How to Make Your Xbox X|S Play at 120 Hz

The new Xbox consoles can deliver a smooth 120Hz refresh rate for some games. If you want to use it, here’s how:

It’s time to start thinking about how you can best utilize the additional power that the new Xbox Series X|S consoles offer.

Due to the Xbox One’s improved hardware, more games support 120Hz. Even at 4K resolution, some developers are adding support for 120Hz refresh rates, but how do you make the most of this new feature?

120Hz Mode is what?

Refresh rate is a term you’ve probably come across before if you’re a regular gamer. The refresh rate is expressed in Hertz, which is the number of times the display refreshes per second (Hz).

60Hz displays can refresh 60 times per second, while 120Hz screens can refresh 120 times per second, providing a smoother viewing experience and better performance between 60Hz and 120Hz screens.

Verify the Display’s Capability for the 120Hz Mode

To use the Xbox Series X|S’s 120Hz Mode, you must first ensure that your display can support it. Check the manufacturer’s website or your display’s manual, or let the Xbox detect its capabilities.

For this to work, you’ll need to go into your Xbox’s settings and select the option to allow it to detect this for you. In this manner:

To access the user guide, press the Xbox button on your game controller (see image below).

Settings can be found under Profile & System.

Click on the General tab and select the TV and display options.

You can try another HDMI port if your Xbox Series X|S shows that your display is incompatible with several of these options, even though the manual says it should be. Please switch to a different HDMI port, close the settings tab, and then reopen it; many TVs and displays use different HDMI versions for each port.

If this fixes the problem, you’ll be able to use your Xbox with the new HDMI version, which will give you more features and a better viewing experience.

Using an older HDMI cable may cause your problems if they persist even after trying a different port. The problem might be solved by using a decent high-speed HDMI 2.1 cable instead of the original.