Valve is working on a new system to show Steam users how well a game will perform on their computer, pooling data from the millions of users who frequent the platform.
As spotted by ResetEra user dex3108, a new Steam Client update references a “Framerate Estimator” which will display “a chart of estimated framerates, based on the framerates of other Steam users.” It will do this by looking at your saved hardware and then comparing it to the performance of those with similar GPUs and CPUs, offering a more transparent insight into what you can expect from a title before purchasing.
This discovery comes after Valve announced in an official blog post last month that it had begun collecting framerate data with a new opt-in program. “Added the option to provide anonymized framerate data,” it explained. “When enabled Steam will collect gameplay framerate data, stored without connection to your Steam account but identified with the kind of hardware you are playing on. This data will help us learn about game compatibility and improve Steam.”
Steam Is Collecting Framerate Data Right Now, But Only In Beta
Right now, this data-collection is only available in the beta program, so it’s unclear when we can expect to see the results put into effect. With the Steam Machine set to launch later this year, a “Framerate Estimator” would offer a clearer picture than the ‘verified’ badges currently in use, retroactively benefiting Steam Deck users, too. So, perhaps we’ll see it arrive ahead of the home console in 2026.
However, while this will undoubtedly be a useful feature, there are some caveats. Looking solely at hardware won’t be completely accurate, as you must consider graphical settings and background applications — someone with Discord, Spotify, or a web browser open, for example, will inevitably suffer worse performance. With that being said, knowing roughly what framerate you could achieve based on hardware alone would still help manage expectations, and better reflect when a game is poorly optimized for PC.
- Brand
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Valve
- Original Release Date
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September 12, 2003
- Original MSRP (USD)
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N/A
- Weight
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N/A
