The FPS Boost characteristic, available on Xbox Series X and Series S consoles, can help you get more out of older titles. The game’s developer isn’t even required to participate in any way. Below is how it works and how to enable it for specific games.
What Is FPS Boost on Xbox?
“FPS” is an abbreviation for “frames per second” and relates to the rate at which a game is played. For most of the prominent titles from the previous generation, the frame rate was mostly fixed at 30 frames per second.
When playing, this is done to ensure performance stability so that players are less likely to notice significant drops in performance when they do occur. Many of the hardware limitations that previously necessitated the use of frame rate locks have been eliminated by introducing a new generation of consoles.
Thus, many games now have the overhead to operate at a superior 60 frames per second and, in some cases, at 120 frames per second (but you’ll need a suitable TV to play at 120hz in these circumstances). In general, higher frame rates result in smoother and more responsive gameplay, with the difference between 30 and 60 frames per second being rather evident.
A game update is typically required to enable greater frame rates and graphical balance settings to ensure that targets may be met. This is frequently not feasible for older titles since developers have stopped working on them and are unwilling to invest money and labor on unfinished projects.
The FPS Boost mod is designed to help you out in this situation. When it comes to increasing game performance at the system level, Microsoft has developed a way that works. This eliminates the requirement for a software update and enables a doubling of frame rates.
According to Microsoft’s Xbox site, the FPS Boost function “employs a range of new approaches” to increase performance, though the company has not specified which methods. The function was first made available in February of 2021, and it currently supports a small number of titles, with additional titles planned for the future.
How to Enable the Xbox FPS Boost
All compatible games do not have FPS Boost enabled by default. Hence it is recommended that you enable it. When you click the Xbox button while the game is running, an “FPS Boost” indicator will appear in the top-right corner of the screen, indicating that the game is taking advantage of the feature. From the “Manage game and add-ons” option, you may determine whether a game uses (or is capable of using) FPS Boost. To take there, press the Xbox button on your controller and select “My games and apps” from the first tab on the screen that appears.
Activate the game in question by selecting it and pressing the Options button on your controller (the one that looks like three horizontal lines), followed by “Manage game and add-ons.” Select “Compatibility Options” from the drop-down menu on the following screen. When applicable in the menu, you’ll notice toggles for FPS Increase and Auto-HDR. You can enable or disable the features by checking or unchecking the corresponding boxes on this page.
Is There a Downside to Increasing FPS?
The fact that not all games are compatible with FPS Boost is, in my opinion, the most significant disadvantage. As additional titles become compatible with the Xbox One, Microsoft will continue to expand its compatibility list. If you’re looking for more information, keep an eye on the Xbox YouTube channel. To maintain a high level of performance in some games, restrictions will be placed on them.
For example, Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 are two games that have already benefited from the FPS Boost feature. These titles are only available in 1080p resolution while FPS Boost is enabled, unlike 4K resolution when FPS Boost is off. Without interference in the form of a software update, some labels will suffer from visual fidelity degradation to meet frame rate targets set by the developers. If you find yourself in this situation, remember that you may switch off the feature on a game-by-game basis.
Another Advantage of Using Xbox
With a large portfolio of earlier Xbox games available to everyone who owns an Xbox Series system, Microsoft has positioned itself as a leader in this generation’s backward compatibility space. Installing the RetroArch emulator in development mode is also an option if you’re looking for many emulators.
How Can I Increase the Performance of My Xbox One?
- There are some things you can perform to boost the performance of your Xbox One S.
- Check that your console is up to date with the most recent software upgrades, and experiment with removing any functionality you aren’t currently using.
- Other options include emptying your console’s cache or restarting your console.
- If none of these methods work for you, you may need to contact Microsoft for further assistance.
