Microsoft Brings FPS Boost to Backward Compatible Games
- Paul Thurrott
- Feb 17, 2021
-
4
A new Xbox Series X|S feature called FPS Boost will improve the experience of playing some Backward Compatible games on the new consoles, Microsoft says.
“The backward compatibility team has developed FPS Boost, which employs a variety of new methods for nearly doubling (and in a few instances, quadrupling) the original framerate on select titles,” Microsoft’s Paul Eng writes in the announcement post. “We partnered closely with developers to enhance the experience while maintaining the game’s original intent. And while not applicable to all games, these new techniques can push game engines to render more quickly for a buttery smooth experience beyond what the original game might have delivered due to the capabilities of the hardware at the time.”
Windows Intelligence In Your Inbox
Sign up for our new free newsletter to get three time-saving tips each Friday — and get free copies of Paul Thurrott's Windows 11 and Windows 10 Field Guides (normally $9.99) as a special welcome gift!
"*" indicates required fields
The first games to support FPS Boost are Far Cry 4, New Super Lucky’s Tale, Sniper Elite 4, UFC 4, and Watch Dogs 2. These titles were chosen not just for their popularity, Microsoft says, but because they highlight what a difference this new feature can make. New Super Lucky’s Tale, for example, now runs at up to 120 frames per second (fps) on the new consoles.
More FPS Boost-compatible games are coming soon, too, and that includes Xbox Game Pass. And a spring 2021 update for Xbox will add a new “Compatibility Options” button in the Manage Game interface for each title that will let gamers toggle FPS Boost and Auto HDR on or off.