Microsoft announced on Wednesday, March 17, the rollout of a feature called FPS Boost that lets certain older games run at 60 FPS or even 120 FPS on Xbox Series X and S consoles.
What FPS Boost does
FPS Boost is designed to enhance backward-compatible games by increasing their frame rates to match capabilities of current-generation hardware. The feature targets titles from previous Xbox generations and adjusts performance so they can take advantage of the Series X and S processing power.
How to enable FPS Boost
Enabling the feature is done through each game’s management screen on the console. From the game’s menu, go to “Manage Games” and then select “Compatibility Options,” where FPS Boost can be turned on or off.
Initial games supported
At launch, Microsoft applied FPS Boost to five games:
- Far Cry 4
- New Super Lucky’s Tale
- Sniper Elite 4
- UFC 4
- Watch Dogs 2
Performance claims
According to Microsoft, the boost can substantially increase frame rates—sometimes tripling or even quadrupling the original FPS of a title. The company cites that UFC 4 reaches 60 FPS with the boost enabled, while New Super Lucky’s Tale can reach up to 120 FPS.
Labeling and HDR
Microsoft will mark games that support these enhancements with an “FPS Boost” badge. The company also indicated an automatic HDR indicator to show which backward-compatible titles gain that visual improvement.
Why this matters
Because the Xbox Series X and S libraries still rely heavily on backward-compatible games, FPS Boost offers a way to modernize older titles without requiring new releases. By increasing frame rates and offering automatic HDR where available, Microsoft aims to make legacy games perform closer to the expectations set by current-generation consoles.
Source: Gizmodo
