How to Show FPS in CS2: Console Command, Telemetry and Overlays
cl_showfps, the telemetry FPS counter, Steam overlay, NVIDIA App, AMD Adrenalin and MSI Afterburner, plus what FPS you actually need
In Counter-Strike 2 every frame counts. Low or jumpy FPS makes the crosshair feel heavy and turns a clean duel into a lottery. An FPS counter on screen tells you right away if the "lag" you feel is your PC, uneven frame times or the network.
In this guide I show every working way to show FPS in CS2: the console command, the built-in telemetry, the Steam overlay, the NVIDIA and AMD overlays and third-party tools. And what FPS you should aim for on your monitor.
How to Show FPS in CS2: The Quick Answer
Turn on the console (Settings → Game → Enable Developer Console (~) → Yes), press ~ and type one of these:
cl_showfps 1
cl_hud_telemetry_frametime_show 2
The first one is the classic FPS counter, the second is CS2's telemetry, which also shows frame time. Both are built in, need no software and cost practically nothing. If you don't want the console at all, use the Steam overlay.
What FPS Do You Need in CS2
FPS shows how many frames your PC renders per second. It's not about "pretty graphics": more and steadier frames mean smoother motion and a more predictable crosshair. And low FPS can literally hide information: an enemy who peeks fast can fall between two frames, and you simply don't see the first moment of his peek.
There is no magic number, but there is one rule: FPS should be at least your monitor's refresh rate and, more important, stable. My starting points:
| Monitor | Aim for | fps_max to try |
|---|---|---|
| 60 Hz | 120+ FPS | fps_max 120 |
| 144 Hz | 200+ FPS | fps_max 200 or 0 |
| 240 Hz | 300+ FPS | fps_max 300 or 0 |
| 360 Hz | 400+ FPS | fps_max 400 or 0 |
The CS2 default is fps_max 400, 0 removes the cap. Stability beats the big number: a steady 300 feels smoother than a number jumping between 350 and 450, because what you feel is the frame pacing, the even delivery of frames. If uncapped FPS gives you micro stutters, set a cap a bit below what your PC usually holds.
How FPS and Hz work together is explained in FPS and refresh rate, and how to get more of them in my CS2 FPS guide.
Show FPS with the cl_showfps Command
The oldest way, it already worked in CS 1.6. A small counter in the top left corner, nothing else.
- Turn on the console: Settings → Game → Enable Developer Console (~) → Yes .
- Press ~.
- Type
cl_showfps 1. To turn it off,cl_showfps 0.
- cl_showfps 1
- FPS.
- cl_showfps 2
- Smoothed FPS, the number jumps less.
- cl_showfps 3
- Server frame time in ms.
- cl_showfps 4
- FPS plus a log file, for benchmarks.
A trick: put cl_showfps 1 in your autoexec.cfg. The counter shows up already in the main menu, so you see at once that the autoexec ran. More in my CS2 config guide.
Show FPS with CS2 Telemetry
CS2 removed net_graph and replaced it with telemetry: small indicators in the top right corner for FPS, ping and packet problems. For FPS it shows not only the number but also frame time, the thing that actually tells you about stutters.
cl_hud_telemetry_frametime_show 2
- 0
- Never
- 1
- Only when FPS is poor (default)
- 2
- Always
The same setting is in the menu: Settings → Game → Telemetry. With value 1, cl_hud_telemetry_frametime_poor decides what "poor" means, frame time in ms from 1 to 100, default 100 (that's 10 FPS, so in practice it rarely shows up). Ping works the same way with cl_hud_telemetry_ping_show 2.
All telemetry graphs are explained in my CS2 telemetry guide, and scripts to switch them with a key are in custom telemetry scripts.
Show FPS with the Steam Overlay
No console, works in every Steam game. Steam's performance monitor can show just FPS or FPS with a frame time graph.
- Open Steam → Settings → In-Game.
- Turn on Enable the Steam Overlay while in-game.
- In Overlay Performance Monitor, choose a corner in Show performance monitor.
- In Performance Detail Level choose FPS Single Value (just the number) or FPS Details (current, min and max FPS with a small graph).
- If you want, change text size, contrast and background opacity.
What each value means is in Valve's own help article: Understanding the In-Game Overlay Performance Monitor.
Show FPS with NVIDIA App or AMD Adrenalin
The overlays from your graphics driver show FPS together with frame time, GPU load and temperature, and NVIDIA also shows 1% low FPS. They work in CS2 without any launch options.
NVIDIA App Overlay
- Open the NVIDIA App → Settings → Features and make sure NVIDIA Overlay is on.
- In game press Alt + Z and open Statistics.
- Turn on the statistics overlay and choose Frame Rate (FPS) in the statistics view.
After that Alt + R turns the statistics on and off. Position, size and color are set in the HUD layout settings of the overlay. GeForce Experience, which had the same overlay before, was replaced by the NVIDIA App.
AMD Adrenalin Overlay
- Open AMD Software: Adrenalin Edition.
- Go to Performance Metrics, open Frame Rate and enable it for the overlay.
- In the Overlay tab turn on Show Metrics Overlay.
In game Ctrl + Shift + O turns the metrics overlay on and off.
Show FPS with MSI Afterburner and Other Tools
For the full picture (FPS, frame time, CPU and GPU load, temperatures, logs) people use MSI Afterburner with its RivaTuner overlay. CS2 runs in a protected mode and doesn't let outside programs draw over the game by default. To allow it, add this to the launch options:
-allow_third_party_software
The option exists in the current cs2.exe. It turns off the protected (trusted) mode, and running without it can lower your Trust Factor if you also run software that is associated with cheating. Afterburner itself isn't a cheat, but if you only need FPS, the built-in ways above do the job without this flag.
Fraps is the old classic. It's simple, but it hasn't been updated for many years, so don't be surprised if it doesn't work with the current renderer. These tools cost a few FPS themselves, so use them for tests and benchmarks, not every day.
Which FPS Counter to Use in CS2
| Method | How | Frame time | Extra stats | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Console | cl_showfps 1 |
no | no | Quick and minimal |
| Telemetry | cl_hud_telemetry_frametime_show 2 |
yes | ping, network | Everyday use, stutter hunting |
| Steam overlay | Steam settings | graph | limited | No console, any game |
| NVIDIA App | Alt + Z → Statistics | yes | GPU, 1% low | NVIDIA cards |
| AMD Adrenalin | Ctrl + Shift + O | yes | GPU, CPU | AMD cards |
| MSI Afterburner | needs -allow_third_party_software |
yes | everything | Benchmarks and logs |
My choice: telemetry on 1 for everyday games, so it only shows up when something is wrong, and cl_showfps 1 or the Steam overlay when I test settings. If you find drops, my guide on fixing FPS drops and stutters is the next step.
Conclusion
Showing FPS in CS2 takes one command: cl_showfps 1 for the number, cl_hud_telemetry_frametime_show 2 for the number with frame time. Steam, NVIDIA and AMD overlays do the same without the console, and Afterburner is there when you need everything. The counter itself is only half the job. Look at how stable the number is, not how big.
Show FPS in CS2 FAQ
What is the command to show FPS in CS2?
cl_showfps 1. For FPS with frame time use cl_hud_telemetry_frametime_show 2.
What's the difference between cl_showfps and telemetry?
cl_showfps shows a plain FPS number in the top left. Telemetry is CS2's replacement for net_graph: it shows FPS with frame time in the top right and can appear only when something is wrong.
Why doesn't net_graph work in CS2?
It doesn't exist in CS2 anymore. Valve replaced it with telemetry: cl_hud_telemetry_frametime_show, cl_hud_telemetry_ping_show and others.
The Steam FPS counter doesn't show up. What should I check?
Steam → Settings → In-Game: the overlay must be enabled, and Show performance monitor must be set to a corner, not Off. Restart Steam if it still doesn't appear.
Do I need -allow_third_party_software?
Only for outside programs that draw over the game, like MSI Afterburner. Built-in methods, Steam, NVIDIA and AMD overlays work without it.
What FPS should I have in CS2?
At least your monitor's refresh rate, better more, and stable. For a 144 Hz monitor 200+ steady FPS is a good target.
Does showing FPS cost performance?
The built-in counters and the Steam overlay cost practically nothing. Heavy monitoring tools like Afterburner can take a few FPS.
