How to turn on 120 Hz in games on Xiaomi smartphones: the complete guide

You bought a powerful Xiaomi smartphone with support for 120 Hz and want to get the most smooth in games, but do not know how to properly activate a high refresh rate of the screen? This article will help you understand all the nuances from checking the compatibility of the model to fine-tuning the performance. We will detail which games support 120 FPS, how to avoid overheating and why the frequency sometimes automatically decreases.

It’s important to understand that not all Xiaomi smartphones are capable of delivering a stable 120 frames per second, depending on the processor model, the MIUI version, and even the specific game. For example, the POCO F5 or Redmi K60 Pro can easily cope with this task, and budget devices can be limited to 60 Hz even when forced on. In this article, you will find current data on supported models and practical tips for optimization.

Xiaomi smartphones support 120 Hz in games

Not all Xiaomi devices with 120Hz screens can deliver the same frame rate in games, and here are the key factors that affect support:

• 📱 Smartphone model: The flagship Xiaomi 13/14, Redmi K50/K60, POCO F4/F5 and Black Shark series are guaranteed to support 120 FPS in most games.
• 🖥️ Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2/3 or Dimensity 9000+ chips perform better than Snapdragon 778G or Dimensity 1080 chips.
• 🎮 Game optimization: Even powerful smartphones won’t pull 120 FPS in Genshin Impact at maximum settings, but they’ll easily give that frequency in Call of Duty: Mobile or PUBG Mobile.
• 🔄 Version MIUI: Old firmware (below MIUI 13) may not have the option of forced high frequency activation.

Below is a table with popular models and their support for 120 Hz in games (data is relevant for MIUI 14/15):

Important: Even if your model is on the list, some games (such as Honor of Kings or Apex Legends Mobile) can block 120 FPS at the engine level.

How to check the current screen refresh rate

Before you set up 120Hz, make sure your smartphone supports them at all, and you can do this in several ways:

1. Through MIUI settings: Go to Settings → Display → Screen refresh rate. If there are 120Hz or Auto options, your device supports high frequency.
2. Using the test video: On YouTube, find videos like "120Hz Test" and play them on the full screen. If the picture is smooth without jerking, the screen runs at high frequency.
3. Check apps: Install Display Tester or Screen Refresh Rate from Google Play, which will show the current frequency in real time.

Note that some smartphones (such as the Redmi Note 11 Pro+) can show 120Hz on the menu, but in games automatically switch to 60Hz due to CPU limitations. To check this, run the game and simultaneously open the frequency monitoring app.

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If the screen settings don’t have a 120Hz option, but you’re sure your model supports it, upgrade to the latest version of MIUI. Often this feature appears after updates.

Step-by-step: how to turn on 120 Hz in games

If your smartphone supports high frequency, follow this instruction, and the methods vary depending on the MIUI version and model:

Method 1: Through game settings (recommended)

Many modern games (such as Call of Duty: Mobile or PUBG Mobile) have built-in frame rate settings.

1. Start the game and go to Settings → Graphics.
2. Find the Framerate (FPS) or Refresh Rate option.
3. Choose 120 FPS or Max (if available).
4. Save the settings and restart the game.

If you don’t have an option, you may not be able to play 120 FPS on your device or you may need additional configuration.

Method 2: Forced inclusion via MIUI (for advanced)

Some firmware can force you to set a high frequency for all applications.

1. Activate Developer Mode: Go to Settings → About Phone and click on MIUI Version 7 times.
2. Back to Settings → Additionally. → For developers.
3. Find Forced Refresh Rate or Force Peak Refresh Rate and turn it on.
4. Select 120Hz from the drop-down menu.

⚠️ Warning: Forced 120Hz switching on can cause overheating, accelerated battery drain, and artifacts in some games. Use this method only if you are sure the device will cool.

Method 3: Through Game Turbo (for flagships)

On devices with Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 and later, there is a built-in Game Turbo accelerator, which allows you to fine-tune the performance:

1. Open Settings → Special features → Game Turbo
2. Add the game to the list and select it.
3. Activate the options High frame rate and Performance.
4. In the Display section, set 120 Hz.

This method is the safest, as MIUI automatically limits heating and energy consumption.

Why 120 Hz may not work: common problems

Even if you set it up correctly, the high frame rate may not turn on, and here are the main reasons and ways to fix them:

• 🔋 Low battery power: below 20% MIUI automatically reduces the frequency to 60Hz.
• 🔥 Overheating: If the CPU temperature is above 45 °C, the system is forced to limit performance. Use a cooling stand.
• 🎮 Game restrictions: Some titles (e.g., Genshin Impact) block 120 FPS on mobile devices. Check the game forums.
• 📱 Outdated firmware: There may be no support for high frequencies on MIUI 12 and below. Update via Settings → Software Update.
• 🔧 Optimization Conflict: Turn off Adaptive Update Frequency in screen settings.

If the problem persists, try resetting your graphics in the game or reinstalling it. Also helps to disable background apps through Settings → Apps → Auto Run.

⚠️ Warning: Some models (e.g., Xiaomi 12 Pro) will not have the forced 120Hz option after upgrading to MIUI 14, which is due to optimizing power consumption, leaving only the game itself to be tuned.

How to reduce heat and maintain productivity

High frame rates put a lot of stress on the processor, which leads to overheating and trottling (automatic power reduction) to play 120 FPS without brakes:

• 🧊 Use cooling: Even a simple fan stand lowers the temperature by 5–10°C.
• ⚡ Play from charging: Powered from the network, MIUI less limits performance.
• ⚙️ Lower Graphics: In the game settings, select Balanced or Performance instead of Ultra HD.
• 🔄 Limit background processes: Close all apps through Recent and turn off notifications.
• 🔋 Calibrate the battery: once every 2-3 months, complete a full discharge/charge cycle to reset the constraints MIUI.

For advanced users, there is another way to manually configure the CPU cores through applications like Kernel Adiutor (root rights required), but it is risky: the wrong settings can lead to a loss of warranty or chip failure.

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The most effective way to avoid overheating is to combine a cooling stand and reduce the graphics in the game by 1-2 points, which gives a gain of 15-20 FPS without critical heating.

60Hz vs 120Hz Comparison: Is It Worth It?

Before you chase high frequencies, evaluate how critical it is to your gaming experience.

• 🎯 120Hz Pros: More smooth animation and responsive control. Advantage in shooters (like CODM or Fortnite) Visually more pleasing to the eye on longer sessions.
• ⚠️ Cons 120Hz: Reduce battery life by 30 to 50 percent; overheating and trottling risk after 20 to 30 minutes of play; not all games are high-frequency; screen tearing may appear on budget smartphones.

For most casual games (such as Clash Royale or Brawl Stars), the difference between 60 and 120 Hz is almost imperceptible, but in dynamic shooters or racing simulators, high frequency gives a real advantage.

If you play for story-driven RPGs or strategies, 120Hz is not worth the extra heat and battery consumption, but esports disciplines like Mobile Legends or Arena of Valor benefit from high frequency.

Additional Tweets for Maximum Performance

If you want to get your best out of your smartphone, try these advanced settings, which are suitable for power users and require caution:

1. Disable MIUI- Optimizations: Go to Settings → Applications → Application Management → Three-point → Special Access → Battery Optimization and Turn It Off for Play.
2. GPUTurbo: Some models (such as Black Shark 5) have a hidden option called GPUTurbo. To activate it, type ##4636## in your phone dialer, then select GPUTurbo mode.
3. Setup of the core scheduler: With the Tuner CPU application (root required), you can manually prioritize the performance of the processor cores, for example, fix 2-3 cores at maximum frequency.
4. Change in resolution: In some games (for example, PUBG Mobile), you can manually set the resolution of 720p instead of 1080p. This gives an increase in FPS by 20-30% without severe deterioration of the picture.

⚠️ Warning: Changing system settings through an engineering menu or root can lead to loss of warranty, unstable operation, or even a device blink.

For most users, standard Game Turbo settings and cooling stand are enough. Advanced tweaks only make sense if you're in a competition where every millisecond counts.

FAQ: Frequent questions about 120Hz on Xiaomi