News on more Xbox Series X backwards compatibility enhancements are coming this year

An image from Fallout 4
(Image credit: Bethesda)

Microsoft has teased Xbox Series X backwards compatibility tech that could "double framerates" on certain titles, and more news is coming about it this year.

Xbox director of program management Jason Ronald confirmed in a response to a fan's question that the team is still working on backwards compatibility enhancements which were announced before launch, even if it hasn't made any more announcements about them since then.

Almost the entire catalog of Xbox One games is playable on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S right now, in many cases with shortened load times, more consistent frame rate, and better visual vibrance with auto HDR, among other features. 

However, players are still waiting to hear more about special improvements that could double the frame rate of certain games - with Xbox using Fallout 4 going from a standard 30 FPS on Xbox One to 60 FPS on Xbox Series X as its most prominent example.

"The backward compatibility team has developed new methods for effectively doubling the framerate on select titles," Xbox compatibility program lead Peggy Lo wrote back in October. "While not applicable for many titles due to the game’s original physics or animations, these new techniques the team has developed 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."

More news coming sometime this year is a pretty broad timetable, but at least it's good to know that Microsoft hasn't forgotten our dreams of stomping around the Commonwealth in our custom power armor at a smooth 60 FPS.

It doesn't just play old games better - see what new titles are on the way with our guide to upcoming Xbox Series X games. 

Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.

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