Does Xbox Series X Support 120Hz?

Xbox Series X, like its rival 9th generation gaming console counterparts, promises specs and display modes that you could only dream of with the previous gen consoles. This includes the likes of high FPS gaming.

But in order to play at high FPS, the gaming consoles need to have support for high refresh rates in the first place. This begs the question “Does Xbox Series X Support 120Hz refresh rate”?

The simple answer is a resounding yes! The Xbox Series X DOES support a refresh rate of 120Hz.

Yet, for many gamers, this simple affirmative response may prompt more questions than it answers. What is a refresh rate? How does it impact your gaming experience? And why does it matter that Xbox Series X supports 120Hz? and most importantly, do ALL games support the 120Hz refresh rate?

In the following text, I will take a deep dive into the questions at hand.

What is Refresh Rate and How Does it Relate to Frame Rate?

In gaming, the refresh rate is a term that gets thrown around quite a bit. It’s one of those jargon pieces that hardcore gamers and technology enthusiasts discuss with passion.

Yet, for the uninitiated, it might seem like an intimidating technical term.

Basically, Refresh Rate is highly related to Frame Rate – albeit they are two separate terms.

Refresh Rate is the function of the monitor / TV. It tells you how many times the screen refreshes in a second. So a 30Hz monitor / TV refreshes the image 30 times a second whereas 120 Hz refreshes the same at 120 times a second.

The faster the screen refreshes, the smoother the visuals. So much so that moving from 60Hz to 120Hz is a sight to behold.

Now Frame Rate, on the other hand, is the function of the gaming hardware. It tells you whether certain gaming hardware has enough power to pump out or render frame rates at a high enough pace at different resolutions.

The more demanding the game in terms of graphics fidelity and the higher the resolution, the more taxing it will be on the gaming hardware which in turn would reduce its frame rate.

The point to hit home here is that if you have a monitor / TV with a 120Hz refresh rate, it would not necessarily be utilized to its max. The exact frame rate is determined by the gaming console and by the game you play.

So Does Xbox Series X Support 120Hz?

The Xbox Series X DOES supports 120Hz refresh rate at 4K, 1440p, and 1080p resolutions.

However, in reality, whether you could enjoy 120 FPS or not depends upon the GAME itself!

If taking about 4k @ 120Hz, then know that there are ONLY a handful of games that can play at 4K @ 120FPS.

You can ONLY expect to play games the likes of Ori and the Will of the Wisps a less demanding 2D platformer, or the Touryst at 4K @ 120 FPS.

The majority of the games that work at 120FPS on Xbox Series either work on 1440P or 1080P resolution. 4K is just way too demanding.

Techradar has a huge list of all the games that work on 120FPS on the Xbox Series X. The one good thing going for Xbox Series X is that 120FPS-supported titles on this console far exceed those on the PS5.

But What About Higher Than 120Hz Refresh Rates?

It is quite clear that higher refresh rates of gamers equate to superior performance. Not only is a higher refresh rate (frame rate for that matter) visually appealing, but it can also give you a competitive edge ESPECIALLY if you are an FPS gamer.

Therefore, it’s not surprising that you can find monitors and TVs with 144Hz, 165Hz, 240Hz, and beyond. But, how does the Xbox Series X, with its 120Hz limit, fit into this landscape?

The first thing to note is that monitors and TVs with higher than 120Hz refresh rates are indeed compatible with the Xbox Series X.

If you connect one of these monitors to your console, it will work perfectly. However, the console will automatically limit the refresh rate to its maximum capability, which is 120Hz.

In other words, the console won’t utilize the monitor’s maximum refresh rate.

So getting a higher refresh rate monitor for Xbox Series X wouldn’t be the best course of action UNLESS you are getting a very good deal.