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Xbox Series X games to look forward to in 2024
2024 is shaping up to be a great year for Xbox players. In the coming months, we’ll be getting Avowed, a new fantasy RPG, as well as Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. The former is being worked on by the studio behind Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds, and Grounded.
The best Xbox Series X games combine incredibly fun content, immersive storytelling, and unforgettable gaming experiences on the strongest hardware of any current-gen gaming console, but it’s not always easy to identify which games on the platform are worth sinking your time into given just how many there are to sift through. So, to make your experience a lot easier, we’ve pulled together what we would consider to be the best Xbox Series X games so you’ll know where to look.
Whether it’s their looks, performance, or the fact that some of these games are exclusive to the Microsoft console and PC, if you own an Xbox Series X or think about snapping up one of the best Xbox Series X deals, make sure you give these games a go when you find yourself at a loose end.
We’ve tried to include titles that span a variety of genres in our list below in an attempt to appeal to all preferences you might have, but it’s worth trying something new with the Xbox Series X – especially if you’re an active Xbox Game Pass subscriber and don’t have to fork out for a new title.
Best Xbox Series X games 2024
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Baldur’s Gate 3 won pretty much every award a game can win when it launched in 2023, cementing it as one of the best RPGs you can play on any platform. And while Xbox players had to wait a little bit longer for the game, it was well worth it.
The game has now received a slew of post-launch updates fixing up everything from performance to bug-heavy quest lines. In terms of sheer variety, Baldur’s Gate 3 is unrivaled in its combat systems. That’s mostly due to it being based on Dungeons and Dragons, translating the iconic pen and paper RPG to a video game format seamlessly. You can choose to approach any situation in pretty much anyway you wish, leading to some brilliant comedic moments, and plenty of replayability.
Why we love it
Hellblade 2‘s remarkable visual and audio design, performances and acting, the intriguing narrative throughout, and a beguiling world that has one of the strongest senses of place we’ve experienced, which elevates the game wonderfully.
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 is a narrative-driven action game almost like no other. Developer Ninja Theory’s sequel to the 2017 game Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice delivers a harrowing, bleak, and heavy experience that will live long in the memory.
Even more than its predecessor, Hellblade 2 really pushes the boundaries of visuals in gaming. It makes use of every single ounce of the Xbox Series X’s power, and manages to tell a heart -wrenching tale that fans of the first game will absolutely love. Definitely a must play for those looking to see what Xbox’s most powerful console can do, and thankfully, it’s also available on Game Pass.
Xbox Series X Optimized
Why we love it
Between uncovering secrets and engaging in high risk, high reward combat, there’s a lot to love about Control. It constantly keeps you on your toes, and it’s story will have you thinking about what’s next even after you’ve put it down.
Control sees you stepping into the shoes of Jessie Faden, the newest director of the clandestine Federal Bureau of Control (FBC) – a Government agency that researches, and ultimately aims to control paranormal activity. But Jessie’s new role has a few issues not exactly laid out in the job description, including the uprising of a paranormal force known only as the Hiss.
Remedy has courted multiple difficult genres with Control, delivering a mind-bending story evocative of True Detective and Twin Peaks is absolutely remarkable. The Bureau is an eerily beautiful place, and it looks and feels best when you throw things at enemies via telekinesis or use your powers to bend rooms around you. Thankfully, this game, which was originally released for the previous generation of consoles, runs like nothing else on the Series X. Players have a choice of two modes: Performance Mode, targeting 60fps with 4K output, and Graphics Mode, targeting 30fps with ray tracing, making Control not only one of the best games of the last few years but also one of the best Xbox Series X games.
Xbox Series X Optimized
Why we love it
With constant updates and in-game events, there’s always a reason to keep coming back to Destiny 2. You really need to devote your time to your skills, and there’s a huge map to explore. It’s hours of entertainment, which is surprisingly generous even for the free-to-play model.
Destiny 2 is developer Bungie’s ambitious free-to-play multiplayer looter shooter. It’s the continuation and in many ways reinvention of the first Destiny game, now with a free-to-play base game. Destiny casts you as a Guardian, protectors of the last city on Earth against various enemy forces, using a magic-like energy called Light.
Both its worldbuilding and its use of Light set Destiny 2 apart from other shooters. Your skills have a much more interesting, magical touch to them than shooters set in the modern world, and it’s fun to explore the galaxy throughout the story, now much, much better than in the first Destiny.
With each expansion, Destiny offers fantastic new settings and clever new ideas, making it worth sticking with – the latest expansion, Lightfall, takes you to a futuristic metropolis on Neptune, and there is much to see. Destiny 2 has been around since the last generation of consoles, but it comes optimized for Xbox Series X, running in 4k at 60 FPS with an optional 120Hz Crucible mode on compatible devices, as well as a customizable field of view. It’s one of the best ways to experience one of the best shooters, making it a necessity for FPS fans on our list of the best Xbox Series X games.
Xbox Series X Optimized
Why we love it
Elden Ring’s open world map is one of the biggest reasons this game is so enjoyable. From the get-go you’re free to explore whichever area you see fit, regardless of how skilled you are in combat. It’s enough to keep you entertained for hundreds of hours, and that’s before you start facing off with the maps’ fierce inhabitants.
Developer FromSoftware continues its run of notoriously difficult action RPGs – or Souls-likes, as ubiquitous as the term is now – with Elden Ring. Set in the fantasy realm of The Lands Between, players hack, slash, dodge, and perfectly time their way through the realm with the hopes of becoming the Elden Lord.
While there is always a lot to uncover in a FromSoftware game, Elden Ring is the first that lets you roam the entirety of its vast world from the beginning, and it offers a way to engage and disengage from difficult encounters as you see fit. The trademark difficulty of FromSoftware’s Soulslike games is still present here, but for fans of their particular brand of grimdark fantasy, there is no better game.
Why we love it
Forza Horizon 5 raises the bar of previous Forza titles, and there is a lot of new content and mechanics to sink into. If you’re a long-running fan of the series, then this is a game worth sinking into. Especially with its impressive graphics on Xbox.
The fifth instalment of the Xbox-exclusive racing game, now on Xbox Series X is as groundbreaking Forza Horizon 4 was for the Xbox One. It’s a game introducing fun innovations to its genre, all while raising the bar visually. Forza Horizon 5 takes you to over 100 square kilometers of road, all over the beautiful Mexican landscape. This racer comes with over 500 cars, which you can drive through an open world as you please, completing different driving challenges, or compete in races and even a Battle Royale mode.
Forza Horizon 5 might just be the current gold standard for what games can look like on the Xbox Series X. It’s such a beautiful mixture of high-octane racing and just unabashed celebration of a beautiful place on earth that it’s an attractive game even if you have never touched a racer before. On a gameplay level, it’s the sheer amount of options it gives you that makes it such a worthwhile game.
Xbox Series X Optimized and available on Xbox Game Pass
Why we love it
Gears Tactics offers a slightly different experience for fans of the Gears of War series, which makes it worth picking up. The Xbox Series X also helps to make the most of the game for what its worth.
Gears Tactics, as the name suggests, is a tactical turn-based shooter set in the Gears of War universe. Instead of running in guns blazing, players need to be more strategic about how they approach combat. Tactics is a great spin-off for those who love the Gears of War franchise, but want to try something a bit different, making it one of the best Xbox Series X games around.
While it’s previously been released on Xbox One and PC, it also served as a launch title for the Xbox Series X, thanks to some excellent next-gen enhancements. Those playing on Xbox Series X will benefit from gameplay in 4K Ultra HD and 60fps, with enhanced textures, increased world detail, and a choice of 60 or 30 frames per second for cinematics.
Xbox Series X Optimized and available on Xbox Game Pass
Why we love it
Hi-Fi Rush’s charming landscape and entertaining gameplay make this title a must-play for any Xbox players. The soundtrack keeps you on your toes, and makes combat feel more intense than ever as you try and land hits on beat, so much so you will want to play through this title time and time again.
With Hi-Fi Rush, Tango Gameworks released the ultimate dream game for fans of early Oughts platforming and rhythm gaming. The story is quickly told: protagonist Chai agrees to replace his broken arm with a shiny new mechanical one, but in the process, his mp3 player accidentally gets implanted in his chest. Now everything in the world moves to the rhythm of Chai’s music. Everyone is also immediately out to get him, seeing as he has a malfunction that needs to be “corrected”.
Chai jumps and fights his way through an incredibly vibrant world set to really good music. The combat sees him using a guitar to attack enemies, and getting the rhythm right unleashed satisfying combos accompanied by cheering and stunning visual effects. If you love 2D animation, then you’ll love Hi-Fi Rush – its animation is some of the best around, and it’s tonally very much like a silly cartoon, too. This Xbox exclusive is simply one of the best rhythm games you can play, and its vibrant presentation is hard to resist.
Available on Xbox Game Pass
Why we love it
The Halo series is a staple in an Xbox players library, and Halo Infinite is the flagship of futuristic FPS titles, which is why we recommend it so highly. If you’re yet to pick it up, it’s well worth doing in order to make the most of your console, and you’re guaranteed a good time while doing so.
Halo is Xbox’s flagship series of futuristic first-person shooters, and Halo Infinite is no exception. As Master Chief, you make your way through the ringworld Zeta Halo, where forces of the Banished have stranded you. As you’re trying to find a way off-planet, you quickly learn there’s a lot more to Zeta Halo than you can see at first glance.
Since taking over the Halo franchise from its original developer Bungie, 343 Industries hasn’t strayed from the formula much, but putting the game into an open world serves to refresh the formula, even though many of the tasks you get, such as freeing outposts, will be familiar if you’ve played any open-world game before. Master Chief’s versatile new grappling hook does a lot to make combat more snappy, and the story offers some satisfying twists and turns. Halo Infinite is a great blend of old and new, keeping the spirit of the series intact while including fun new elements.
Xbox Series X Optimized and available on Xbox Game Pass
Why we love it
If you’re played previous Hitman titles, then you’ll understand why the final title is worth playing. Offering stealth like never before, the tension this game creates through its content is unmatched for other games of the same genre.
Hitman 3 is the dramatic conclusion to the acclaimed stealth series that sees Agent 47 take out targets all across the globe. The gameplay is easy to explain – you get a target, infiltrate their space, and try to off them unseen. However, in this seemingly simple concept lies an unprecedented amount of depth. While you’re lying in wait, targets, as well as the people around them, continue to live their lives, often forcing you to think on the fly and make clever use of the environment to get to your goal.
The new locations, such as Dubai, China, and Argentina, are some of the most memorable of the series. Add to that more experimental objectives and a gripping story (plus native 4K at 60fps on the Xbox Series X) and Hitman 3 rightly deserves its place on our best Xbox Series X games list.
Xbox Series X Optimized
Why we love it
The immersion of a Microsoft Flight Sim game is pretty unmatched by the vast majority of alternative simulation titles. It’s incredibly easy to take to the skies and lose yourself for a few hours at a time, which is why its a game we always find ourselves coming back to.
Want to fly over Machu Picchu? Maybe take in the breathtaking view of the Northern Lights in Norway? Maybe you just want to see how your neighborhood looks from a plane? Then Microsoft Flight Simulator is probably for you as it allows you to soar the skies of the entire world – complete with real-time weather and traffic. This is a realistic flight simulator in many more aspects than the weather – you’ll need to understand the different controls on a plane, displays, and behavior, which is part of the fun.
Once you’re soaring above the clouds, even the most fiddly plane will the worth it, as Microsoft Flight Simulator is really a great reminder of how beautiful our planet is. Players who love deep flight simulation get with Microsoft Flight Simulator the best game of its kind, which becomes even more enjoyable with the right peripherals. Using cutting-edge technology and graphics for the ultimate immersive experience, this is one of the best Xbox Series X games.
Xbox Series X Optimized and available on Xbox Game Pass
Why we love it
Sea of Thieves is one of the best co-op games available, simply put. It’s incredibly easy to jump into and play with friends, and there are hours of fun embedded in its high-seas exploration. With constant collaborations and events, there’s an incredible amount of content at your fingertips.
Sea of Thieves is Rare’s multiplayer pirating sandbox and incredible game that makes your dreams of becoming a mighty pirate come true. Whether you hunt treasure, attack other ships, or deck out your own, there is always something to do. Additionally, Sea of Thieves doesn’t use an expansion pass model, meaning that after your initial purchase of the game, you get to enjoy a world that’s constantly being added to and refined. We even went so far as to say Sea of Thieves is putting other live service games to shame.
On Xbox Series X, Sea of Thieves benefits from a sizable boost to its frame rate. the game now runs at silky-smooth 4K/60fps, and the improvement is tangible. Whether you’re sailing across rough waters as a storm begins to break, or battling skeletons on the shoreline in the hunt for treasure, the game feels far more responsive and enjoyable as a result. The game also now loads incredibly fast thanks to the Xbox Series X’s SSD. It’s a fantastic upgrade over the Xbox One version and one that deserves to be called one of the best Xbox Series X Games out there.
Xbox Series X Optimized and available on Xbox Game Pass
Best Xbox Series X games: FAQs
Which games are better on the Xbox Series X?
It’s undeniable that some games look better on the Xbox Series X thanks to Xbox Series X optimization. If you’re looking for games that run in 4K at a consistent 60fps or simply look better on Xbox than on PS5, try games like Control: Ultimate Edition, Forza Horizon 5 or Hitman 3.
How we made our best Xbox Series X games list
The TechRadar Gaming team is gaming and tech experts. We’ve played hundreds and hundreds of hours across loads of Xbox Series X games, and so are fully qualified to give you some key recommendations for the console.
As a team made up of different folks with different areas of interest, expertise, and experience, we have the balance to present to you a solid best list, but one that we constantly scrutinise with each new release – but also more generally, arguing over titles that might make it into our best Xbox Series X game list, or those that are in danger of being replaced. As a result of this experience, you can trust us and our picks.
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