The update was announced on October 29, 2026, in an Xbox Wire post by 4A Games executive producer John Bloch. It advertises native 4K at 60fps or upscaled 4K at 120fps. Those are headline mode descriptions, however, not identical capabilities across every Xbox: Digital Foundry reports that Series S runs at 1080p and has no 120Hz option.
What each console actually delivers
Digital Foundry’s Thomas Morgan examined both updated games across Xbox Series X, Series S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro. His findings make a useful distinction between rendering resolution, output resolution and sustained frame rate.
| Console | Reported 60fps-mode resolution | Reported 120fps-mode resolution | Main performance finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xbox Series X | Native 4K | Native 1296p | Generally strong 120fps performance; 60fps mode can dip into the 50s |
| Xbox Series S | Native 1080p | Not available | Usually near 60fps, with demanding scenes falling into the low 50s |
| PS5 | Native 4K | Native 1152p | Mostly steady 120fps; occasional drops below 60fps in the higher-resolution mode |
| PS5 Pro | Native 4K, with PSSR processing | Native 1440p, with PSSR upscaling | Strongest reported 60fps stability, but battle sequences can fall to roughly 110fps at 120Hz |
These are Digital Foundry’s observations from its tested sequences, not guarantees for every encounter.
The important Xbox takeaway is that “upscaled 4K at 120fps” does not mean native 4K rendering at 120fps. The official announcement describes the resulting presentation; Digital Foundry’s pixel counts describe the lower-resolution image used to produce it. Those descriptions are compatible, but they answer different questions.
A cleaner image, not an entirely different game
According to Digital Foundry, the upgrades introduce higher-resolution textures, physically based material support, improved lighting and ambient occlusion, geometry adjustments, updated animation, and better particles and post-processing.
The most immediately useful change may be less glamorous than that checklist: reduced shimmer.
Morgan identifies fine foliage as a weakness of the older PS4 Redux presentation. The updated versions use temporal image processing to stabilize those thin, moving details. On PS5 and Series X, that combines with native 4K rendering to produce a cleaner image.
There is a trade-off. Digital Foundry spotted occasional ghost trails around busy textures, with the effect more noticeable on Series S because of its lower starting resolution. Temporal processing tidies the picture, but it does not always leave the scene without fingerprints.
Other improvements are more restrained. Morgan highlights better close-up materials, cleaner shadow edges, more accurate ambient shading, and sharper frost and lens-flare effects. His assessment is of a cumulative refinement rather than a wholesale visual reinvention.
Why 120fps can be the stronger choice
The surprising finding is that the 60fps modes are not uniformly the most consistent options.
Digital Foundry reports that PS5 and Series X typically reach their 60fps target, but effects-heavy battles can pull both into the 50s. Morgan also says resolution appears fixed at 4K rather than dynamically reducing to ease demanding moments. Series S shows similar slowdowns despite its 1080p presentation, with crowded hub areas presenting another pressure point.
By contrast, the reduced rendering resolution in the 120Hz modes accompanies generally strong performance on base PS5 and Series X. The Xbox renders at 1296p versus PS5’s 1152p, while also avoiding some isolated drops seen on Sony’s standard console in the tested sequences.
PS5 Pro reverses the pattern. Its 60fps mode held steady in Morgan’s testing, but its sharper 1440p-based 120Hz presentation suffered more noticeable battle-related drops than the standard consoles.
The practical interpretation: the highest-resolution option and the smoothest option are not necessarily the same—even on more powerful hardware.
What Xbox and Windows players should take away
For Series X owners with a suitable high-refresh display, Digital Foundry’s results make the 120fps mode a sensible first option to try. Players who value native 4K detail more highly may prefer the 60fps mode, accepting its occasional dips. The review identifies variable refresh rate as a useful mitigation on compatible displays, not a cure for the underlying slowdown.
Series S owners should approach this as a visual upgrade targeting 1080p/60fps, rather than a route to either advertised high-end mode.
There is also an improvement beyond the graphics comparison: Bloch’s Xbox Wire announcement confirms support for Xbox controller Impulse Triggers, adding localized tactile feedback. It additionally mentions Xbox Play Anywhere and support and optimization for ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X. However, Digital Foundry’s console measurements do not establish Windows handheld performance, so those frame-rate figures should not be transferred to PC hardware.
The refresh arrives ahead of Metro 2039, which Bloch’s announcement schedules for February 4, 2027. For returning players, the useful story is not simply that two older games now look sharper: it is that their new modes offer meaningfully different compromises. Series X’s 120fps option looks especially well judged in Digital Foundry’s testing, while the occasional 60fps regressions deserve attention alongside the improved textures. Even underground, the small print matters.