Beyond being just as capable as the PlayStation 5 performance-wise, the Xbox Series X features a great lineup made even better through Xbox Game Pass, the ability to play titles dating back to the OG Xbox from 2001 and a steady stream of new releases that continue to fill out our rankings of the best Xbox Series X games.
With so many incredible titles available, it can be hard to figure out where to even start. That’s why we’ve come up with a list of our favorite Xbox Series X and Series S games, from blockbuster action experiences to family-friendly platformers.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
$70 $38 at Amazon
With its addictive gameplay, exciting combat and entertaining dialogue, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor isn’t just a great sequel to Fallen Order; it’s the best “Star Wars” game since the legendary Knights of the Old Republic. Survivor does this by improving on its predecessor’s strengths, bolstering the Survival, Lightsaber and Force skill sets to a total of 75 and expanding the game’s size with side quests, minigames and collectibles. The combat is notable too. When you use your arsenal of Force powers and fighting stances to cut down enemies in a flurry of cinematic lightsaber slashes, you truly feel like a Jedi.
Alan Wake 2
$60 at Xbox or $80 at Amazon (Deluxe Edition)
For fans of narrative-driven games, it doesn’t get much better than Alan Wake 2. The survival-horror title returns to Bright Falls, except this time you can play as FBI special agent Saga Anderson, who offers a refreshing perspective to the game. And just as the first Alan Wake excelled at plot twists and the occasional scare, this excellent sequel impresses with its surprising story, making it one of our favorite games of 2023.
Baldur’s Gate 3
$70 at Xbox
Baldur’s Gate 3 is one of the most acclaimed games of all time, earning universal praise from critics, players and our very own tech editor. For those unfamiliar with the series, Baldur’s Gate is set in the Dungeons & Dragons universe, taking place in the Forgotten Realms, where you’ll encounter vampires, druids, elves and other masterfully voiced high fantasy characters. This is a serious role-playing game, and naturally, there’s a ton of customization, from choosing among 12 character classes to adjusting the amount of in-game nudity you’d like to see (yes, for real). If you aren’t sucked in by the top-tier customization and voice acting, you will be by the artful storytelling and expansive world that offers over 100 hours of compelling gameplay.
Forza Motorsport (2023)
$70 $53 at Amazon
Making its Xbox Series X|S debut after six years of lying dormant, Microsoft’s flagship simulation racing series is finally back with the simply titled Forza Motorsport. Beyond offering 4K visuals with the latest rendering tricks like real-time ray tracing, the new racer’s handling model feels even more grounded than ever and its presentation feels more like a professional motorsport race weekend than previous entries. Even cars evolve in a role-playing-like system that rewards refinement in racing at every turn and corner.
Starfield
$70 $43 at Amazon
With Starfield, Bethesda created an epic space opera that feels like a hodgepodge of everything the studio has earned its elite reputation for. This game takes the best elements of The Elder Scrolls and the modern Fallout games and literally takes it to the stratosphere. Though the role-playing game didn’t become the system seller Microsoft had hoped it would, there’s so much to appreciate. Combat is fun, multilayered quests are engaging, visuals are respectable and the ability to travel around a huge galaxy makes exploration seriously addictive. That doesn’t even count the creativity of making bases and customizing spaceships.
Hi-Fi Rush
$30 at Amazon
The fact that Hi-Fi Rush’s final boss battle features Nine Inch Nails’ classic “Perfect Drug” should tell you all there is to know about the rhythm-based action game. The game follows Chai, who accidentally receives a cybernetic device that allows him to see the world in rhythm. Outside of the soundtrack, which features top artists like Fiona Apple and the Black Keys, Hi-Fi Rush has a fantastic cell-shaded art style. The unique combat is inspired by games like Devil May Cry and throws in some creative platforming as well. To be honest, Hi-Fi Rush may be the coolest new IP to come out of Microsoft in a very long time.
Hogwarts Legacy
$33 at Amazon
Controversy around the franchise’s creator aside, Hogwarts Legacy serves as the greatest Wizarding World game ever made. The action role-playing game developed by Avalanche understands every single detail of the universe and develops a sensible prequel to the Harry Potter novels. Players step in the shoes of a student enrolled at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as they discover a world filled with mystery and adventure. With a full open world to explore, Hogwarts Legacy features combat that revolves around casting spells with a clever blend of offensive and defensive skills.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
$60 $48 at Amazon
From Software has earned itself a reputation for creating some of the most punishing games in the industry. The sixth game in the Armored Core series, titled Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon, takes the Mech-focused franchise and inserts elements inspired by the developer’s other hit games Dark Souls and Elden Ring. However, one thing that remains constant to the Armored Core series is the highly customizable mechs that can be fine-tuned for various combat scenarios. Battles are incredibly fast, brutal and difficult but never unfair. Like many From Software games, failure is simply another reason to reassess and re-strategize.
Gears 5
$40 at Best Buy (also on Xbox Game Pass)
Released a year before the Xbox Series X, Gears 5 is considered another great entry within the Gears of War franchise. The single-player campaign adds some interesting elements to the series’ satisfying cover-shooter gameplay through upgradable robot companion Jack alongside light open-world exploration. Meanwhile, the multiplayer is better than ever, with the tense three-player mode, Escape, joining the established cooperative Horde mode and competitive death match varieties. When running on Xbox Series X, Gears 5 has enough visual enhancements to compete with the PC version running on ultra-level graphical settings, including higher-resolution textures and particle counts as well as super-smooth frame rates.
Elden Ring
$60 $49 at Amazon
The highly anticipated collaboration between FromSoftware and “Game of Thrones” writer George R. R. Martin brings the incredibly difficult action role-playing of Dark Souls to an open-world structure. Having a huge world to explore allows for new additions to the formula, including better stealth gameplay and mounted combat. If things get too difficult, players can summon collectible spirits or friends through multiplayer. Just as importantly, Elden Ring looks amazing and runs phenomenally on Xbox Series X.
Forza Horizon 5
$60 $55 at Amazon (also on Xbox Game Pass)
Playground Games’ latest Forza Horizon entry takes place in the beautiful country of Mexico. Besides letting you drive around an open world that’s 50% larger than the previous entry, Forza Horizon 5 features a weather system that’s localized to various biomes that reflects weekly seasonal changes. An experience that always feels player-driven (no pun intended), the gameplay really feels personal, thanks to deep car customization and the ability to tweak mechanic options. Between single-player story missions and a ludicrous amount of multiplayer offerings seeing frequent updates, there’s enough content in this arcade-leaning racer to last for quite a while.
Halo Infinite
$60 $22 at Amazon (also on Xbox Game Pass)
One of our picks for the best video games of 2021, Halo Infinite finally brings the franchise back to its pioneering first-person-shooter glory. The single-player campaign featuring series protagonist Master Chief goes open world, allowing for more options to engage combat while allowing for the introduction of new tools to fight, including the mega-satisfying Grappleshot. The game’s free-to-play multiplayer portion balances features that fans love about Halo while adding modern touches like ability pickups and a season pass filled with unlockable items for customizing your Spartan.
Microsoft Flight Simulator
$60 at Best Buy (also on Xbox Game Pass)
The latest entry in one of Microsoft’s longest established franchises, Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the best ways to show off the graphical capabilities of your Xbox Series X. Beyond utilizing nearly every graphical trick in the book, Flight Simulator simulates the entire globe using Microsoft Azure cloud data and Bing Maps. Outside of the leisure activity of flying anywhere on Earth, modes like Landing Challenges are a true test of flight ability. Just note that there’s a bit of a learning curve in controlling an aircraft through the Xbox Series X controller; it’s best to use a flight stick for a more immersive experience.
Resident Evil Village
$20 at Amazon
The eighth core entry in Capcom’s Resident Evil series takes Resident Evil 7: Biohazard protagonist Ethan Winters from the Louisiana bayous to an Eastern European village that’s just as terrifying. This time around, Ethan has to find his kidnapped daughter taken by the mysterious Mother Miranda. Though the latest entry still utilizes the same first-person view introduced in RE7, Resident Evil Village is a lot more action-focused and plays a lot like Resident Evil 4 combat-wise. Don’t worry, though — there are still some seriously terrifying moments. Taking the action focus even further, the game also sees the return of the arcade-style Mercenaries mode, which is available once players finish the single-player story.
Sea of Thieves
$39 at Amazon (also on Xbox Game Pass)
Rare’s first-person pirate simulator, Sea of Thieves, didn’t get the warmest reception when it released in 2018, but through constant updates and revisions, the game has gotten noticeably better while maintaining a solid player base. Best played with friends, Sea of Thieves works because of how unpredictable it is riding the open sea, finding an island and looking for buried treasure while fighting various enemies. Xbox Series X owners can play the game in full 4K resolution at 60 frames per second in addition to enjoying reduced load times.
Dirt 5
$24 at Amazon (also on Xbox Game Pass)
The last game released by Codemasters before being acquired by Electronic Arts, Dirt 5 is currently one of the few triple-A arcade racers available for Xbox Series X. Focusing on various dirt vehicle disciplines from rally to truck, this entry in the Dirt series introduces dynamic weather during races. When it comes to current-gen visuals, the racer is a blast to play in the extra-smooth 120Hz mode for those with televisions that support the feature. Those who like to hop on the couch with friends will also enjoy Dirt 5’s four-player split-screen multiplayer.
Control Ultimate Edition
$30 $23 at Amazon
With Control, Finnish developer Remedy Entertainment manages to reinvent itself as a premier maker of third-person shooters yet again. Players step in the shoes of Jesse Faden, who is looking for her missing brother by exploring the Oldest House, a building run by paranormal agency the Federal Bureau of Control. Fighting a mysterious enemy called the Hiss, Jesse utilizes a transforming gun called the Service Weapon and various upgradable powers as players try to grasp what exactly is going on. Control Ultimate Edition features visual enhancements for Xbox Series X (including ray tracing for extra-realistic reflections) alongside The Foundation and AWE expansion packs.
Psychonauts 2
$60 at Amazon (also on Xbox Game Pass)
Tim Schafer and the fine team at Double Fine Productions took a while to get around to it, but Psychonauts 2 managed to be well worth the wait. The writing is as strong and comical as ever, with series protagonist Raz fighting against mysterious new foes the Deluginists who are looking to resurrect the mysterious villain Maligula. Though the 3D platforming gameplay based around psychic abilities doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it’s still a blast to play and watch the story unfold.
Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition
$35 at Amazon
Capcom’s Devil May Cry series has earned a reputation as being one of the most stylish action games available today. For the fifth entry in the series, series hero Dante joins Devil May Cry 4 protagonist Nero and the mysterious V for even more over-the-top fun. The current-gen Special Edition adds Dante’s brother, Virgil, as a playable character while including visual upgrades such as ray tracing, higher-resolution textures and higher frame rates.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
$60 $15 at Amazon
The most recent entry in Ubisoft’s ongoing Assassin’s Creed franchise, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla takes place during the Viking expansion into the British Isles around 872 AD. Players take on the role of Eivor Varinsdottir (available in both male and female variants) as he or she takes on the Templar Order using brute dual-wielding ax combat or the series’ trademark stealth abilities. Like previous entries in the series, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla allows players to take guided tours of the British Isles to learn about the time period.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
$30 at Amazon (also on Xbox Game Pass)
The original Ori and the Blind Forest was a slick Metroidvania-style platformer with a beautiful 2D look and some clever gameplay that made it a critical darling in 2015. Ori and the Will of the Wisps takes everything great about the original to another level as it follows Ori in the new Niwen region. Not only does it deliver even more visual splendor but it adds some much-appreciated enhancements to gameplay, including autosaving and a “shard” system for upgrading your abilities.
Gears Tactics
$40 $24 at Amazon (also on Xbox Game Pass)
Co-developed by Splash Damage and The Coalition, Gears Tactics does a splendid job adapting Gears of War’s cover-based shooting into a turn-based tactics game. Similar to other games within the genre like XCOM, there are a handful of customizable classes to take on the Horde — from Retro Lancer-toting Vanguards to Gnasher-wielding Scouts. Players will need to use these classes carefully in various combat scenarios that’ll test both wit and foresight.
Rare Replay
$30 $20 at Amazon (also on Xbox Game Pass)
Encompassing the 30-year history of storied British developer Rare, Rare Replay isn’t just a great collection of games; it’s also a history lesson in gaming. From Nintendo-era classics like Battletoads and Banjo-Kazooie to modern titles like Viva Piñata and Kameo, there’s so much to enjoy with this package. Players looking to really delve deep into the history of Rare will also appreciate the bonus-feature section Rare Revealed that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the developer’s classic games alongside projects that’ll possibly never see the light of day.