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On your Xbox, open Profile & system > Settings > General > TV & display options. Check 4K TV details, select the supported Resolution, then choose 120Hz under Refresh rate if it is offered. In Video modes, turn on only the capabilities your display and HDMI path support: Allow 4K, Allow HDR10, Allow variable refresh rate, and Allow auto low-latency mode.
Start with the Xbox display check
The Xbox Series X and Series S use the same display-settings menu. The quickest way to configure either console is to let the console report what it detects before changing individual options.
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- Press the Xbox button on the controller.
- Open Profile & system > Settings.
- Choose General > TV & display options.
- Select 4K TV details. The screen lists the resolutions, refresh rates, HDR formats and other features reported through the connected HDMI chain.
- Return to the previous screen and set Resolution to the highest supported resolution you actually want to use.
- Open Refresh rate and select 120Hz when that choice is available. If it is absent, the Xbox has not detected a compatible 120Hz path at the currently selected resolution.
Microsoft’s Xbox Wire guidance documents this menu and the console family’s support for output up to 120Hz: Xbox Wire display guidance.
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Open TV & display options > Video modes. Each checkbox changes a different part of the signal. Enable a feature only after 4K TV details shows that the display and connection can handle it.
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| Option | What it changes | When to enable it | If you have a problem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allow 4K | Permits the Xbox to send a 4K UHD signal when the display and signal path support it. | Enable for a compatible 4K television or monitor. | Disable temporarily if 4K playback produces a blank screen or an error, then test a lower resolution. |
| Allow HDR10 | Permits HDR10 output when the display and game or video support HDR10. | Enable on a display that reports HDR10 support. | If colors look incorrect, disable HDR10 and related HDR modes for a test, then restore them after isolating the cause. |
| Allow variable refresh rate | Lets a compatible display vary its refresh timing to reduce tearing and stutter. | Enable when the display supports VRR over the input you are using. | Disable VRR if the image shows corruption or other instability. |
| Allow auto low-latency mode | Allows a compatible display to switch automatically to its low-latency gaming mode. | Enable when the display reports ALLM support. | If the television changes picture modes unexpectedly, test with ALLM disabled and select the display’s gaming mode manually. |
These controls and the associated troubleshooting recommendations are described by Xbox Wire in its Series X|S display setup guidance: news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/11/06/is-your-tv-ready-to-power-your-dreams/.
How to get 4K at 120Hz
A 4K/120Hz configuration requires every part of the signal chain to support the same bandwidth. That means the console, cable, the specific HDMI input on the television or monitor, and anything between them—such as an AV receiver, soundbar, HDMI switch or capture device.
Direct connection
- Connect the Xbox directly to a television or monitor HDMI input identified by its manufacturer as supporting the required 4K/120Hz bandwidth.
- Use the certified cable supplied with the console, or a certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cable.
- On the display, enable its enhanced, high-bandwidth or full-bandwidth HDMI mode if the model requires such a setting. The name differs by manufacturer, so use the display’s manual.
- On the Xbox, select the supported 4K resolution first, then check Refresh rate for 120Hz.
- Return to Video modes and enable 4K, HDR10, VRR and ALLM individually, checking the picture after each change.
HDMI 2.1 is the practical requirement for the most demanding 4K/120Hz setups, but the label alone does not guarantee success. The actual HDMI input must support the mode, and the rest of the chain must pass it through. A cable cannot add 4K, HDR or 120Hz capability that the console, display, receiver or switch does not provide.
Using an AV receiver, soundbar or switch
For troubleshooting, bypass every intermediate device: connect the Xbox straight to the display. If 4K, HDR or 120Hz appears when connected directly, the receiver, soundbar, switch or capture device is limiting the signal. A passthrough installation needs a suitable cable from the Xbox to the intermediate device and another suitable cable from that device to the display; both devices must support the desired resolution, HDR format and refresh rate.
Understanding 120Hz versus 120 frames per second
The Xbox setting controls the refresh rate of the output signal. It does not force every game to render 120 frames per second. A game must provide its own 120-FPS or performance mode, and it may reduce resolution, visual effects or other settings to reach that target.
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After selecting 120Hz on the console, open the game’s own graphics or video settings and look for a performance, high-frame-rate or 120-FPS option. For example, Epic’s Fortnite instructions require players to enable 120Hz in Xbox settings and then select the game’s performance option: Epic Games Fortnite support. If a title has no 120-FPS mode, it can continue rendering at a lower frame rate while the Xbox sends a 120Hz-capable signal.
Series X and Series S: what to expect
Both consoles use the same TV & display options workflow and support output up to 120Hz. The achievable combination of resolution and refresh rate still depends on the console, the display, the HDMI input, the cable, the game and any intermediate equipment.
| Console | Configuration guidance |
|---|---|
| Xbox Series X | A typical target for a compatible 4K television or monitor is 4K at 120Hz, subject to the display’s input bandwidth, cable and game support. |
| Xbox Series S | Use the 4K TV details screen rather than assuming that 4K at 120Hz is available. The console and game determine the practical resolution, while the display reports which output combinations it accepts. |
Do not infer performance from the panel’s advertised refresh rate alone. A display may have a 144Hz or higher panel but accept 120Hz from the Xbox only at particular resolutions or through particular HDMI inputs.
Why HDR may not be working
HDR requires support from the display, the HDMI input and the content. A television can show a normal picture while HDR is unavailable because the Xbox is connected to a standard-bandwidth input, an enhanced HDMI mode is disabled, or the game does not include HDR.
Check detection first
- Open Settings > General > TV & display options > 4K TV details.
- Confirm that HDR10 is listed as supported.
- Verify that Allow HDR10 is enabled under Video modes.
- Check the display’s information panel while launching known HDR content; many televisions show an HDR indicator when the signal changes.
If colors are washed out, overly dark or otherwise wrong, turn off HDR10 and any related HDR mode temporarily. Test the same content in standard dynamic range, then re-enable HDR10 if the display, cable and content are not the cause. Xbox includes this disable-and-test approach in its troubleshooting advice: Xbox Wire HDR troubleshooting.
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Why 120Hz is missing
When 120Hz does not appear in the refresh-rate menu, the Xbox is not receiving a report that the current path supports 120Hz at the selected resolution. Work through the path in order instead of repeatedly switching the same menu option.
- Check 4K TV details and note the exact capabilities the Xbox detects.
- Confirm that the console is connected to the display’s high-bandwidth HDMI input, not an input intended only for older HDMI modes.
- Enable the display’s enhanced, gaming or full-bandwidth HDMI setting if required by its manufacturer.
- Connect the Xbox directly to the display to eliminate an AV receiver, soundbar, switch or capture device as the bottleneck.
- Replace an uncertain cable with the certified cable supplied with the console or a certified Ultra High Speed HDMI cable.
- Update the Xbox, display, receiver and other HDMI equipment firmware.
- Select the supported resolution first, return to Refresh rate, and check again for 120Hz.
Some displays accept 120Hz only at 1080p or 1440p, while others accept it at 4K. The Xbox menu reflects the mode negotiated with the connected equipment; it cannot expose a mode that the input or signal path rejects.
What to do when the screen goes blank
A blank screen after enabling 4K, HDR or 120Hz usually indicates that one component cannot maintain the selected signal. If the Xbox interface is no longer visible, wait for the display to recover, then return to the display settings. If recovery does not occur, reconnect the console directly to the display and use a lower resolution or 60Hz long enough to isolate the failing option.
- Disable Allow 4K temporarily and test a lower resolution.
- Set Refresh rate to 60Hz if the blank screen began after selecting 120Hz.
- Re-enable 4K, HDR10 and 120Hz one at a time, testing after each change.
- Reconnect the original receiver, soundbar or switch only after the direct connection works.
Xbox specifically recommends disabling Allow 4K temporarily when 4K playback causes a blank screen or errors: Xbox Wire display troubleshooting.
VRR and ALLM: useful additions, not prerequisites
Variable refresh rate
VRR synchronizes the display’s refresh timing with the console’s changing frame rate. It can reduce tearing and make fluctuating performance appear smoother, but it depends on support from the display and the HDMI input. Enable Allow variable refresh rate only when 4K TV details reports compatibility. If you see flicker, sparkles, dropouts or corrupted frames, disable VRR and test again at 60Hz if necessary.
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Auto low-latency mode
ALLM lets the Xbox request the display’s low-latency gaming picture mode. It does not increase resolution or frame rate. Enable Allow auto low-latency mode when the display supports it; otherwise choose the display’s gaming mode manually. Some televisions change picture presets when ALLM is active, so disable it temporarily if those automatic changes interfere with your preferred picture settings.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to choose a display for Series X|S
If your current television or monitor cannot report the modes you need, compare models using the actual HDMI input specifications rather than the panel’s headline refresh rate.
- Resolution: Decide whether native 4K, 1440p or 1080p fits your viewing distance and target games.
- 120Hz input: Confirm that the input accepts 120Hz at your chosen resolution, not merely that the panel refreshes at 120Hz internally.
- HDMI 2.1: Check which numbered inputs provide the bandwidth; a product may have HDMI 2.1 on only some ports.
- HDR: Verify HDR10 support and check whether Dolby Vision is also supported if that format matters to your games or video apps.
- VRR and ALLM: Confirm both features on the specific Xbox-compatible input.
- Firmware: Prefer a model with a clear update process and continuing manufacturer support, because firmware can affect HDMI compatibility.
- System layout: Count and locate the high-bandwidth inputs if you need to connect the Xbox, a PC, a receiver and other devices at the same time.
- Audio passthrough: If you use a receiver or soundbar, verify that it passes 4K, HDR and 120Hz without reducing any of those features.
A reliable setup sequence
Changing every option at once makes failures difficult to diagnose. Use this order whenever you install a new display or replace a cable.
- Update the Xbox, display and any HDMI equipment.
- Connect the Xbox directly to the display’s high-bandwidth HDMI input with a certified cable.
- Open 4K TV details and record the capabilities shown.
- Select the desired supported Resolution.
- Choose 120Hz under Refresh rate if available.
- Enable Allow 4K and test a 4K game or video.
- Enable Allow HDR10 and test HDR content.
- Enable VRR, test for a stable image, then enable ALLM if the display supports it.
- Reconnect any receiver, soundbar, switch or capture device and retest the complete chain.
This sequence separates display negotiation problems from individual feature problems and leaves you with a known-good baseline if a later change causes a failure.
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Do I need HDMI 2.1 for Xbox Series X 4K at 120Hz?
For the most demanding 4K/120Hz connections, Xbox guidance points to an HDMI 2.1-capable connection and certified cabling. The specific HDMI input and every device in the path must also support the mode; an HDMI 2.1 label on a television or receiver does not make a different input or an older cable capable.
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Does selecting 120Hz turn every game into 120 FPS?
No. It sets the Xbox output refresh rate. The game must include a 120-FPS or performance mode, and that mode may lower resolution or visual quality. Games without such a mode can render below 120 FPS while the console still outputs a 120Hz signal.
Why does my Xbox say my TV does not support 4K?
Check the HDMI input, the cable and every intermediate device, then inspect 4K TV details. Connect the console directly to the display and enable its enhanced or high-bandwidth HDMI mode. If 4K appears after bypassing a receiver, soundbar, switch or capture device, that equipment is limiting the path.
Can a Series S use a 4K television?
Yes, but the available resolution and refresh-rate combinations depend on the console, the game and the display path. Use 4K TV details to see what the connected setup reports instead of assuming that every 4K/120Hz combination is available.
Should I leave HDR, VRR and ALLM enabled all the time?
Leave them enabled when the display reports support and the image is stable. If you see wrong colors, flicker, corruption or unexpected picture-mode changes, disable the relevant option, test, and then restore it only after identifying a compatible combination.
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