Xbox Series X adds FPS Boost for 70 more games

xbox series x
(Image credit: Microsoft)

The Xbox Series X is big on backwards compatibility. While the system still doesn’t really have a system-selling exclusive title, Microsoft has done a ton of work to ensure that Xbox One games run better than ever before, especially when it comes to frame rate. Today (May 3), Microsoft added a whopping 70 new titles to its FPS Boost program, which lets older games run at up to 120 frames per second on Xbox Series X — and, occasionally, on Xbox Series S as well.

Information comes from Microsoft’s Major Nelson blog, where longtime Xbox spokesman Larry Hryb discussed the new additions to the FPS Boost roster. The bulk of the blog post is the same as it was back in February: namely, information on what FPS Boost is, and how to activate it. But as of today, the Xbox Series X supports 97 FPS-boosted titles, compared to 27 earlier this year.

As detailed in the post, not all games will automatically be set to FPS Boost. This is because some titles will see a slightly resolution downgrade to accommodate the increased frames per second. But it can be easily enabled by going under Compatibility Options in the Manage game and add-ons section. Hryb made a quick YouTube video showing how to do it. 

Of course, given the differences in power between the Xbox Series X and Series S, FPS boost across all titles is not equitable. Xbox Series X owners will see more games at that 60Hz or 120Hz level. Still, Xbox Series S owners will have 84 games with increased performance at their disposal. 

Other new games include a plethora of Assassin’s Creed titles (including the much-underrated Unity), a handful of Far Cry games, Hollow Knight, the bulk of the Lego game series and the delightfully underrated Mad Max. Check the blog post to learn exactly what frame rates you can expect on each system, but if you have any affinity for these games, it’s worth checking out your favorites to see how much better they might look.

The full list can be found on Major Nelson's blog post, but here are some of the notable highlights from this month's update:

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Notable FPS Boost games for May 3rd update
TitleXbox Series XXbox Series SOff by Default?
Alien Isolation60Hz60HzRow 1 - Cell 3
Assassin's Creed Unity60Hz60HzRow 2 - Cell 3
DiRT 4120HzNot AvailableRow 3 - Cell 3
Far Cry 560Hz60Hz
Gears of War 460Hz60Hz
Halo Wars 260Hz60HzRow 6 - Cell 3
Hyperscape120Hz120Hz
Life is Strange60Hz60HzRow 8 - Cell 3
Life is Strange 260HzNot AvailableRow 9 - Cell 3
Metro 2033 Redux120Hz120HzRow 10 - Cell 3
ReCore60Hz60HzRow 11 - Cell 3
Shadow of the Tomb Raider60Hz60HzRow 12 - Cell 3
Sleeping Dogs Definitive Edition60Hz60HzRow 13 - Cell 3
Superhot120Hz120HzRow 14 - Cell 3
Untitled Goose Game120Hz120HzRow 15 - Cell 3
Wasteland 360Hz60HzRow 16 - Cell 3
Watch Dogs60Hz60HzRow 17 - Cell 3
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life60Hz60HzRow 18 - Cell 3

The ever-increasing library of backwards compatible titles on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S gives Microsoft another arrow in its quiver against Sony. While the PS5 does see increases in performance to at least 500 titles, as compiled by website Backwards-Compatible, it mostly features games that were compatible on the PS4. Sony still has not come forward with a solution to the large swath of games released on the original PlayStation, PlayStation 2 and PS3. Microsoft, on the other hand, has compatibility for a respectable selection of games dating back to the original Xbox. 

We should see more FPS-boosted games available in the next few months. If the current schedule is any indication, the next batch should come out sometime between now and the end of the summer. Hryb plans to cover this news in more detail on his podcast later this week, so keep an ear out if you’re interested.

Imad Khan

Imad is currently Senior Google and Internet Culture reporter for CNET, but until recently was News Editor at Tom's Guide. Hailing from Texas, Imad started his journalism career in 2013 and has amassed bylines with the New York Times, the Washington Post, ESPN, Wired and Men's Health Magazine, among others. Outside of work, you can find him sitting blankly in front of a Word document trying desperately to write the first pages of a new book.