How to Check Your FPS in Games on Mac

Macs aren’t just for work anymore! Thanks to Apple Arcade, Steam, and many other sources of quality games, Macs have become a viable platform for gamers. But just because a game is available on macOS, it doesn’t mean it will run smoothly without some manual optimization of graphics settings. This guide details your Frames Per Second (FPS), the first step to fine-tuning your games for the perfect blend of visuals and performance.

Built-In FPS Counter

Many games include their own built-in FPS counters that you can easily enable. This is often the most straightforward way to check your FPS.

Look in the game’s graphics, display, or advanced settings to see if you find an option to turn the FPS counter on. You may need to use a console command to activate it, such as in various Quake source ports. A quick Web search for “[Game Name] FPS counter” should reveal whether this is necessary.

The advantage of using a game’s native FPS counter is that it’s likely tailored specifically to that title, potentially giving you more accurate readings, compared to more general-purpose solutions.

macOS Performance HUD

When playing a game that doesn’t have a built-in FPS counter, enable the macOS performance HUD (Heads-Up Display) by entering the following command in the Terminal app:

/bin/launchctl setenv MTL_HUD_ENABLED 1

Alternatively, press Shift + F9 (or Fn + Shift + F9 if you’re on a laptop) to toggle the HUD on and off.

Once enabled, you will see a performance overlay in the top-left corner of games that use the Metal API. This includes many of the latest game titles, several open-source ports, and even Windows games running through solutions like Crossover.

To disable the HUD from the Terminal app, run the following command:

 /bin/launchctl setenv MTL_HUD_ENABLED 0

Note: if you’re gaming on an older Mac, use the Quartz Debug tool, which is included in the Additional Tools for Xcode package. This can be downloaded from the Apple Developer website. Unfortunately, the ancient tool is highly unreliable on newer versions of macOS.

Steam Overlay

Steam offers a versatile in-game FPS counter that works reliably across most games, even for titles you didn’t purchase directly through the Steam store.

To enable the FPS display through Steam, start by navigating to Steam -> Preferences from the menu bar. Within the Preferences window, click on the In-Game tab, turn the In-Game FPS Counter option on, then close the Preferences window.

Launch your game, and press your overlay shortcut key combination (Shift + Tab by default) to activate the overlay.

Choose a screen location option for the FPS counter from the drop-down menu. Additionally, you can have the counter change color when Steam is saving a gameplay screenshot, making it easier to keep track of performance over time.

With these methods, you’ll have everything you need to track your FPS when gaming on your Mac. You can make informed decisions about in-game settings to achieve the most enjoyable experience for your specific machine! For some gaming inspiration, be sure to check out our list of the top 10 Mac games to play in 2024.

Image credit: DALL-E. All screenshots by David Morelo.

David Morelo is a professional content writer in the technology niche, covering everything from consumer products to emerging technologies and their cross-industry application. His interest in technology started at an early age and has only grown stronger over the years.