How to Unlock FPS in Xenia: 2026 Guide to Running Xbox 360 Games Without Limits on Your PC

Unlock higher FPS in Xenia Canary with this step-by-step guide. Learn how to disable VSync, edit the config file, optimize graphics settings, and boost Xbox 360 emulation performance on your PC.

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Emulation is going through a golden age, and Xenia has become the go-to emulator for anyone who wants to revisit the Xbox 360 library on modern hardware. The pitch is hard to resist: classics like Halo 3, Gears of War, and Red Dead Redemption running in crisp 4K resolution — and, even better, at a level of smoothness the original console could never deliver.

But there’s a catch: many games remain locked at their original 30 or 60 FPS due to vertical sync (VSync). That’s where the community comes in. With the right setup, you can fully unlock Xenia’s framerate and push games to 60, 120, or even unlimited FPS.

This 2026 guide walks you through how to do exactly that, safely and reliably. We’ll be using Xenia Canary, the most advanced and frequently updated version of the emulator, along with Xenia Manager, a slick frontend that handles installation, updates, and game configuration automatically. If you’ve got a reasonably modern PC — say, a recent quad-core CPU and a current NVIDIA or AMD GPU — you already have everything you need to elevate your Xbox 360 emulation experience.

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What Is Xenia and Why Is It the Leading Xbox 360 Emulator?

Xenia is an open-source emulator designed to run Xbox 360 titles on modern PCs. The project started in 2011 with developer Ben Vanik (noxa), who spent years reverse-engineering Microsoft’s console hardware and APIs. Those early research builds eventually matured into public releases around 2013 — and since then, Xenia has become one of the most respected and technically ambitious emulation projects around.

Its compatibility list is huge, with thousands of titles reaching different levels of playability. As always, keep in mind that you should only use legally owned copies of any game you load into Xenia.

Master vs. Canary: Which Version Should You Use in 2026?

Today, Xenia comes in two major flavors:

• Master (stable):
  The “official” branch with conservative updates and slower development. Reliable, but not cutting-edge.
• Xenia Canary:
  A community-driven fork updated constantly — sometimes daily — with enhancements, bug fixes, performance patches, automatic per-game tweaks, better compatibility, and advanced features like FPS boosts and netplay.

As of 2026, most of the community — including Reddit, GitHub contributors, and the unofficial wiki — agrees that Xenia Canary is the best version for almost everyone.

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Xenia Manager: The Easiest Way to Install Xenia Canary

Over the years, several tools have tried to streamline Xenia’s setup. Xenia Manager is the one that truly gets it right. It works as a modern frontend that automatically downloads, installs, and updates Xenia Canary — no manual file juggling needed.

It also handles per-game settings, patch management, updates, and even save-file imports. In under five minutes, you can go from zero to a fully configured Xbox 360 emulator.

How to Install Xenia Canary Using Xenia Manager

1. Download Xenia Manager
   Head to the official GitHub page:
   👉 https://github.com/xenia-manager/xenia-manager/releases/latest
   Download the latest ZIP release.

2. Extract and launch it
   Unzip the file into a folder — e.g., C:\Xenia — and run XeniaManager.exe.
   Running it as Administrator the first time is recommended.

3. Install Xenia Canary
   Xenia Manager usually fetches the newest Canary build automatically the first time you open it.
   If it doesn’t:
   • Check the left sidebar.
   • Open Emulator Management.
   • Look for Xenia Canary and hit Install.
   • Choose the latest build (always the first entry).
   Pro tip: You can safely ignore extra builds like Mousehook or Netplay unless you specifically need them. The standard Canary build is all most users need.

4. Update when needed
   The app will notify you whenever new builds are available.
   You can now load games in ISO, GOD, or XEX format — just drag them into the window.

Your Xenia Canary setup is now fully installed and ready for advanced tweaks, including FPS unlocking in the next section.

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How to Unlock the Framerate in Xenia Canary

Once you have Xenia Canary installed and running through Xenia Manager, it’s time for the key step that unlocks the emulator’s true performance: disabling VSync. Vertical sync exists to mimic the original Xbox 360 behavior, but on a PC it becomes an unnecessary bottleneck. Turning it off lets many games push past their native 30 or 60 FPS limits.

The most reliable method — and the one the community recommends — is editing the configuration file directly. It’s simple, persistent, and avoids the UI quirks that sometimes cause settings to revert.

How to Edit the Config File

1. Locate the config.toml File
   Open File Explorer and navigate to:
   Documents\Xenia
   (or paste %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Xenia into the address bar).
   Look for xenia-canary.config.toml or xenia.config.toml.
   If you don’t see it, launch Xenia once to generate it automatically.

2. Open It with the Right Editor
   The ideal editor is Notepad++, a lightweight tool that handles config files perfectly.
   Download it from the official site: https://notepad-plus-plus.org/
   Right-click the .toml file → Open with → Notepad++.
   Before editing, make sure Xenia is fully closed.
3. Disable VSync
   Press Ctrl + F and search for:
   vsync = true
   Change it to:
   vsync = false
   Optionally, you can tweak the line below:
   vsync_fps = 120
   This helps double the framerate in compatible games.
   Save with Ctrl + S and close Notepad++.

4. Test the Results
   Launch any game through Xenia Manager. You should now see the FPS counter exceed the original limits.
   If you notice any screen tearing, that’s normal with VSync disabled. You can reduce it with driver-level tweaks.

This method applies globally, though you can also create per-game configs inside:
config\[TitleID].config.toml.

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Additional Xenia Manager Tweaks to Improve Performance

While manual config editing is the foundation, Xenia Manager offers several visual options that help fine-tune performance without diving into config files. You’ll find them under the gear icon in the sidebar.

Display Settings

• Internal Resolution
  Set it to 1080p as a baseline, or push to 4K if your GPU can handle it.
• Vertical Sync
  Should be disabled, matching the config.toml edit.
• FPS Limit
  Set this to Off to remove artificial caps.

Graphics Driver Settings

(NVIDIA example, similar options exist on AMD cards)

• VSync: Force Off
• Frame Rate Limit: Off

To save your changes, click the floppy-disk icon in the upper-right corner.

These tweaks prevent the GPU driver from imposing its own framerate limits.

And don’t forget: Xenia Manager can also apply automatic per-game patches, extremely useful for titles like Sonic Unleashed or Red Dead Redemption, where stable 60 FPS requires extra adjustments.

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Unlimited Performance: A Modern Take on Xbox 360 Gaming

Unlocking the framerate in Xenia Canary completely transforms the Xbox 360 experience. Games originally locked to 30 FPS suddenly feel modern and fluid, and with strong hardware, many titles effortlessly reach 60, 120 FPS, or beyond.

Between the config.toml edit, Xenia Manager’s settings, and community patches, you can tailor each game just like a native PC title.

If you want to dive deeper into advanced tweaks, experimental patches, or performance profiles, the r/xenia community on Reddit is an invaluable resource.

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