Xbox Series X games don't have 60FPS mandate, Microsoft clarifies

Xbox exec Aaron Greenberg clarifies the Xbox Series X's standard 60FPS output, confirming developers will have total freedom over frame rates in their games.

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Microsoft might be talking too much about the Xbox Series X and it's gotten them into hot water. A bit ago, Xbox's Aaron Greenberg said 60FPS is the standard output for the next-gen Xbox Series X, leading many to believe that was the minimum FPS performance on the system. That's not the case. Developers won't be forced to push their games to 60FPS on the system, and the Xbox Series X won't automatically upgrade every single game to at least 60 frames-per-second.

Confusion set in when Ubisoft confirmed Assassin's Creed Valhalla would run at a minimum 4K 30FPS on the Xbox Series X. Apparently everyone expected 4K 60FPS performance, which is an extremely tall order. But then again, Microsoft has hyped up 4K 120FPS gaming on the next-gen Xbox.

"Ultimately, it is up to individual developers to determine how they leverage the power and speed of Xbox Series X," an Xbox spokesperson told The Verge's Tom Warren.

"Developers always have flexibility in how they use the power, so a standard or common 60fps is not a mandate," Greenberg said in response.

The clarification also seems to confirm the Xbox Series X won't natively boost all third-party games past a certain threshold. Obviously this kind of perf boost is extremely subjective and changes on a game-to-game basis. Some titles like Gears 4 will get upgraded to native 4K without any adjustments from developers. Other games might need manual enhancement patches to be created and issued by devs. How much the games are boosted, how the games actually perform, and what kinds of power thresholds are set is totally up to developers.

This news isn't a surprise, though. If you've been paying attention to Microsoft's plays, it's to be expected.

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Remember that Microsoft is treating next-gen as a kind of iterative leap. The Xbox Series X won't have exclusive first-party games (although numerous indies like The Medium and Scorn are confirmed as next-gen exclusive ports) for some time, and Microsoft will support the Xbox One family as it slowly transitions and pivots into the new Xbox Series family. A 60FPS mandate would make things more complicated both first-party and third-party developers who are making/optimizing games across four Xbox SKUs.

Microsoft is handling the Xbox Series X similar to how it handled the iterative Xbox One X. The upgrade path is there, albeit more powerful, and it's called "Optimized for Xbox Series X" instead of "Xbox One X Enhanced." The developer freedom is there, too.

The biggest point around the Xbox Series X is this: Manage your expectations.

Microsoft will not set mandates for minimum performance. They've created a powerful 12TFLOP box with enormous potential, but it's up to developers to find creative ways to tap the PCIe 4.0 SSD, 12GB GDDR6 RAM, and Zen 2 CPU/Navi 2X GPU powered SoC.

Xbox Series X is due out by Holiday 2020. No pricing has been announced.

Check below for confirmed specs and details, and a huge content listing of everything we've heard about Xbox Series X so far:

Xbox Series X confirmed details (Formerly Project Scarlett):

• 8-core, 16-thread Zen 2 CPU
• 12.15 TFLOP Navi GPU on RDNA 2 architecture
• 7nm+ AMD SoC
• 16GB GDDR6 memory
• 2x Xbox One X's 6TFLOPs of GPU perf
• 4x CPU power of Xbox One generation
• Can deliver up to 40x more performance than Xbox One in specific use cases
• Adaptive sync supported
• Super-fast SSD that can be used as VRAM
• Supports 8K resolution (likely media playback)
• 120FPS gaming
• Variable refresh rate (adaptive sync/FreeSync)
• Variable Rate Shading
• Raytracing confirmed with dedicated raytracing cores
• Backward compatible with thousands of Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One games
• New controller with a dedicated share button
• Compatible with Xbox One accessories

Xbox Series X coverage:

• Xbox Series X SSD is revolutionary, changes Xbox gaming forever
• Full Xbox Series X specs: 3.8GHz Zen 2 CPU, 16GB GDDR6, 52CU Navi GPU
• Gears 5 runs at Ultra PC settings on Xbox Series X
• Xbox Series X's Smart Delivery game upgrades explained by Microsoft
• Xbox Series X may enhance Xbox 360, OG Xbox games too
• Xbox Series X's new Quick Resume function is revolutionary
• Microsoft: Xbox Series X's real magic is hardware and software synergy
• Xbox Series X enhancement patches will upgrade current-gen games
• Microsoft: Xbox Series X's real magic is hardware and software synergy
• Xbox Series X natively plays all Xbox games better
• Xbox Series X 12 TFLOP GPU confirmed, 4x Xbox One CPU and 8x GPU power
• Xbox Series X packs dedicated audio hardware acceleration
• How publishers will approach current-gen on PS5, Xbox Series X
• Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 pricing expected to be $500
• Xbox studio using AI to upscale low-res textures in real-time
• Coronavirus may delay PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X launch past 2020
• Xbox Series X may support CFExpress memory cards
• Xbox Series X might support UltraWide monitors thanks to Samsung
• Xbox Series X CPU is the key to next-gen frame rates, Spencer teases
• China trade tariffs won't directly raise PS5, Xbox Series X prices
• AMD unknown APU: is this the mid-range Xbox Series S chip?
• Xbox Series X SSD: DRAM-less PCIe 4.0 NVMe with up to 3.7GB/sec speeds
• First photo of an Xbox Series X prototype has leaked
• Next-gen console exclusives will be few and far between through 2021
• No, Xbox Series X won't run Steam or the Epic Store
• Ex-Xbox VP won't buy next-gen Xbox, will play exclusives on PC instead
• Xbox Series X HDMI pass-through currently not supported
• New Xbox Series X renders show ventilation and back ports
• Xbox Series X new die shot teases beautiful AMD custom 7nm APU
• Analyst: $500 Xbox Series X will take wind out of Microsoft's sails
• PlayStation 5 to outsell Xbox Series X in 2020, analyst predicts
• Xbox Lockhart going digital-only at launch would be a mistake
• Xbox Series X new die shot teases beautiful AMD custom 7nm APU
• Xbox Series X will destroy PlayStation 5 with its MUCH faster GPU
• Xbox Series X rumor: launching November 22 for $499
• Xbox Series X GPU is better than any Navi GPU released so far
• Xbox Series X may be more powerful, but will third-party devs use it?
• Xbox Series X will boost performance of previous gen Xbox games
• PS5, Xbox Series X SSD may use software-defined flash to boost speeds
• Microsoft to 'virtually eliminate' loading times on Xbox Series X
• How the Xbox Series X will look in your living room
• Clarifying the Xbox Series X name
• Xbox Series X's custom SoC built with backward compatibility in mind
• Next-gen Forza is playable on Xbox Series X, is 'vastly different'
• Xbox Series X size comparison vs Xbox One, PS4 Pro, Switch
• Next-gen Xbox controller has a share button
• Xbox Series X naming scheme leaves door open for Lockhart
• Xbox Series X may allow suspend and resume for multiple games at once
• Microsoft reveals next-gen Xbox console, the Xbox Series X
• Xbox Series X may allow suspend and resume for multiple games at once
• Next-gen Xbox Lockhart has 'significantly less RAM' for 1440p gaming
• Next-gen Xbox Scarlett specs: 12TFLOPs, 16GB RAM, 3.5GHz Zen 2 CPU
• Cheaper next-gen Xbox Lockhart targets 1440p 60FPS
• Cheaper next-gen Xbox Lockhart targets 1440p 60FPS
• Project Scarlett devkits aren't widely available yet
• PS5, Xbox Scarlett SSD may use Optane-like ReRAM to supercharge speeds
• NVIDIA G-Sync monitors to improve PlayStation 5 and Xbox Scarlett
• Project Scarlett won't get VR gaming, Microsoft doesn't care about VR
• Next-gen Xbox Scarlett plays four generations of Xbox games
• Microsoft teases next-gen Xbox: 8K, 120FPS, super-fast SSD
• Xbox Scarlett CPU: 'no compromises', allows for 4K 120FPS gaming
• Microsoft: Xbox Scarlett will kick PlayStation 5's ass in perf/price
• Next-gen Xbox may hit 4K 60FPS in every game
• Project Scarlett to hit 1080p 120FPS gaming
• Project Scarlett trade-in program announced, but there's a big catch
• New Viking Assassin's Creed may be next-gen console launch game
• Next-gen Xbox may get room-scale VR gaming
• PS5 and Xbox Scarlett will both handle ray tracing differently
• Gears 5 developer says Xbox Scarlett has dedicated ray tracing cores
• GTA 6 on PS5, Project Scarlett to have insane hyper-realistic visuals
• AMD 'Flute': Xbox Scarlett SoC: Zen 2 8C/16T @ 3.2GHz on 7nm
• Project Scarlett's price isn't locked in yet
• Project Scarlett isn't the last Xbox console