The Xbox Series X is focused on backward compatibility. While the system does not yet have any system sales exclusives, Microsoft has gone to great lengths to ensure that Xbox One games run better than ever, especially with regard to frame rates. Today (May 3), Microsoft added a whopping 70 new titles to its FPS Boost program, which allows older games to run at up to 120 frames per second on the Xbox Series X and sometimes even the Xbox Series S.
This information comes from Microsoft's Major Nelson blog, where longtime Xbox spokesman Larry Hryb discusses the new FPS Boost additions. The bulk of the blog post is the same as the one posted in February, with information on what FPS Boost is and how it will launch. However, as of today, the Xbox Series X supports 97 FPS Boost titles.
As detailed in the post, not all games are automatically set to FPS Boost. This is due to the fact that some titles have a slight downgrade in resolution to match the increase in frames per second. However, it can easily be enabled from the compatibility options in the Manage Games and Add-ons section, and Hryb has a brief YouTube video showing how to do so.
Of course, given the difference in power between the Xbox Series X and Series S, it's not fair to expect FPS gains on all titles; Xbox Series X owners will see more games at 60Hz and 120Hz levels. Still, Xbox Series S owners will be free to play 84 games with improved performance.
Other new games include the Assassin's Creed series (including the underrated Unity), the Far Cry series, Hollow Knight, most of the Lego series, and Mad Max. Check out the blog post to find out exactly what frame rates you can expect on each system, but if you have any feelings about these games, it's worth checking out how well your favorite games look.
The full list can be found in Major Nelson's blog post, but here's what's worth noting in this month's update:
With its ever-growing library of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S backward compatible titles, Microsoft has a new arrow in its quiver against Sony. According to a tally by the website Backwards-Compatible, the PS5 has improved the performance of at least 500 titles, most of which are games that were compatible on the PS4. Sony has yet to offer a solution for the vast number of games released on the original PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PS3. Microsoft, on the other hand, has made a significant number of games compatible dating back to the original Xbox.
More FPS-enhanced games should appear in the coming months. Looking at the current schedule, the next batch should appear between now and the end of summer, and Hryb will be covering this news in detail in a podcast later this week, so listen in if you're interested.
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