The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles allow you to play at 120 FPS, that is to say at a high frame rate for great fluidity in games. Find out how to take advantage of this technical novelty and have 120 FPS on Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S.
Prerequisite for having 120 FPS on Xbox Series X and Series S: a compatible screen
To play at 120 FPS on Xbox Series X or Series S, you must have a compatible display. It can be a 4K 120 FPS TV or a PC monitor capable of supporting this frame rate.
If your TV has an HDMI 2.1 port, then chances are you can enjoy 120 FPS on it. Be careful, because this is not the case for all models. We advise you to take a look at our guide to best TVs for Xbox to find a 100% compatible model.
You will sometimes come across TVs that mention 100 Hz compatibility and other times 120 Hz on their technical sheets. Be aware that we are actually talking regarding the same thing and that it is really a standard difference between the display standards used between the PAL (mainly in Europe) and NTSC (USA and Japan) formats.
Finally, note that some screens that are not 4K are capable of processing 120 Hz, and therefore, for example, a signal sent by the console in 1080p and 120 FPS. Check the output formats supported by your TV or monitor if it does not have an HDMI 2.1 connector.
For more details, you can also consult our file for properly adjust your TV for Xbox Series X|S, whether it’s game mode, HDMI ports, HDR, or other image options.
Play in 4K and 120 FPS on Xbox Series X with a compatible HDMI cable
If you want to enjoy games in 4K and 120 FPS on Xbox Series X, you absolutely must have an ultra high speed HDMI cable that supports the HDMI 2.1 standard. Rest assured, the cable provided in the Xbox Series X box is compatible, so use this one and not another.
If you have lost or damaged it, you will find ultra high speed HDMI 2.1 compatible cables on Amazon less than €15. There is no need to spend more for a cable that does not exceed 2m in length.
If you have an Xbox Series S, be aware that the console does not support 4K at 120 FPS. The cable supplied with this Xbox is therefore not compatible with this definition and frame rate. On the other hand, the Xbox Series S is compatible with 120 FPS in 1080p.
How to Configure Xbox for Native 120 FPS
- Press the Xbox button on the controller
- Go to the Profile and system screen
- Go to Settings
- Go to General
- Go to Display and TV options
- Go to Refresh rate
- Select 120Hz
If you think your TV supports 120Hz but the option isn’t available to you, make sure your Xbox has the latest update available. To get the latest update available for your Xbox, complete the following steps.
- Press the Xbox button on the controller
- Go to Profile and system
- Go to Settings
- Go to System
- Go to Updates and apply updates if there are any
How to Setup Xbox for 120 FPS Boost
Some old Xbox games have been optimized specifically for new Xboxes and you can find this list of Xbox Series X and S optimized games in our dedicated file. Some games previously available in 60 frames per second can now run in 120 frames per second on Xbox Series X|S thanks to the “boost FPS” option. Consult the details of each game to be sure. You can also find the list of FPS Boost games on Xbox.
Please follow the following steps to enable FPS boost on your Xbox.
- Open Xbox Guide
- Go to the My games and applications menu
- Choose Show All
- Choose a compatible game
- Press Menu
- Select Manage Game & Add-ons
- Select Compatibility Options
- Activer l’option boost FPS
Note that the FPS boost option is grayed out if your TV or console is not configured to support 120Hz.
Enable 120 FPS option in games
Once you have a 120Hz capable display and have enabled the 120 FPS option on your Xbox Series X|S, all you have to do is enable the option in your game!
Depending on the game, it may be an option to activate in the settings menu while for others, the 120 FPS is activated by choosing a particular graphics mode. Often this mode is called “Performance”. Here are some games available in 120 FPS on Xbox Series X via a “Performance” mode:
- Bright Memory Infinite
- F1 2021
- Halo Infinite
- Knockout City
- A Plague Tale : Innocence
- Battlefield V
- Call of Duty Warzone
Other comprehensive tech articles and guides
- Best Xbox Series X/S TVs – choose your 4K Gaming TV 2021
- How to properly connect your Xbox Series X | S according to your equipment (TV, amp, sound bar)
- Test – LG OLED 55 C1 TV – The best TV for the Xbox Series X?
- Input lag, DLI, VRR, ALLM… all you need to know regarding latency in video games!
- OLED TV vs QLED: advantages and disadvantages (marking, input lag, HDR…)
- Dolby Atmos Xbox: games, license, best hardware… all regarding this audio format!
- Dolby Vision Xbox: details, list of games, compatible TVs… complete file!
