While all the other gaming platforms lag way behind in features, Steam continues to shine, constantly updating and improving itself. I’ve been using the FPS counter for years, along with hitting a function key to take a screenshot. I often wondered if more overlay features would be added, and it’s only recently that I discovered Performance Monitor and Game Recording, two great new features that I now use regularly.
Steam Performance Monitor
There are numerous performance monitors which act as in-game overlays, including those from AMD and Nvidia, as well as FPS Monitor, MSI Afterburner, and a few others. What I look for in such monitors is simplicity, clarity, and a decent range of stats – CPU and GPU % and temperatures, for example. This is exactly what the Steam Performance Monitor gives us in an easy-to-read overlay, which can be tweaked in many different ways.
With just a glance, you see what you need to know, and I pay particular attention to temperatures, especially on hot days.
Steam Game Recording
It was only a matter of time before Steam introduced a quick and easy game recorder, and I’m glad they did because I usually forget to record, resulting in the loss of a fun moment. I use numerous game recorders anyway, including Action!, Bandicam, AMD ReLive, and Windows Game Bar, so there’s a lot to choose from. Since most of the games I play are through Steam, it makes sense to have all these features to hand, and hitting Ctrl+F11 to record couldn’t be easier. Or, simply select Record in Background so that nothing gets missed.
The quality of recordings is excellent, added to which you can clip them for quick editing, which is a great feature. In fact, here’s one I recorded over the weekend and uploaded to YouTube.
For me, it’s the ease of use that I like about Steam, and installing games on that platform has never been easier, particularly when changing drives – Steam makes it so much easier in that respect, instead of all the ridiculous shenanigans we have to go through with most of the other platforms.
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