Microsoft confirms that Xbox Series S won’t offer Xbox One X enhancements on backwards-compatible titles

Microsoft’s Xbox Series S presents Microsoft with a backwards compatibility challenge, as the system is not stronger than an Xbox One X in some aspects. As such, some backwards compatible titles will not utilise the same enhancements as Xbox One X in many titles. 

The Xbox Series S will offer customers its own enhancements in backwards compatible titles, including Microsoft’s backwards compatibility HDR support and other enhancements. 

With Xbox Series S offering users les combined memory than the Xbox One X, Microsoft has opted not run some games on Xbox Series S using Xbox One S enhancements. This will give consumers “the highest quality backwards compatible experience consistent with the developer’s original intent”.

The game upgrades from backwards compatibility will differ on a game-by-game basis on Xbox Series S, as it did on Xbox One S and Xbox One X.

Series S users should expect improved texture filtering and higher, more consistent framerates than on Xbox One S, as well as faster load times. These changes come thanks to the Xbox Series S’ enhanced hardware. 

Microsoft hasn’t fully showcased the capabilities of the Xbox Series X/S in backwards compatible titles yet, though we should expect to hear more about this aspect of Microsoft’s next generation Xbox soon.    

Back in June 2019, Microsoft confirmed that it had shifted its backwards compatibility focus from Xbox One to its next-generation platforms. This means that gamers should expect strong backwards compatibility from Xbox Series X/S from day-1, though it remains to be seen whether or not new Xbox 360 or Xbox titles will gain backwards compatibility support on Microsoft’s Series X/S systems. We already know that Xbox Series X/S will support all Xbox One and Xbox One X titles on day-1.