windows + G again and repeat the steps.
Method 2: Disable It from the Settings App
Maybe you don’t want to deal with the Game Bar popping up again at all. You can turn it off from the Settings app on Windows 11 too!
Here’s the fast way:
- Click Start and go to Settings.
- Select Gaming from the sidebar.
- Click on Game Bar.
- Turn off the toggle that says “Open Xbox Game Bar using this button on a controller” or “Open Xbox Game Bar when using the button”.
- You can also go to the “Captures” and “Game Mode” sections and ensure background recording and overlays are off, just in case.
This stops the Game Bar — and every FPS counter it might want to show — from appearing.
Bonus Tip: Check for Third-Party Tools
Some graphics cards and performance monitoring apps can also show FPS. For example:
- NVIDIA GeForce Experience
- AMD Radeon Software
- MSI Afterburner
If you’ve tried the steps above and that counter is still staring at you… it could be one of these. Just check their settings and look for an “Overlay” or “OSD” (on-screen display) section. Then toggle off the FPS counter.
And That’s It!
Now you’ve got two easy and fast ways to turn off the FPS counter in Windows 11. Whether you’re getting serious about gaming or just want a clean screen for movie night, it’s nice to have options.
Quick Recap:
- Use Xbox Game Bar (Windows + G) and unpin the FPS widget.
- Go to Settings → Gaming and disable Xbox Game Bar entirely.
The choice is yours. Either way, your screen doesn’t have to be cluttered by numbers anymore.
Enjoy your games, minus the distractions!