It might come as a surprise, but Final Fantasy XVI can drop to 720p on Xbox Series X/S when running in Performance Mode. This isn’t a glitch or bad optimization—it’s actually by design. When you choose Performance Mode, the game prioritizes keeping a steady 60 frames per second. To do that, it uses dynamic resolution scaling, meaning the resolution adjusts based on what’s happening on screen. During calm moments like exploration, the game usually runs close to 1080p, but during combat-heavy scenes, the resolution can dip all the way down to 720p, all while being upscaled using AMD’s FSR (FidelityFX Super Resolution) to maintain visual clarity on modern displays.
If you’re more into visual sharpness over frame rate, Graphics Mode is the alternative. It delivers a more stable higher resolution—typically around 1440p upscaled to 4K—but it’s capped at 30 FPS. This makes it ideal for players who want the most cinematic experience possible, especially during cutscenes or slow-paced gameplay.
So yes, Final Fantasy 16 on Xbox does run as low as 720p in some moments, but it’s a calculated trade-off to keep the action smooth. Players have to decide whether they want silky performance or sharper visuals—each mode caters to different preferences.
