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.

Latest in Sports
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 launches this July with new parks for "for the first time in 10 years," and you can pre-order to get a demo in June
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 and 2
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 rumors have just been upgraded from podcast mentions and Call of Duty map teasers to a full countdown on the official Activision website
FC 25
FC 25 FUT Fantasy FC tracker and February promo guide
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2
As Activision stays quiet, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 actor casually reveals there's another remaster "that's about to come out"
WWE 2K25
Full WWE 2K25 roster guide with every confirmed wrestler sorted by brand
FC 25
FC 25 Grassroot Greats cards list and Maradona Evolution guide
Latest in News
Dragon Age Inquisition
Dragon Age actor says the last time he played Inquisition, he upheld the RPG tradition led by Baldur's Gate 3 actors and romanced his own character: "Which is the best — the best"
Monster Hunter Wilds
Capcom promises "this is just the start for the next generation of Monster Hunter" as Wilds shatters sales milestones: "The Guild authorizes this celebration!"
Lester sitting at a computer in some artwork for GTA Online
Some GTA 5 players can't bring their characters to the new PC upgrade, and the open-world game's mixed Steam reviews are hammering FPS caps and a lack of text chat
Kamala Khan holds Jean Grey's body in an homage to the cover of Uncanny X-Men #136
45 years after the original Dark Phoenix Saga, Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan will travel back in time to save X-Men history
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing Yasuke kneeling and praying while wearing a traditional purple robe
Assassin's Creed Shadows is the first game in the series with "a fully customizable sandbox" as your base, which is where Yasuke and Naoe hang out and pet baby animals
Monster Hunter Wilds screenshot of spider boss Nerscylla
Monster Hunter Wilds takes an infamously rare and annoying material from the old games and absolutely buries you in it – and also buries you in tiny spiders