We ran the ruler over the first wave of Microsoft’s FPS Boost titles and were impressed, while our thoughts for the Arkane-developed duo Prey and Dishonored Definitive Edition may be even more exuberant. Our coverage continues with a look at the Bethesda Games Studio titles used on the Creation Engine, and the impressions are a bit more mixed this time around. Skyrim lands exactly where we expected and works fine overall, but the Fallout titles are a little more surprising. Despite a huge gap in their respective graphics capabilities, both Xbox Series S and X consoles use these titles at 1080p to achieve 60 frames per second, even though Xbox One X aimed the original 4K.
The Fallout titles were somewhat controversial then, but it was at least great to return to Skyrim. In this case, we have a true 4K60 and it’s great to see that the user mode we tested earlier at Digital Foundry has now been made fully official with FPS Boost – although it’s worth taking advantage of. it two different techniques to achieve this target. The mod essentially works by removing the 30-fps frame-rate cap and disabling v-sync to a good extent, allowing Skyrim to take advantage of the extra horsepower of Series S and X consoles (where back-up v-sync compatibility sync insert again).
The end result is a very tight slot at 60 fps for Series S with a resolution of 1080p, whether you use FPS Boost or the mod, while Series X runs on an original 4K and looks beautiful – the price to pay, is a decrease in performance when full resolution volumetry or alpha effects are in play. Overall, it’s 60 fps on both and it adds an extra layer of gloss which remains an excellent RPG. Yes, the footage is dated, but the gameplay is golden. And of course, PlayStation 5 users now have access to the same experience via their own mod.
Tom Morgan and Rich Leadbetter compare notes on their experiences with Skyrim, Fallout 4, and Fallout 76 used on the Xbox Series X and Series S consoles via FPS Boost.
With the Fallout titles, the situation is a bit more complicated. As of Fallout 4, Microsoft has apparently chosen to push both Series X and S on the Xbox One S code path, meaning the game runs at original 1080p without removing the frame rate cap. Remember that the game originally ran at a dynamic 1080p on Xbox One S and rose to 4K on One X. The end result is a pleasurable experience that ensures a constant 60 fps for the vast majority of the game.
Only the classic bottle necks like the Corvega Factory cause problems, with some performance drops on Series X and a more noticeable drop on Series S. Overall, it’s a smooth ride throughout, but you can not help but to think the series should not do X anymore. In the end, it seems like a good route forward to paste in something like an 1800p optional alternative to the 2160p mode.
However, there is an alternative if you want the best of both worlds on Series X – with 4K and 60 fps. Turn off FPS Boost and of course you’re back to 4K30, although it’s much better consistent in the game than the gameplay running on Xbox One X. Next step, a ‘720p60’ user mode delivers the required unlocked frame rate for Series X as well as a press of 4K (look it up in the mods section of the game, activate it and reload the game). And this is where you see why Microsoft has opted for consistency – frame rate is not a closed 60 fps while delivering this high resolution. The Corvega choke point leads you into the 40s, and there is much more in the way of general instability. This is still a clear improvement on the stock experience on Xbox Series X, mind you, and many might prefer it. All of this leads us to the multiplayer-focused Fallout 76, where the setup is similar to Fallout 4 during FPS Boost. This time, the 1080p60 output of Series X is completely blocked, while Series S has some minor fluctuations of the target frame rate. It’s not perfect, but it’s a much improved way to play the game – though we’ve lost resolution on Series X again with this feature.
A while ago, we tested user modes to run Skyrim and Fallout 4 on serial consoles at 60 fps. This is our report.
Oddly enough, there’s a way forward to use FPS Boost while maintaining 4K on the Fallout games running on Xbox Series X – but this is what you might call a gap, and we expect Microsoft to do so at some point. will stick out. Essentially you download one of the Fallout games with FPS Boost disabled, load another title, re-engage FPS Boost in the Fallout game you played, and then return to the action via Quick Resume. This essentially enables the benefits of 60 fps unlocking FPS Boost to retain the One X resolution. This is a trick, it works, but it makes you appreciate why Microsoft made the call to drop to 1080p for their solution. Simply put, 60 fps is far from guaranteed to play that way.
In summary, FPS Boost delivers exactly what you want from it with Skyrim – turn off the feature and it’s a night and day difference, far more than you’d expect. You just can not go back. With the Fallout games, FPS Boost works as you would expect – especially if you are an Xbox Series S owner. You keep the same resolution and the performance usually closes at 60 frames per second. The Fallout games can be CPU-limited, GPU-limited or even storage-restricted at any given point – and the improvement that the next generation of hardware will bring is obvious. Series X, however, forces you to make a choice – 4K or 60 fps, FPS Boost on or off. The overall boost is still impressive – the games play so much more fluently in the game – but at this point it is not rather the killer feature we hoped it would be.