In addition to supporting fancy graphics on next-gen titles, one of the goals of the Xbox Series S and X was to help improve the appearance of older titles. Today, Microsoft’s FPS Boost tech has arrived to enhance five existing games.
Depending on the title and which version of the Xbox Series you own, Microsoft claims FPS Boost can double or even quadruple the frame rate of supported older games. The five games that are getting support for FPS Boost out of the gate are Far Cry 4 (2019), New Super Lucky’s Take (2020), Sniper Elite 4 (2017), and UFC 4 (2020).
Even though it’s early, it’s nice to see a range of games get support for FPS Boost, which Microsoft says were selected based on their popularity and their ability to show the benefits that adding higher frame rates can have on existing games. Microsoft says that with FPS Boost, UFC 4 can now run at 60 fps on Xbox Series S, while New Super Lucky’s Tale can hit up to 120 fps, though it’s unclear if that’s on a Series S or Series X.
[referenced id=”1526751″ url=”https://gizmodo.com.au/2020/11/microsoft-is-playing-nice-and-the-xbox-series-x-is-the-stellar-result/” thumb=”https://gizmodo.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/06/xbox-series-x-review-gizmodo-australia-300×168.png” title=”Microsoft Is Playing Nice, and the Xbox Series X Is the Stellar Result” excerpt=”In the late ‘90s, a group of Microsoft engineers started tinkering with old Dell laptops in the hopes of creating a console based on Microsoft’s DirectX technology. The idea was to create a gaming box that showcased what the software company was best at but without the need for a…”]
Activating FPS Boost should be quite simple: All you need to do is go into the Manage Game tab where, later this spring, there will be a new Compatibility Options button that lets you toggle FPS Boost mode on and off, along with other options like Auto HDR. Microsoft says there will even be new FPS Boost indicator that pops up when you hit the Xbox button, so there will be no confusion about what mode you’re in.
Microsoft says FPS Boost will work both on standalone games and games available as part of Xbox Game Pass, which includes New Super Lucky’s Tale and Sniper Elite 4.
Unfortunately, while Microsoft has not said which games will receive support for FPS Boost next, the company does have plans to reveal more FPS Boost games very soon. FPS Boost isn’t going to help solve Microsoft’s supply issues for the Xbox Series consoles, but it’s still nice to see older games get a little love.