That was 20 years ago. As games evolve so do the processing demands that go with higher resolution, levels of interaction, and increased framerates. It’s suggested to play Halo Infinite on a Series X, Series S or older Xbox One if you can. But if you’re a PC gamer, not any old Windows box will do.

We’ve outlined the minimum and recommended specs found in the 343 Industries graphic below. Of course, you can always shoot for the stars and go for the “Ultra” setup to maximize the experience. The more powerful your system the better the framerate and response.

Halo Infinite PC Requirements

Minimum Requirements (or greater):

• OS: Windows 10 RS5 x64 (Oct. 2018 update)
• CPU: AMD 5 1600 or Intel i5-4440
• GPU: AMD RX 570 or NVIDIA GTX 1050 Ti
• VRAM: 4GB+
• RAM: 8GB+
• Storage: 50GB (30GB for just multiplayer)

Recommended (or greater):

• OS: Windows 10 19H2 x64 (Nov. 2019 update)
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel i7-9700K
• GPU: AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT or NVIDIA RTX 2070
• VRAM: 8GB+
• RAM: 16GB+
• Storage: 50GB+ (30GB for just multiplayer)

Original publish date 11/16/2021

Games getting ultra-high 120fps include Battlefield (1, 4 & V), Titanfall (1 & 2), STAR WARS Battlefront (I & II), Unravel Two, Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare (1 & 2), and Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville.

“Higher, steadier framerates make games visually smoother, resulting in more immersive gameplay,” said Microsoft in a release.

The higher frame rate feature also means 60fps for games such as Fallout 4, Fallout 76, Prey, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, to name a few.

However, higher frame rates may require a reduction of video resolution. So, by default FPS Boost is turned off. Look at the settings Manage Game and add-ons > Compatibility options > FPS Boost to enable and disable.

On May 3, Xbox added 74 more games to the list getting FPS Boost (either 60fps or 120fps) including Assassin’s Creed titles, Deus Ex Mankind Divided, and Mad Max to name a few. That brings the total number up to 97. See the list of FPS Boost games available with Xbox Series X and Series S consoles on Microsoft’s blog.

How do you ensure higher frame rates? Here’s a tip from Microsoft: “To experience FPS Boost and to be able to toggle the feature on and off, make sure your console has taken the latest update and you’ve rebooted your console.”

The best Xbox Series X optimized games aren’t just impressive; they’re a vital part of a launch lineup that is lacking in traditional next-gen exclusives.

While I typically don’t expect much from third-party games that are released for both next-gen and current-gen consoles, the Xbox Series X’ optimization abilities make it uniquely equipped to breathe new life into existing titles.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the most impressive Xbox Series X optimized games to see what sets them apart.

NBA 2K21

With its MASSIVE file size (over 100GB) you’d certainly expect NBA 2K21 to deliver true next-gen performance. Thankfully, that’s about what it offers.

You really feel the 60 fps advantage in NBA 2K21 while the title’s cinematic presentation makes it easier to appreciate the improved character models and reflections. NBA 2K22 will be the first game to really take advantage of next-gen technology, but this is an exciting preview of things to come.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

I never thought Ori and the Will of the Wisps would end up being one of the most visually impressive Xbox Series X launch titles, but here we are.

With the right display, it’s possible to run Ori at 120 fps in 4K. That benchmark will be just out of the reach of many users, but it’s a testament to the Series X’s ability to practically remaster older titles.

Gears Tactics

Gears Tactics was never the most visually impressive game on the market, and you shouldn’t expect the Xbox Series X to greatly enhance the quality of its visuals.

From a performance perspective, though, the optimized edition of Gears Tactics does impress. The game’s native 4K resolution is nice, but it’s that combination of 4K resolution and 60fps gameplay that really helps you appreciate the finer details in this game as well as the fluidity of its strategic action sequences.

Forza Horizon 4

If you were expecting one of the Xbox One’s best-looking games to look even better on the Xbox Series X, then please step up and claim your prize.

Along with the expected bumps in resolution and frame rate, Forza Horizon 4 benefits from noticeably improved draw distances which actually make Horizon 4 much more enjoyable to play. Honestly, this might be the most visually impressive Xbox Series X game so far.

Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves was far from a technical disaster on the Xbox One, but it did occasionally suffer from slower load times.

Well, Xbox Series X addresses those load times while offering a 4K resolution bump that is much more noticeable than I was anticipating. Sea of Thieves remains a great multiplayer game and the Xbox Series X simply offers the best way to experience it.

Gears 5

Those who played the PC version of Gears 5 on a 4K monitor know how beautiful the game is when you run it at Ultra settings. Well, the Xbox Series X version of Gears 5 will be able to replicate that experience on consoles.

Gears 5 immediately benefits from a framerate bump while the optimized version of the title features enhanced shadows and textures that really showcase just how beautiful this game always was.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Some are speculating that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla doesn’t actually feature the native 4K visuals that Ubisoft seemingly promised. In my experience, you tend not to notice the difference.

I would have loved to have seen what a true next-gen version of Valhalla looks like, but you really do notice the difference when you play the game on a next-gen console vs. a current-gen platform. The lighting in the Xbox Series X optimized edition is a particular highlight.

Watch Dogs: Legion

Much like Valhalla, it’s not a huge surprise that Legion is one of the better looking Xbox Series S optimized games. The production values of Ubisoft games are generally high and even the company’s cross-gen titles are typically better than average.

Yet, it’s hard not to be especially impressed with Legion. In fact, many outlets and testers are already turning to Legion to test the Xbox Series X’ ray tracing abilities. I didn’t expect a cross-gen game to feature more impressive ray tracing than a next-gen title, but that’s exactly what we get here.

There’s not much to the Xbox Series S. It looks somewhat odd, it’s not a next-gen gaming powerhouse by any means, and one of the biggest selling points of the Xbox brand (nearly complete backward compatibility support) will be severely hindered by the console’s missing disc drive.

On the surface, the Xbox Series S is just a step above the infamous Xbox 360 Core system which lacked its premium counterpart’s HDMI port, detachable hard drive, and promises of a largely future-proofed gaming experience. We’re already seeing thousands of people warning gamers to stay away from this console and save up for an Xbox Series X if they’re committed to the Xbox brand in the next-generation.

Yet, that doesn’t feel like a fair assessment. Actually, we’d argue that the Xbox Series S is exactly the console we need in 2020.

As you might imagine, the core of that argument is the Xbox Series S’ price. At just $299, the Xbox Series S isn’t just destined to be the most affordable next-gen console; it’s a shot across the bow to an industry that has steadily been raising the launch price of new consoles in an attempt to answer the question “How much will you pay to be first?”

While that practice is annoying in the best of times, we’re not living in the best of times (in case you didn’t notice). As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage much of the world, millions of people are left unemployed and uncertain when they will work again. Even those who have held on to their jobs through this crisis are left to wonder whether this is the time to spend $400+ on a new gaming console.

For that matter, the entire gaming industry seems uncertain regarding whether or not the next generation really begins in 2020. With major titles such as Halo Infinite being delayed until 2021 (at the very least) and company’s starting previously unheard of initiatives that let you upgrade a variety of third-party titles to their next-gen counterparts at no extra cost, the entire industry has been sending this clear message for months now:

“The start of the next video game generation isn’t going to feel like previous generations.”

Into that situation comes the Xbox Series S. Yes, it is cheaper. $299 will still be a big ask for millions of people this year, but it’s about as reasonable of a price as you could realistically expect given its abilities and additional manufacturing complications presented by the current situation. It’s an affordable way to own a next-gen console in 2020.

Yet, the Xbox Series S isn’t just a console for this year or right now. It’s a surprisingly forward-thinking device that simply offers honest answers about what the future of gaming is probably going to look like.

After all, the Xbox team’s Smart Delivery program was essentially that team’s way of admitting that their first-party exclusive titles probably won’t take meaningful advantage of the Xbox Series X’ capabilities until at least late 2021 or 2022. Until then, you’re probably going to be able to enjoy upcoming Microsoft Studios games on Xbox Series S or Xbox One S without feeling like the Series X offers a fundamentally different experience that simply can’t be replicated on lesser hardware.

More importantly, the Xbox Series S still lets you take advantage of two of Microsoft’s most exciting features: Xbox Game Pass and Project xCloud. Game Pass is already the best subscription service in gaming, and xCloud is shaping up to be one of the best cloud services in the industry (as well as a way to potentially circumvent the pure power of your console). In two or three years, your $299 next-gen console won’t be able to take full advantage of high-end displays or play discs. Other than that, it will still be a next-gen console.

Even if you do decide that the Xbox Series S isn’t enough for you in two to three years, you’ll probably be able to either upgrade to whatever the new mid-generation hardware is or even just a cheaper Xbox Series X. Whereas the Xbox Core was fundamentally unprepared for the next generation of gaming, the Xbox Series S offers a way to reasonably test the waters and see what the next few years bring.

At a time when too many other aspects of the video game industry feel designed to convince you that the future is here and is going to be great, the Xbox Series S comes along to suggest that the future may be more uncertain than ever before, but that doesn’t mean you have to spend too much money or risk missing out on the simple pleasure of playing new games.

With the reveal of the PlayStation 5 DualSense and the previous reveal of the Xbox Series X controller, two major pieces of the next-gen puzzle have found their place in the race for console superiority.

As is always the case, the reveal of these controllers has triggered a variety of reactions. Some say the PlayStation DualSense features the wrong colors while others argue that the Series X’ reliance on batteries is a significant handicap. Then you have those who are perfectly fine with both controllers or, at the very least, the one that will ship with the console they intend to buy.

However, there’s a third group of people out there offering a different kind of opinion. To them, there’s really not much to talk about when it comes to these new controllers.

It’s easy enough to understand where they’re coming from. The PS5 and Xbox Series X controllers are certainly different than what came before. Their features are different, their looks are different, and they emphasize different qualities than their predecessors. Yet, to the naked eye, they probably don’t look that much different from what we’ve seen in the previous generation. The Xbox Series X even lets you use older models of Xbox controllers, which would seem to suggest that there is really nothing vital that the new model will allow you to do.

This idea that these controllers are boring really seems to stem from the wider history of controller design. Basically, there was a time when new consoles meant new controllers. The specific details of these changes tended to vary quite a bit, but the general idea was that new a console’s new controller would be one of the things that helped set its identity and functionality.

Honestly, that philosophy lives on with Nintendo do this day. The GameCube, Wii, Wii U, and Switch not only each featured entirely different controllers, but you could honestly argue that each controller became the defining feature of each of those consoles.

By comparison, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X seem intent on playing things a bit safer. If you were to look at these controllers, nod your head, and get on with your life, it would be hard to fault you. Is that the kind of reaction that a major piece of next-gen consoles is designed to inspire?

If we’re talking about how things used to be, then the answer is probably a hard “no.” However, we don’t live in those times and things are a bit different than they used to be.

The fact of the matter is that current console controllers don’t just represent the upcoming generation or even the previous generation. They represent years of controller design improvements and market research which tell these companies what works, what sells, and what is necessary. Granted, Nintendo typically goes a bit bolder with their designs even to this day, but Sony and Microsoft are going after different markets that tend to rely more on third-party experiences. The fact is that a lot of people who buy those consoles aren’t looking for a re-invented wheel.

Besides, innovation does still exist in the growing world of premium controller options. It’s there that you find high-end controllers that truly raise the bar when it comes to pushing new interactions and the kinds of features which may push the price of consoles beyond acceptable figures. It’s also easier than ever to use USB ports to access additional controller options.

So maybe the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X controllers are a bit “boring,” but at a time when excitement in video games comes from so many other places, maybe boring isn’t really that big of a deal.

We’ve spoken before about the sales figures for games and the sales figures of some of the best consoles of all-time. However, it’s important to remember that when it comes to console wars, sales only tell part of the story.

The Dreamcast was a sales disaster, but it expanded the scope of console design possibilities for the next decade. The Xbox 360 trailed in sales behind the Wii and PS3, but its online features were a revolution that even facilitated the growth of indie game distribution. Sales matter in the console wars, but history has proven time and time again that they are not the sole determining factor in measuring the value of a console or the true importance of console wars.

If you want a more recent example of that philosophy, consider the innovations of the Xbox One and what Microsoft is already doing with the Xbox Series X.

Yes, we previously talked about how the PS4 is arguably one of the biggest runaway winners of a console war in terms of traditional data and quality of exclusives. Yes, a quick look at the Xbox One’s sales figures, small library of exclusive titles, and initially controversial policies would suggest that it has been something of a failure.

Those who have followed the history of the Xbox One more closely, though, know that there’s more to the console’s story than that. For instance, Microsoft has long been one of this generation’s greatest supporters of backward compatibility. They’ve also championed the idea of cross-play in the online age. They’ve even worked with their “enemies” (such as Nintendo) in ways that other studios haven’t done in the past.

Yet, when you look at what Microsoft has planned for the Xbox Series X, you start to realize that their biggest contribution to gaming this generation (and possibly into the next) is rather simple: they’ve made Sony better than Sony may have otherwise made themselves.

Sony’s grip on the console industry is strong. They’re basically synonymous with the idea of console gaming across the globe at this point. That’s largely because Sony has a fantastic history of delivering quality consoles and great games at fair prices. They’ve also made tremendous strides when it comes to getting consoles in the homes of those who may not otherwise consider themselves to be gamers.

If, however, you were to describe Sony as being complacent during the PS4’s generation, then it would be hard to argue with you. Right from the start, Sony sold the PS4 as a traditional game console. It was a smart counter to Microsoft’s controversial Xbox One plans, but it failed to acknowledge that times were changing in gaming. As such, Sony fell behind in many of the respects that we just praised Microsoft for.

We’re seeing something similar with the Xbox Series X. We already know that Xbox Series X games will soft support certain previous-gen purposes, and we already know that Microsoft is pushing for most early Xbox Series X first-party titles to still be available on Xbox One for at least the first year. Both of these policies help ease the sometimes awkward transitional process between console generations.

We don’t know if Sony will adopt similar policies, but considering that Sony has already altered its cross-play, backward compatibility, and game streaming services in order to keep up with Microsoft, you’ve got to imagine that they’re working on ways to make that happen.

Console preferences aside, that’s objectively a good thing. Microsoft may be on their back foot at times, but they’re still forcing Sony to chase them. So long as they’re able to do that, they will continue to make Sony uncomfortable and challenge that sometimes ugly desire we’ve seen from the PlayStation team to settle for success.

I’ve always supported single-player games, but there was a point in my life when I would actively root against multiplayer titles. There was really no good reason why, but in my mind, at that time, I saw multiplayer games as inferior works that just tried to appeal to more “mainstream” gamers. Yeah, I was that kid.

Over time, though, I not only found myself appreciating multiplayer games more and more but playing them more and more. There were times when I would primarily play one multiplayer game for months (or longer) on end instead of bouncing between multiple single-player titles as I used to do. Truth be told, I still do that more often than not.  Actually, I get the feeling from personal experience and industry revenue reports that there are potentially millions of people who also do just that.

That’s why Sony and Microsoft will likely rely on single-player games more and more to sell the PS5 and Xbox Series X.

Let’s say you or someone you know primarily plays Fortnite or Apex Legends. They own a console, PC, or even a mobile device that is perfectly capable of playing their favorite game. They may even own several such devices that can achieve that feat.

For those gamers, you’ve got to wonder if there’s really any incentive to buy a new console. Titles like Fortnite aren’t exactly going to benefit from a large leap in technology. It’s still going to look like Fortnite on a PS5 or an Xbox Series X, and even more RAM or an SSD isn’t going to improve its performance all that much. There’s always the allure of the new, but for those who usually play one game and maybe dip into a couple of other titles throughout the year, you’ve really got to wonder whether they feel the urge to spend $400+ dollars for minor upgrades to their preferred experiences.

This is the strange position we find ourselves in during what seems to be the height of the games as a service era. It’s also probably part of the reason why you hear more console manufacturers speak of the death of gaming generations. If games are going to be a service meant to last for years (and those games typically don’t push technological boundaries) then what’s the point of pushing constant console upgrades?

That’s where single-player games come into play.

The basic idea is that Sony and Microsoft will have an easier time selling the PS5 and Xbox Series X if they can simply point to a game and say “You can only play this on our new console.” Microsoft is subverting that idea somewhat due to their position on not offering true Series X exclusives for the first year or so, but even that policy is partially based on their desire to sell Game Pass (and the many single-player titles it offers) regardless of which platform you subscribe to it on.

How is that approach different from what we’ve seen at the start of every other gaming generation? It’s not, but the industry is different. Previous console launch lineups were stealth boosted by the addition of the new Madden, the new Call of Duty, and other yearly installments. PS5 and Xbox Series X will almost certainly feature some of those titles, but yearly installments are starting to be slowly replaced by games as a service titles that launch free updates instead. Besides, as we’ve already noted, this upcoming generation may not feature nearly as notable as a technological leap.

With a single-player game, though, it’s all about the experience. They can certainly benefit from new technology, but it’s more about the idea that these titles offer something that you just can’t get anywhere else. Besides, the PS4 and its army of noteworthy exclusives seemingly helped showcase that even in this service era, the right single-player title can move more units than even optimistic analysts would have thought.

There will come a time when new popular multiplayer titles come out on new consoles and inspire that section of gamers to start making upgrades. Until then, though, you’ve got to think that single-player games may start getting time in the spotlight that they haven’t necessarily enjoyed on a large scale in recent years.

With all due respect to the excellent Nintendo Switch, the next generation of gaming truly begins with the launch of the PS5 and Xbox Series X in 2020.

While Nintendo’s latest console has proven to be a goldmine for excellent gaming experiences, it lacks the power that we typically associate with “true” next-gen gaming experiences. Early spec reports indicate that the PS5 and the Xbox Series X are set to deliver that power upgrade as both consoles should be noticeably more powerful than either the PS4 Pro or Xbox One X.

However, if you’re expecting the PS5 and Xbox One X to deliver the kind of visual and technological upgrade that previous powerful next-gen consoles have yielded, then it may be time to lower your expectations just a bit.

That may sound like a sensationalist statement, and that’s because it kind of is. After all, we can’t really know what the next generation of video game consoles will deliver until we’ve had a chance to use them for ourselves. Actually, it’s hard to really know what a next-gen console will deliver until you’re a few years into its lifespan.

However, the idea that the next generation of consoles might not deliver isn’t purely based on a whim. High-level representatives from studios such as Platinum Games and Gearbox have gone on record to state that they are either not impressed with the next generation of gaming consoles or have concerns regarding them.

Randy Pitchford, CEO of Gearbox, has even called out Xbox’s Phil Spencer on Twitter regarding the Xbox Series X’s ability to truly push video game technology. While his assertion that the Xbox team may be making excuses for why the next generation of consoles won’t be that powerful is questionable, even Spencer states that a bottleneck in the progress of technology forces Microsoft and the Xbox team to approach the Series X design a little more differently.

What we’re left with is really quite simple. The best of PC gaming gives us a reasonable idea of what next-gen gaming consoles can achieve, and even the most powerful gaming PCs of the last couple of years have been producing diminishing returns. The latest innovation in PC gaming technology, Ray Tracing, is considered to be, at best, a marginal improvement that still requires a lot of power to properly run. Meanwhile, benchmarks like consistent 60 FPS speed at 4K resolutions remain a work in progress.

The fact that the next generation of consoles is launching during this awkward time period means that there’s really only so much you can expect from next-gen consoles in their initial form. Most likely, they won’t offer full Ray-Tracing support, consistent 4K 60 FPS gameplay, or visuals that will be immediately more impressive than what we currently enjoy.

However, it’s important to realize that doesn’t mean the next-generation of consoles won’t benefit from certain improvements. The addition of SSDs to both devices alone means that games will load and run faster than they ever have before.

It just means that innovations in the next generation of consoles will likely revolve around different kinds of innovations and improvements. For instance, we’ll almost certainly see all major companies continue to develop their subscription services in pursuit of the fabled “Netflix for gaming.” Sony has also already said they remain dedicated to the growth of VR, and we know that Microsoft and Google are fully-committed to ironing out some fo the wrinkles that plagued the earliest attempts at cloud gaming.

More than ever, though, purchasing a next-gen console on Day 1 will be less about enjoying the immediate benefits of next-gen technology and instead investing in the idea that studios will eventually fix some of the problems which have kept games from progressing in other areas.

More likely, your incentive to purchase next-gen consoles will be driven by the quality of launch games more than it ever has been before.