Thanks to the remarkable detective skills of ‘OomaThurman’ on Reddit, a means has emerged to enhance the image quality of Xbox One gameplay streaming via a PC running Windows 10. By making a simple alteration to a text file on the computer, a previously blocked ‘very high’ quality preset is unlocked. Employing this mode imposes a greater burden on your home network in terms of data throughput, yet it boosts the resolution of the stream.
So, how can one unlock this hidden quality preset? Assuming that Windows 10 is installed on the default C:\ drive, one should navigate to C:\Users\%USERNAME%\AppData\Local\Packages\, and then find the folder that begins with “Microsoft.XboxApp”. From there, open the ‘userconsoledata’ file using the Windows Notepad app. Where the ‘IsInternalPreview’ variable is set to ‘false’, it should be adjusted to ‘true’. After saving and closing the file, the very high preset becomes accessible within Windows 10’s Xbox app when it is launched.
We are currently engaged in a comprehensive analysis of the Xbox One streaming functionality in Windows 10, and the results are slated for publication shortly. We can confirm that the very high quality mode functions properly, although the bandwidth utilization across the network increases significantly, reaching a consistent 18mbps. This new preset seems to transmit full 1080p imagery, a feat not achievable with the lower quality options that scale up from lower resolution streams.
Despite the increase in bandwidth, there is no additional impact on performance. However, based on our tests, the streaming functionality still requires a considerable amount of refinement. There is a high level of inconsistency in performance, with native 60fps games playing at around 40fps via Windows 10 streaming, while 30fps titles encounter obvious frame-pacing issues. The frustrating aspect is that there are occasional, perfectly smooth moments of 60fps gameplay in games like Forza 5. Clearly, the technology is capable of achieving better consistency, and we anticipate seeing this aspect significantly improved in a future update.
In the interim, here is a set of comparison images from our forthcoming article, showcasing the range of quality settings available for Xbox One streaming via Windows 10, including the newly unearthed ‘very high’ preset.
Additional reporting and assets by John Linneman.
Xbox One (Source)
Low Quality (Stream)
Medium Quality (Stream)
High Quality (Stream)
Very High Quality (Stream) An image quality comparison of Windows 10’s Xbox One streaming – commencing with the source image from the console, followed by low, medium, high, and the freshly discovered very high.
Xbox One (Source)
Low Quality (Stream)
Medium Quality (Stream)
High Quality (Stream)
Very High Quality (Stream) An image quality comparison of Windows 10’s Xbox One streaming – starting with the source image from the console, followed by low, medium, high, and the newly found very high.
Xbox One (Source)
Low Quality (Stream)
Medium Quality (Stream)
High Quality (Stream)
Very High Quality (Stream) An image quality comparison of Windows 10’s Xbox One streaming – initiating with the source image from the console, followed by low, medium, high, and the freshly uncovered very high.
Xbox One (Source)
Low Quality (Stream)
Medium Quality (Stream)
High Quality (Stream)
Very High Quality (Stream) An image quality comparison of Windows 10’s Xbox One streaming – beginning with the source image from the console, followed by low, medium, high, and the newly discovered very high. Launch comparison tool
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