Xbox Series X Backward Compatibility Test: Older Games Double Performance

The issue of backward compatibility is often raised when a new console from a line of previous consoles is on the horizon.

Having access to a library of older games from the PlayStation family for the PlayStation 5 or older Xbox games for the Xbox Series X makes the wait for newer titles a bit more bearable. It’s become enough of a concern that no less than the CEO of PlayStation had to declare the PS5’s backward compatibility recently.

It would seem that the Xbox Series X does very well when it comes to backward compatibility. Previous generation games, including “Rise of the Tomb Raider,” “Final Fantasy XV” and “Monster Hunter World,” were tested on the Xbox Series X in a video from Digital Foundry.

The results were nothing short of staggering as the older games ran twice as well, if not better, on the next-gen console from Microsoft. Games that are locked at 30 frames per second on Xbox One are able to easily hold a locked 60 frames per second on the Xbox Series X, even with upgrades in resolution.

Digital Foundry noted that it is sometimes hard to tell how much of a jump in performance there is because of the 60 frames per second lock on most games, even though the performance is likely higher than double in many cases.

With fewer games launching beside the Xbox Series X on Nov. 10 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for games from older generations to be able to play on the newer console becomes a bigger deal now than ever before.

One game that recently had to call of its launch is “Halo Infinite.” It was initially supposed to arrive alongside the Xbox Series X, but it has been pushed back to 2021.

"Today I want to share an important 'Halo Infinite' development update with the community. We have made the difficult decision to shift our release to 2021 to ensure the team has adequate time to deliver a Halo game experience that meets our vision," 343 Industries said in a statement on Twitter in August.

Thankfully, it would seem that the Xbox Series X’s backward compatibility is solid enough to not only play older Xbox games but also to improve them in terms of graphics and gameplay.