Xbox FPS Boost is a platform-level feature for selected backward-compatible games; a native high-frame-rate mode is built into a game by its developer. Either can make motion smoother, but they work differently, apply to different games, and may involve different visual tradeoffs. Check the individual game and console rather than assuming either option is available—or that it targets 60 or 120 fps.
How FPS Boost differs from a native mode
FPS Boost is applied by Xbox to selected backward-compatible titles. Xbox describes it as a platform-level change that does not require the developer to do engineering work or the player to install a game update. It is not the same thing as a Performance Mode in a game’s menu.
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A native high-frame-rate mode is part of the game itself, provided by its developer through the game’s supported options or an update. It may appear in the game’s graphics, video, or performance settings. The available options depend on that title, its version, and the Xbox console being used.
| Question | FPS Boost | Native high-frame-rate mode |
|---|---|---|
| Who provides it? | Xbox, for selected backward-compatible games. | The game’s developer, through the game’s settings or an update. |
| Where do you check? | For a supported title, look under the game’s management options for Compatibility Options. | Look in the game’s own graphics, video, or performance settings, where offered. |
| Which games can use it? | Selected backward-compatible titles; not every game is suitable. | Titles whose developers provide the mode for that game and console. |
| What might change? | Xbox has documented reduced resolution in selected cases; on Series X, FPS Boost has also been left off by default for some resolution-sensitive titles. | The game may offer choices between frame rate, resolution, and visual features such as ray tracing. The tradeoff varies by title. |
| Does 120 Hz matter? | It depends on the supported title and its target; FPS Boost alone does not mean every boosted game requires a 120 Hz display. | A mode targeting 120 fps requires supported game content and a compatible display. Check the game’s own requirements. |
Why neither option works for every game
FPS Boost is selective
Xbox says some older games’ original physics or animations make a frame-rate increase unsuitable. FPS Boost therefore applies only to selected backward-compatible games, and the feature does not promise that a title will reach a particular frame rate.
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Native modes are title-specific
A developer has to provide a high-frame-rate option for the relevant game and Xbox version. One title might offer a Performance Mode alongside higher-resolution or ray-tracing modes; another might not offer a selectable high-frame-rate mode at all.
Examples: FPS Boost and a developer-provided mode
FPS Boost examples announced by Xbox
In its February 17, 2021 announcement, Xbox said New Super Lucky’s Tale could run at up to 120 fps and UFC 4 at 60 fps on Xbox Series S. Those are examples Xbox gave for the feature, not a guarantee for other games or every current software version.
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In a March 15, 2021 announcement about selected Bethesda games, Xbox described FPS Boost as raising some titles from 30 fps to nearly 60 fps. Xbox also said that, because of resolution requirements, FPS Boost was not automatically enabled for Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 on Series X in that announcement. The example illustrates why it is worth checking the title’s current setting instead of assuming the feature is on.
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| Console | Mode | Resolution and frame rate listed by Xbox | Display note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series X | Performance | 1800p / 120 fps | Requires a compatible 120 Hz display; listed resolutions require a compatible display. |
| Series X | Balanced | 2160p / 60 fps | Listed resolutions require a compatible display. |
| Series X | Ray Tracing | 1800p / 60 fps | Listed resolutions require a compatible display. |
| Series S | Performance | 1080p / 120 fps | Requires a compatible 120 Hz display; listed resolutions require a compatible display. |
| Series S | Balanced | 1440p / 60 fps | Listed resolutions require a compatible display. |
This is a developer-provided set of game modes, not FPS Boost. The 120 fps Performance options come with a 120 Hz display requirement, while the other listed modes trade frame rate, resolution, or ray tracing differently.
How to check which option a game offers
- Check FPS Boost: Open the game’s management options on Xbox and look for Compatibility Options. If FPS Boost is offered there, use the toggle to turn it on or off.
- Check the game’s own settings: Open its graphics, video, or performance menu and look for a mode such as Performance. Read the game’s requirements and any mode descriptions.
- Confirm the console and display requirements: Check that the listed mode applies to your Series X or Series S, and whether it requires a compatible 120 Hz display. Xbox’s general guidance is that 120 fps requires supported content and a compatible display.
- Compare the tradeoffs: When there is more than one mode, compare its stated frame rate, resolution behavior, and visual features before choosing.
What to check before choosing a 120 fps setup
- Confirm that the particular game and console support a 120 fps mode; the presence of FPS Boost by itself does not establish that target.
- Check whether the game requires a compatible 120 Hz display for the mode you want.
- Look at the mode’s resolution and visual-feature tradeoffs, including whether resolution scaling is used.
Xbox’s published feature announcements are from 2021 and provide examples, not an exhaustive current roster with exact Series X and Series S frame rates for every supported game. For a specific title, its current in-game options and current Xbox compatibility settings are the practical checks.
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