There is no single best Xbox upscaling setting. Choose Performance when steadier motion and lower input latency matter most; choose Quality when resolution, lighting, effects, and image detail matter more. A Balanced option can be a useful compromise, but its frame-rate and resolution targets are defined by each game, not by Xbox as a platform.
Open the specific game’s graphics or display menu, check which modes your Xbox model and display support, and then compare the game’s stated frame-rate, resolution, ray-tracing, and refresh-rate requirements. The same label can describe a different compromise in another title.
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What Performance, Quality and Balanced actually mean
Graphics-mode names are shorthand for a group of rendering decisions. The game developer chooses the internal render resolution, dynamic-resolution range, effects detail, lighting quality, crowd density, ray tracing and frame-rate target. Xbox does not impose one universal definition for these labels.
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Performance mode normally gives the game more rendering time per second by targeting a higher or steadier frame rate. To reach that target, a title may reduce its internal resolution, effects detail, lighting quality or crowd density. Bethesda describes this trade-off specifically for Starfield: its performance prioritization lowers internal resolution and detail for special effects, lighting and crowds. That explanation applies to Starfield, not automatically to every Xbox game.
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Choose Performance when camera movement looks smoother, aiming feels more responsive, or a fluctuating frame rate bothers you more than a softer image. Do not assume that “Performance” always means 120 frames per second. Some games target 60 fps, some offer 120 fps only on particular consoles or displays, and some use a variable or dynamic target.
Quality mode
Quality mode usually gives the renderer more time for higher image detail, a higher internal resolution, richer effects or ray tracing. The usual cost is a lower frame-rate target. The exact result is title-specific, so a Quality label does not guarantee native 4K, 60 fps, or any other universal number.
Quality is normally the better choice for slower games, cinematic single-player titles, or players sitting close to a large 4K screen who can see fine-detail improvements. Confirm the game’s current support notes before treating a listed resolution as a fixed output; dynamic resolution can change during demanding scenes.
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Balanced mode
Balanced modes sit between the other two priorities, but the name has no platform-wide specification. In DOOM Eternal Update 6, Balanced targeted 2160p at 60 fps on Series X and 1440p at 60 fps on Series S. Those figures belong to that update and title. Another game’s Balanced mode can choose different resolution, effects or frame-rate targets.
Compare the numbers and restrictions shown by the game instead of assuming Balanced is automatically the best-looking or smoothest option.
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- Gaming Resolution: True 4K; Performance Target: Up to 120 FPS; High Dynamic Range: Up to 8K HDR; Optical Drive: 4K UHD Blu-Ray; HDMI Features: Auto Low Latency Mode, HDMI Variable Refresh Rate, AMD FreeSync.
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How Xbox upscaling fits into the choice
Upscaling takes an image rendered internally at a lower resolution and reconstructs or scales it for a higher-resolution output. Rendering fewer pixels can leave more GPU time for a higher frame rate, while the scaler attempts to preserve edges and detail.
Microsoft’s Xbox Game Development Kit sample shows that a developer can expose native-resolution, bilinear and FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) paths. The sample is developer documentation, not evidence of a single FSR switch in Xbox system settings. Whether an Xbox game offers FSR, another reconstruction method, or no selectable upscaler depends on that game’s implementation.
Output resolution alone therefore does not tell you how sharp an image will look. A game may output 4K while rendering internally at a lower, dynamic resolution; another may render closer to native resolution but use simpler effects. Upscaling quality also varies with motion, foliage, particles and other difficult image content. Treat the upscaler as one part of the game’s complete rendering mode.
For developer-level details on the available FSR paths, see Microsoft’s Xbox GDK FSR code sample. Microsoft’s energy-efficiency guidance also discusses dynamic resolution and upscaling as ways developers can adjust rendering work: Xbox Game Energy Efficiency Essentials.
A five-step method for choosing a mode
- Identify the exact game, console and update. Open the title’s current graphics, video or display menu. Mode availability can differ between Series X and Series S, and a patch can add, rename or change an option. Official update notes are useful when the in-game description is brief.
- Decide whether motion or detail is your priority. Select Performance for smoother movement and responsiveness. Select Quality for visual detail and effects. If Balanced is available, read its listed target rather than treating the label as a guarantee.
- Check the display requirement. A 120-fps mode may require a display that accepts a 120 Hz signal. Some games also require a compatible display for particular resolution targets. Xbox describes variable refresh rate (VRR) as allowing a capable display to adjust its refresh rate to the game’s frame rate. A 120 Hz panel and VRR are separate capabilities: one concerns the maximum refresh rate, while the other helps synchronize changing frame rates.
- Consider the game’s upscaling behavior. If the menu lets you choose a reconstruction method, compare the game’s explanation and preview image. A lower internal resolution with a good temporal upscaler can look cleaner in motion than a simple scaler, but the result depends on the title and scene. Do not infer a universal advantage from the name FSR alone.
- Recheck after patches. Graphics modes are tied to a particular game build. If performance, image quality or available options change after an update, read the new patch notes and revisit the menu.
Display and console checks before enabling a high-frame-rate mode
Refresh-rate compatibility
For a 120-fps target, the television or monitor must accept a 120 Hz input at the resolution and signal format the console is sending. DOOM Eternal Update 6 explicitly requires a 120 Hz-compatible display for Performance Mode. If the screen accepts only 60 Hz, the game may still run internally at a higher rate, but you will not see a 120 Hz presentation and the title may disable the mode.
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Check the display’s specifications for the relevant HDMI input, not just its advertised panel refresh rate. Different inputs can support different resolutions and refresh rates.
VRR support
VRR can make a variable frame rate appear smoother by allowing the display to follow the game’s changing output rate. It cannot create extra frames or convert a 30-fps mode into a 60-fps mode. Enable VRR only when both the Xbox and display support it and the connection is configured for that feature. Xbox’s VRR explanation describes the capability distinction.
Series X versus Series S
Do not transfer a Series X target to Series S. Developers often provide different internal and output-resolution targets, and some modes are exclusive to one model. The published DOOM Eternal figures below demonstrate that difference.
Published example: DOOM Eternal Update 6
Xbox Wire’s 29 June 2021 description of Update 6 gives unusually specific targets. Every mode uses dynamic resolution scaling, so the figures are mode targets rather than a promise that every frame renders at that exact resolution. The update also says Balanced and Performance are unavailable when ray tracing is enabled, and that the listed resolutions require a compatible display.
| Xbox model | Mode | Published target | Important condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Series X | Performance | 1800p at 120 fps | Requires a 120 Hz-compatible display; dynamic resolution scaling is used. |
| Series X | Balanced | 2160p at 60 fps | Unavailable with ray tracing; dynamic resolution scaling is used. |
| Series X | Ray Tracing | 1800p at 60 fps | Separate ray-tracing mode; dynamic resolution scaling is used. |
| Series S | Performance | 1080p at 120 fps | Requires a 120 Hz-compatible display; dynamic resolution scaling is used. |
| Series S | Balanced | 1440p at 60 fps | Unavailable with ray tracing; dynamic resolution scaling is used. |
These are historical, title-specific targets from the 2021 update, not a general capability table for Xbox consoles. Confirm the current build and menu before relying on them. The full announcement is Xbox Wire’s DOOM Eternal Update 6 article.
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- Memory: 10GB GDDR6 128 bit-wide bus; Memory Bandwidth: 8GB @ 224 GB/s, 2GB @ 56 GB/s.; Internal Storage: 512GB Custom NVME SSD
- Gaming Resolution: 1440p; Performance Target: Up to 120 FPS; HDMI Features: Auto Low Latency Mode, HDMI Variable Refresh Rate, AMD FreeSync.
What other games show about mode differences
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The next-generation update announced for 14 December 2022 illustrates how console editions can expose different choices. Xbox Wire describes Performance and Quality modes on Series X, while Series S receives dedicated 30-fps and 60-fps modes. It also describes FSR use on Series X. This does not mean every Xbox title exposes an FSR selector or that Series S will have the same labels as Series X.
Use the mode names and targets shown in your own copy of the game. The update announcement is available at Xbox Wire.
Starfield
Bethesda’s display-settings guidance for Starfield says performance prioritization lowers internal resolution and detail for special effects, lighting and crowds. Bethesda recommends a 120 Hz VRR display for its settings guidance. That recommendation is specific to Starfield’s implementation; it should not be read as a requirement for every Xbox game.
See the current details in Bethesda Support’s Xbox Series X|S display-settings article.
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Choosing by the way you play
| Your priority | Start with | Why | What to verify |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fast camera movement, competitive aiming or racing | Performance | A higher or steadier frame rate generally makes motion and controls feel more immediate. | Actual target frame rate, 120 Hz requirement and whether visual detail or internal resolution is reduced. |
| Cinematic presentation, detailed environments or ray tracing | Quality or Ray Tracing | More rendering time can be spent on detail, lighting and effects. | Frame-rate target, dynamic-resolution behavior and whether the mode disables other options. |
| You want a middle ground | Balanced, if offered | It may combine a higher output resolution with a moderate frame rate. | The title’s stated target; Balanced has no standard Xbox-wide definition. |
| You notice shimmering, ghosting or softness | Try the game’s alternate upscaler or Quality mode | Different reconstruction methods handle fine detail and motion differently. | Whether the artifact changes with camera movement and whether a patch changed the renderer. |
| Your display is limited to 60 Hz | Quality, Balanced or 60-fps Performance | A 120-fps mode cannot be displayed as 120 Hz without a compatible screen. | Input resolution, refresh-rate support and the game’s own compatibility warning. |
How to compare two modes without relying on labels
When a menu offers several choices, record the same five attributes for each one:
- Frame-rate target: Note whether the game states 30, 60, 120 or a variable target. “Up to” and “target” are not the same as a locked rate.
- Internal and output resolution: Separate the resolution the game renders from the signal sent to the display. Dynamic resolution means the internal value can move during demanding scenes.
- Effects and lighting: Look for explicit changes to ray tracing, shadows, reflections, particles, crowds and ambient detail.
- Console availability: Confirm the option on your exact Series X or Series S model. A mode documented for one console may be absent on the other.
- Display requirements: Record 120 Hz, VRR and any resolution-specific compatibility notice.
This method prevents a common mistake: assuming that a higher output number automatically means a sharper image or a faster game. Internal rendering work and the reconstruction algorithm determine much of what you actually see.
Troubleshooting common results
The game looks soft in Performance mode
That may be the intended trade-off. Performance can reduce internal resolution or effects to maintain its frame-rate target. Try Quality or Balanced in the same scene and compare distant text, foliage and fine geometry. If the mode recently changed, check the game’s patch notes; dynamic-resolution limits can be adjusted by an update.
A 120-fps option is missing
Check the console model, display input, cable path and current display mode. The game may hide the option when it detects a 60 Hz display, or the title may reserve 120 fps for only one console model. DOOM Eternal, for example, documents a 120 Hz requirement for Performance Mode.
VRR is enabled but motion still stutters
VRR only operates within the display and console’s supported range and cannot compensate for every frame-time problem. Confirm that the display’s VRR feature is enabled on the connected HDMI input and that the game mode itself is not imposing a fixed 30-fps presentation. Compare the game with VRR on and off; if the title has a stable locked target, the visible difference may be small.
Upscaling creates shimmering or ghost trails
Reconstruction methods can struggle with thin geometry, foliage, particles and rapid camera movement. Test the same location while panning slowly and quickly. If the game offers a different upscaler, native-resolution option or Quality mode, compare those choices. Do not assume that changing a console-wide setting will fix a game-integrated renderer; the developer controls that implementation.
The resolution shown by the display does not match the mode name
The display reports the output signal, not necessarily the game’s internal render resolution. A title can render below 4K and upscale to a 4K signal, or vary its internal resolution dynamically. Read the game’s technical description rather than using the television’s input label as proof of native rendering.
When a 120 Hz or VRR display is worth considering
A compatible high-refresh display is useful only when the games you play offer modes that take advantage of it. The strongest case is a title with a documented 120-fps mode, such as the Performance targets listed for DOOM Eternal. VRR is valuable when a game’s frame rate varies and the display supports the required range.
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Before buying a display, verify all three pieces: your Xbox model, the specific game mode and the display input’s supported refresh rate and VRR behavior. The available evidence supports the category of display, not a particular model recommendation.
Quick Recap
Quick checklist
- Open the individual game’s graphics or display menu.
- Confirm the game version and Xbox model.
- Write down each mode’s frame-rate and resolution target.
- Check whether ray tracing or other effects are disabled in Performance or Balanced.
- Determine whether the game uses dynamic resolution.
- Verify 120 Hz and VRR support on the connected display input.
- Choose Performance for motion and responsiveness, Quality for detail, or Balanced after reading its actual target.
- Recheck the options after major game updates.
Sources and further reading
- Xbox Optimized for Series X|S
- Microsoft Learn: FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR 2 and FSR 1) code samples
- Xbox Wire: DOOM Eternal Update 6
- Xbox Wire: Xbox September 2023 update and VRR explanation
- Xbox Wire: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt next-generation update
- Microsoft Learn: Xbox Game Energy Efficiency Essentials
- Bethesda Support: Xbox Series X|S Starfield display settings
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