Purchasing new games on Steam can often feel like a gamble, especially for those without the very latest hardware. For instance, Intel Arc users encountered difficulties running Crimson Desert upon its initial launch. To address this, Valve is reportedly working on a feature to reduce the uncertainty surrounding new game purchases by offering an estimated performance overview before you buy.
This upcoming system, referred to as a “framerate estimator,” will leverage aggregated framerate data from users who opt to share it. It aims to display anticipated performance by showing framerates from other Steam users with comparable devices and GPUs. This will provide a more realistic preview of in-game performance, moving beyond the basic minimum or recommended specifications typically listed on a game’s store page.
While this tool won’t be a perfect predictor of performance—as individual factors like in-game settings, background applications, and other system variables can still influence results—it will nonetheless prove incredibly useful. It will assist gamers in determining whether their current setup can adequately run demanding titles such as Black Myth: Wukong, Crimson Desert, or Cyberpunk 2077.
Currently, the collection of FPS data is limited to the Steam beta client. A firm release date for the FPS estimator has not yet been set. However, there is speculation that this feature could be integrated into the highly anticipated Steam Machine, which is expected to launch later this year.