Bottom line: Xbox Series X and S owners will get one more thing to brag about soon. Microsoft seems committed to ensuring that older titles run great on their shiny new consoles. To that end, the company is introducing FPS Boost, a feature that can increase performance dramatically for older titles, sometimes up to quadruple the original frame rate.
Microsoft is introducing FPS Boost, a feature that improves frame rates for older games without developer action. While some games will see twice the amount of frames per second, other titles can see even larger boosts.
This latest feature is continuing Microsoft's initiative to support older games on newer hardware. For now, the games that support FPS Boost include Sniper Elite 4, UFC 4, New Super Lucky's Tale, Far Cry 4, and Watch Dogs 2. Microsoft says that UFC 4 will run up to 60fps on Series S while New Super Lucky's Tale can run up to 120fps.
Gamers can activate FPS Boost by going to the new "Compatibility Options" button under the section "Manage Game."
Once FPS Boost is activated, there will be an indicator similar to the Quick Resume indicator for supported games. This means that you can choose to play the game as it originally released or with FPS Boost activated. FPS Boost will officially launch soon with a new system update.
Microsoft has been positioning the Xbox as sort of a PC-like experience with its focus on backwards compatibility with older titles. This feature will certainly be welcome for gamers who desire more performance for their last-gen game collection as the higher framerate can translate into smoother gameplay. It's also great to see Microsoft leveraging the power of their next-gen consoles to improve the experience for their fanbase.