With the launch of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, Microsoft has doubled down on its efforts to provide proper backward compatibility on its latest systems. The company is devoted to supporting thousands of titles from Xbox One, Xbox 360, and even the original Xbox. It’s also working on various features and enhancements to preserve games across the next generations of consoles.
The latest feature Microsoft has added to its Xbox Series consoles is “FPS Boost,” which brings massive performance uplifts to last-gen titles and allows players to double the frame rates on their favorite games. You won’t have to wait for developers to release a special patch anymore.
In this guide, we will extensively discuss Xbox’s new FPS Boost feature, supported titles, and show you how to enable the feature for specific games.
How does Xbox’s FPS Boost improve the experience?
FPS stands for “frames per second,” indicating the number of consecutive full-screen images rendered and displayed each second. The higher the FPS is, the smoother and responsive the gameplay will feel.
For those who didn’t know, 30 FPS was the target frame rate for the last generation’s AAA titles. This was done to maintain performance consistency so that players are less likely to get disoriented by sudden frame rate drops. Plus, the hardware itself wasn’t quite there yet to hit higher FPS.
With the debut of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, many of the hardware limitations are now gone, so there’s no point in keeping the frame rate locked on last-gen titles. However, it’s on the developers to release a patch for their older games and removing the frame rate cap– until now.
Microsoft recently added “FPS Boost” on its current-gen consoles, a system-level feature designed to boost performance across backward compatible games. It tells the game to render more frames without any developer input, artificially removing the frame rate cap. If an Xbox One title is targeted to run at 30 FPS, Xbox Series X or S with FPS Boost enabled will run it at 60 FPS.
The new Xbox hardware is also capable of achieving even higher frame rates than before. Thus, games that have targeted 60 FPS on the previous-gen Xbox consoles will now run at 120 FPS on the Xbox Series X and Series S thanks to FPS Boost. However, you will need a compatible TV or monitor that’s capable of 120Hz output.
Simply put, FPS Boost is a straightforward way to play existing Xbox One titles at a higher frame rate on the Series X|S hardware without requiring the developers to spend resources on a patch. Players can expect to run older games automatically smoother on their new Xbox consoles, which just goes to show Microsoft’s commitment to backward compatibility.
Guide to enable FPS Boost on Xbox Series X and Series S
FPS Boost made its debut on the new Xbox Series X and Xbox Series X consoles with the March Update in 2021. Assuming you have your console updated to the latest software version, this system-level feature should automatically turn on when launching selected titles. You won’t need any game updates to enable it.
However, it’s worth noting that FPS Boost might potentially affect the resolution, especially in games that received Xbox One X enhancements before. Thus, you may end up with slightly low image quality. This is why Microsoft has disabled FPS Boost on some titles by default, prioritizing the best possible resolution over higher frame rates.
For instance, games like Fallout 76 and Battlefield V run at 4K on the Xbox Series X by default. Enabling FPS Boost on the following titles limits the resolution to 1080p, albeit doubling the frame rates. Bear in mind that the resolution varies by game.
That said, you can still manually enable FPS Boost on those games by following the steps below.
- First, press the Xbox button on your controller and navigate to the My games & apps menu from the overlay.
- Next, highlight the game that supports FPS Boost from your library and press the Menu button on your controller.
- Now go down the following options and select Manage game and add-ons.
- After that, select Compatibility options on the “Manage” screen.
- Check the box next to the FPS Boost option to enable the feature for the chosen game.
Once you enable FPS Boost for a specific title and start playing it, you will see an FPS Boost icon on the top-right corner of the Xbox Guide menu, indicating that the feature is active.
Note that some games with FPS Boost support can only be enjoyed at a higher frame rate on the Xbox Series X and not the Series S console due to the hardware differences. We have a list of titles that officially support FPS Boost below, which you definitely should check out.
Guide to disable FPS Boost on Xbox Series X and Series S
Microsoft is still testing FPS Boost with older titles to ensure players get the best possible experience with backward compatibility on their systems. So, you may encounter visual glitches and performance slowdowns when playing an untested or incompatible game with FPS Boost enabled.
If you happen to run into such issues, you can simply toggle the feature off and play the game as it usually would on a previous-gen console. Here’s how:
- First of all, head over to the “My games & apps” library from the Xbox home screen.
- Highlight the game in question and press the Menu button on your controller.
- After that, select Manage game and add-ons in the following window that appears.
- Now go to the Compatibility options menu and make sure to uncheck the box next to FPS Boost.
You can re-enable FPS Boost for the game by checking the box next to the option again.
List of Xbox Series X|S games with FPS Boost support
At the time of writing, Microsoft has recently announced dozens of titles from the Xbox Game Pass to support FPS Boost. It includes several games from Bethesda and Electronic Arts, along with a few other last-gen AAA titles. Given that FPS Boost doesn’t need a code change, you can expect the list to expand on a regular basis.
Below is a list of popular Xbox Series X|S games that officially support FPS Boost. As we mentioned earlier, the feature is disabled by default for some games, so you will see compromises to visual clarity for better frame rates. But you can follow the above instructions in this guide to enable or disable the feature on a per-game basis.
| Game | Target Frame Rate w/ FPS Boost Enabled | Automatically Enabled |
| Battlefield 4 | 120 FPS | Yes |
| Battlefield 1 (2016) | 120 FPS (only on Series X) | No |
| Battlefield V | 120 FPS (only on Series X) | No |
| Dishonored (Definitive Edition) | 60 FPS | Yes |
| Far Cry 4 | 60 FPS | Yes |
| Fallout 4 | 60 FPS | No |
| Fallout 76 | 60 FPS | No |
| Mirror’s Edge Catalyst | 120 FPS (only on Series X) | Yes |
| Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville | 120 FPS | No |
| Prey | 60 FPS | Yes |
| Sniper Elite 4 | 60 FPS | Yes |
| Star Wars Battlefront | 120 FPS | Yes |
| Star Wars Battlefront II | 120 FPS (only on Series X) | No |
| The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition | 60 FPS | Yes |
| Titanfall 2 | 120 FPS | No |
| UFC 4 | 60 FPS | Yes |
| Watch Dogs 2 | 60 FPS | Yes |
For games that reach 120 FPS with the FPS Boost feature enabled, you must have a high refresh rate TV or monitor that actually supports 120Hz display output. Besides, you will need an HDMI 2.1-complaint TV for a full 4K@120Hz image.
Talha Ali is your tech generalist, covering a wide spectrum of topics within the ever-evolving world of technology. With a curiosity for the latest innovations, industry trends, and breakthroughs. Whether it’s hardware, software, emerging technologies, or the intersection of tech with daily life, Talha’s articles provide readers with a well-rounded perspective on the dynamic landscape of the tech industry.
