Does Xbox Series X Support 144Hz?

So you have just bought an Xbox Series X and have coupled it with a beautiful 144Hz gaming monitor.

But unfortunately, as you fire up your setup, there is absolutely no option for 144Hz display mode support. So you ask yourself, rather later, does Xbox Series X support 144Hz refresh rate at all?

Well, there are two parts to the answer here. As far as the basic support for displaying video output goes, then YES, Xbox Series X DOES support a 144Hz monitor.

However, if you are expecting to play at 144 FPS, then you will be thoroughly disappointed.

In the following text, I will talk about the different display modes supported by Xbox Series X and the hard pill to swallow which is its lack of support for 144Hz mode.

The Display Modes Supported by Xbox Series X

There is a set of display modes that Xbox Series X supports at it is very stringent with them. I will list them below:

• FHD at 30, 60 and 120Hz
• 1440P at 30, 60 and 120Hz
• 4K at 30, 60, and 120 Hz

As you can see above Xbox supports three different resolutions and three different refresh rates, the maximum of which is 120Hz.

And No, unlike on PC, the display modes ARE NOT flexible!

Meaning, you cannot push Xbox Series X beyond 120 Hz. You can’t use any other refresh rates in between either such as 75Hz.

So Does Xbox Series X Support 144Hz?

The simple answer is a no, Xbox Series X does not support 144Hz refresh rate as far as the 144 FPs gameplay support goes.

A revelation like this can feel like a punch in the gut especially if you bought a monitor thinking that it’ll be able to do 144FPS like a PC does.

Unfortunately, that is how it but there is some good news here:

The Monitor WILL Work at 120Hz

While the 144Hz monitor will not work at the rated 144Hz (144FPS mode), it will however, work at 120Hz mode – in the majority of the cases (more on this below).

Admittedly, finding monitors with a rated 120Hz refresh rate is a bit difficult. In the majority of the cases, the monitors you find will be rated at 144Hz or 165Hz refresh.

So if you are getting a beautiful deal on such monitors, I would recommend going for them. Just make sure they have the 120Hz display mode!

The Monitor MUST Have the 120Hz Display Mode

It is absolutely necessary to understand that in order for Xbox Series X to support 120FPS gaming on a 144Hz monitor, the monitor MUST have the 120Hz display mode.

While the vast majority of the 144Hz monitors do have 120Hz support, some lack the support,

Take the 144Hz Dell S2719DGF monitor for instance. Despite being a 144Hz monitor, it DOES NOT have 120Hz display mode support. Hence your Xbox Series X will only work on 60Hz (60FPS) on this monitor.

Xbox Series X Does Have the HDMI 2.1 Interface

It is worth noting that the Xbox Series X does feature the HDMI 2.1 interface that is capable of supporting not just 4K @ 144Hz, but far more (even 8K @ 120Hz).

However, the display modes are restricted and not flexible. This mostly has to do with the fact that the game developers only have limited hardware resources available. It is difficult enough to support 120FPS gaming, let alone 144FPS and beyond.

The Game Must Have Support for 120FPS

It is worth noting here that in order to support 120FPS gaming on a 144Hz monitor, the game must have support for 120 FPS gameplay in the first place.

There are only a handful of games that support 120FPS gaming at FHD or 1440P and this number shrinks to an abysmal level when you talk about 4K @ 120FPS gaming.

Therefore, if you do not see 120FPS gaming mode despite having the right monitor and HDMI cables in place, then the culprit can be none other than the game itself.