Some Old Bethesda Games Will Get FPS Boost on Xbox Series X

Microsoft's Bethesda acquisition has been one of the most significant events the games industry has seen in the better part of a decade, with massive implications for Microsft, and more specifically Xbox, going forward. Fans are now learning more information about what the acquisition will entail, and part of that means old Bethesda games getting FPS boosts for the Xbox Series X.

During a roundtable presentation today, Xbox's Phil Spencer was joined by a variety of Bethesda figureheads to discuss what the acquisition meant for Bethesda and the Xbox brand moving forward. The group discussed several topics, including how exclusivity will function and what the future holds for Bethesda and its games. Also discussed, however, was which games Bethesda titles are headed to Xbox Game Pass, and the boosts some will be receiving.

Fans have a good idea of the Bethesda games headed to Xbox Game Pass tomorrow, with 20 games slated to join the roster – though some are already listed on the service and have been for a while. However, Xbox and Bethesda didn't elaborate much as to which games would be receiving the performance boost on Xbox Series X.

An Xbox Wire post stated that the boosts would affect a "handful" of the games, with more details to be revealed soon. One can speculate about the games that will receive enhancements, with modern-ish titles Dishonored 2 and Prey seemingly likely candidates, but for the time being, fans will just have to be patient while they wait to find out more.

With the coronavirus pandemic affecting many aspects of game development, fans are largely being left with little to play despite new hardware launching just a few months ago. While the limited supply has left many without an Xbox Series X console, those that have managed to get their hands on one will undoubtedly be looking for new games to try before new releases start to pick up later this year. These games might not be new per se, but an FPS boost could well be the excuse players need to dip their toes back into them.

Bethesda's Xbox-infused future seems like a step in the right direction for the company, even if there are negative implications for fans of the developer on competing platforms, namely PlayStation. Bethesda is still recovering from the disappointing launch of Fallout 76, and while Microsoft won't be offering much oversight to how the company functions, it may steer the developer in the right direction, at the very least.

The last generation of consoles saw Sony reap huge rewards from its exclusive first-party games like God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Spider-Man. Perhaps in response, last year saw Microsoft begin the process of acquiring Bethesda/ZeniMax, the studio most famous for developing The Elder Scrolls and Fallout franchises.

This had led many fans to speculate that Bethesda's highly anticipated upcoming game The Elder Scrolls 6 could be an Xbox exclusive. Microsoft has confirmed that at least some upcoming Bethesda games will be exclusives, so it is certainly possible. There are reasons for and against making The Elder Scrolls 6 an Xbox exclusive from the perspectives of Microsoft, Bethesda, and fans of the franchise.