The Steam Deck is a powerful handheld gaming device that allows you to play your favorite Steam games on the go. One of the best features of the device is its built-in performance overlay, which displays important data about your system’s performance and game stats. In this article, we’ll go over how to enable the Steam Deck’s performance overlay and what it shows.

Enabling the Performance Overlay

First, let’s discuss how to enable the performance overlay on the Steam Deck. Follow these steps:

1. Press the Steam button on the device to bring up the Steam menu.

2. Click on “Settings” in the bottom left corner.

3. Click on “In-Game” from the left-hand menu.

4. Scroll down to the “In-Game FPS Counter” section and select your desired location for the performance overlay.

5. Check the box next to “Show performance information.”

And that’s it – the performance overlay will now be displayed in-game.

What the Performance Overlay Shows

Now that you’ve enabled the performance overlay, let’s go over what it displays. Here’s a breakdown of the data you’ll see:

1. FPS – This is the most important metric displayed, as it shows how many frames per second your game is running at. A higher FPS generally means smoother gameplay.

2. CPU usage – This shows how much of your CPU’s resources are being used by the game. If this number is high, it can cause performance issues.

3. GPU usage – This shows how much of your GPU’s resources are being used by the game. Again, a high number here can cause performance issues.

4. RAM usage – This shows how much of your device’s RAM is being used by the game.

5. Network usage – If you’re playing an online game, this will show how much network bandwidth is being used.

6. VRAM usage – This shows how much of your GPU’s dedicated memory (VRAM) is being used.

Overall, the performance overlay is a valuable tool for monitoring your device’s performance while gaming on the Steam Deck. By keeping an eye on these metrics, you can make adjustments to improve your gameplay experience.

In conclusion, the Steam Deck’s performance overlay is an important feature for any serious gamer. By enabling it and monitoring the data it displays, you can optimize your device’s performance and enjoy the best possible gaming experience on the go. Give it a try and see how it can help you improve your gameplay!