Just got your hands on a new Xbox Series X? Or maybe you’ve had it a while but haven’t fine-tuned the settings for your TV and gaming setup? Either way, there are a few key adjustments worth making straight away to get the most out of the hardware—whether you’re chasing buttery-smooth frame rates, the best visual fidelity, or just a more streamlined experience.
Here’s what to sort out first:
1. Optimise Display Settings for Your TV
Head over to Settings > General > TV & Display Options to begin.
- Resolution: Set this to match your TV—most newer sets support 4K UHD, and that’s where the console really shines.
- Refresh Rate: If your telly supports it, bump it up to 120Hz for smoother motion in games that support high frame rates.
- Video Modes: Toggle on settings like Auto HDR, Allow 4K, Allow HDR10, and VRR (Variable Refresh Rate), but only if your TV can actually handle them. Enabling unsupported features can lead to display issues.
Quick tip: Double-check your TV’s manual or specs online if you’re unsure what it supports. Most TVs don’t have every feature turned on by default either—some need enabling in the TV menu first.
2. Calibrate HDR for Proper Contrast and Colour
HDR can look amazing—but only if it’s set up properly. A poorly tuned HDR setup often makes games look too washed out or overly saturated.
Go to Settings > General > TV & Display Options > Calibrate HDR for Games.
Follow the calibration tool’s instructions. It’s not thrilling, but it’s well worth the few minutes. You’ll get more accurate contrast and colour depth, especially in darker scenes.
3. Enable HDMI-CEC for Seamless Control
If you’re tired of juggling remotes, turn on HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control). This allows your Xbox to control your TV and vice versa.
Navigate to Settings > General > TV & Display Options > Device Control.
Enable options like:
- Console turns on other devices
- Console turns off other devices
With this enabled, powering on your Xbox will wake up your TV and audio receiver, and shutting it down can turn everything off. It’s a small tweak that makes a big difference over time.
4. Choose the Right Power Mode
This one comes down to personal preference: fast startup vs energy efficiency.
Find it under Settings > General > Power Mode & Startup.
- Instant-On: Gets you back into games quicker, but uses more energy in standby.
- Energy-Saving: Takes longer to start up but slashes power use, which adds up over time—especially if you’re eco-conscious.
Microsoft claims the energy-saving mode cuts standby power draw by up to 20 times compared to Instant-On, which is pretty significant.
5. Dial in Your Audio Setup
Whether you’re on a surround system, soundbar or gaming headset, proper audio settings make a huge difference—especially in games with spatial sound design.
Go to Settings > General > Volume & Audio Output.
- Speaker Audio: Choose Bitstream Out, then select Dolby Atmos or DTS:X if your setup supports it.
- Headset Audio: Options like Windows Sonic or Dolby Atmos for Headphones offer virtual surround sound.
Get this right, and you’ll notice directional audio cues in games like Warzone or Halo Infinite more clearly—giving you both immersion and a competitive edge.
6. Tweak Capture and Share Settings
If you’re the type to grab screenshots or record clutch moments, it’s worth setting this up early on.
Head to Settings > Preferences > Capture & Share.
- Capture Location: Internal storage is fine unless you’re recording a lot—then external makes sense.
- Resolution: Choose 1080p for longer clips or 4K for visual fidelity.
- Auto Upload: Decide whether you want clips automatically saved to Xbox Live or prefer to manage them manually.
No one likes finding out their best play wasn’t recorded because the settings were off.
7. Turn On FPS Boost and Auto HDR for Older Games
Backward compatibility is one of the Xbox’s strongest features—and it gets better with FPS Boost and Auto HDR.
Go into Settings > Compatibility Options (you’ll find this in each game’s settings, not the system-wide menu).
- FPS Boost: Cranks frame rates on supported Xbox One and 360 games.
- Auto HDR: Adds high dynamic range to older titles that never supported it originally.
Not every game supports these, but for the ones that do, it makes a noticeable difference—especially in frame rate consistency and colour richness.
8. Manage Notifications and Break Reminders
Nothing kills immersion like a pop-up mid-boss fight. Luckily, you can fine-tune your alerts.
Navigate to Settings > Preferences > Notifications.
Customise when and where they appear—or turn them off entirely during gameplay. You can also set Break Remindersto prompt you for a stretch if you’re planning a long session.
This is especially handy if you play late at night and don’t want achievement notifications lighting up the whole room.
Spending 15–20 minutes running through these settings will seriously elevate your gaming experience. It’s the difference between the console just working… and working brilliantly—whether that’s smoother gameplay, sharper visuals, better audio, or less clutter from notifications.
