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Valve seems to be preparing a new feature for Steam that could make one of the biggest uncertainties in the PC gaming world – performance – more transparent. In the recently discovered Steam client code, there is a line that hints at the possibility of showing an approximate frame rate for each game, based on the actual performance of other users.
This initiative could be an important step in bringing official system requirements closer to the actual gaming experience. Although studios publish recommended configurations, in practice, performance often varies greatly from PC to PC.
The discovery was posted on the ResetEra forum, where user Dex3108 noticed the following line in the new Steam code: “Select a program and PC configuration to get a graph of approximate frame rates based on other users’ performance.” This indicates a potential tool in the Steam Store that will allow you to enter CPU, GPU, and memory data to predict expected performance before purchasing a game.
The idea builds on Valve’s broader initiative to collect anonymous gameplay data. Earlier, the company introduced a beta feature on SteamOS devices that collects information about frame rate and system configuration in the background. Valve states that the purpose of this data is to “study game compatibility and improve Steam”, and all information remains separated from personal data of users.
Valve has also started asking SteamOS users – such as Steam Deck and the upcoming Steam Machine – if they agree to anonymous FPS tracking. This data collection complements the company’s efforts to make information in the store more transparent through user insights. At the same time, Valve has allowed reviewers to add information about their hardware directly to reviews, eliminating the need to manually describe the system when evaluating performance.
It is not yet clear whether the display of the approximate frame rate will be extended to the Windows version of Steam. Until now, Valve’s telemetry has focused on its own ecosystem. For SteamOS users, especially those on Steam Deck, more detailed performance data could complement the existing “Verified” program, which currently only offers general compatibility marks. The upcoming Steam Machine, with its higher power consumption, could be even more useful, providing users with a clear picture of how demanding games are performing on compact hardware.
At the same time, there are challenges. PC performance depends on many factors: graphics and resolution settings, modifications, and scaling technologies such as DLSS and FSR, which increase frame rates but affect image quality. Data aggregation in such conditions requires careful normalization to ensure the reliability of the estimates.
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