The Best Games to Play on Xbox Series X|S Right Now

11 months 1 week ago

Between Microsoft continuing its fight to get its Activision Blizzard through and dropping out of E3 2023 along with other gaming entities (effectively canceling the convention altogether) the Xbox Series X/S is feeling pretty green this spring. As part of its effort to become carbon negative by 2030, the company released the Xbox Wireless Controller - Remix Special Edition, which is partly made out of recycled parts, including CDs, water jugs, and other Xbox controller parts — and comes with a rechargeable battery pack! You can help save the planet and grab the controller to play one of 15 of the best Xbox Series X/S games handpicked by us.

This list only includes games with dedicated Xbox Series X|S enhancements — Xbox One backward-compatible games are no longer eligible.

Whether you're diving into an all-new adventure, getting the most out of your gaming TV with 4K 120Hz gameplay, or revisiting an old favorite through backwards compatibility on Xbox, these are the IGN staff's picks for the 15 best Xbox Series X|S games.

Most recent game updates were made on May 12, 2022.

More on the best of Xbox:

15. Outer Wilds

For those of you looking for an adventure that'll put your exploration skills to the test, Outer Wilds Ventures is waiting with a beautiful mystery about life and death ready to unfold. Outer Wilds will challenge you to discover why an ancient civilization suddenly disappeared and, more importantly, why the universe keeps ending every 22 minutes. That end of the universe does mean your progress resets after the time expires, but the time loop makes space for interesting puzzles and even cooler planet designs.

Better yet, you can explore Outer Wilds' solar system in whatever order you want. You can drop a thread or pick it back up whenever inspiration strikes you. Or, you can just hang out with other explores on their planet, listen to music, and roast marshmallows. Outer Wilds uniquely manages to be cozy in its exploration while also challenging and sometimes rather spooky with its puzzles. If you're craving more after you've discovered the secrets of Outer Wilds' universe, one more mystery remains with the Echoes of the Eye DLC.

14. Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Moon Studios' excellent Ori and the Will of the Wisps builds on the first game’s fun foundation without bogging it down or becoming overcomplicated, which is the best praise you can give a sequel. It stays true to the spirit of the original, doubles down on what made it great, and gives you more stake in the world and options to navigate it.

And now on Xbox Series X, Moon has pushed the already jaw-droppingly gorgeous game to new heights at 120 FPS and 4K UHD, with native HDR support, and even a 6K resolution supersampled rendering mode at 60 FPS. When paired with the dynamic high-range audio, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the absolute best way to play this heartfelt followup of the little spirit that never gives up on its friends.

IGN spoke with Moon Studios in 2020 to discuss the potential of a new Ori game, though Microsoft is reportedly no longer working with the studio following what was said to be a "difficult relationship." The studio is now working on a new action-RPG in partnership with Take-Two's Private Division publishing label.

13. Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Halo: The Master Chief Collection now collects six Halo games all under one digital roof – everything except Halo 5: Guardians. It's been torn down to the studs and rebuilt in grand fashion, and even better, it's been upgraded AGAIN for Xbox Series X with support for 120fps gameplay. Crazy to think that these games were 480i/30fps the first time we played them...

12. Mass Effect Legendary Edition

Mass Effect Legendary Edition includes Mass Effect 1-3, and almost every single piece of DLC ever made for the games including armor, story missions, characters and more. As a matter of fact, the only content not included was Pinnacle Station for the original Mass Effect, and that's only because the code was somehow lost at BioWare.

All together, it really is the best edition of some of the best RPGs ever created. Follow Commander Shepard on a space journey spanning three massive games as they builds their team and protect the galaxy from the ultimate destroyer known as the Reapers. Unmissable.

BioWare is now "hard at work" on the next Mass Effect alongside its next Dragon Age game, Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.

11. Hitman 3

Unfortunately, pure stealth games seem to be a dying genre. Metal Gear? MIA. Splinter Cell? Sigh... But Agent 47 lives on, and his latest outing, Hitman 3, is the best the series – and the entire stealth genre – has seen in years. The conclusion to the new-era Hitman trilogy sees Agent 47 tackle six new missions, from the opening Dubai skyscraper to the Knives Out-like family mansion that follows.

All of them, like the best of this series, can be played many different times in many different ways. Disguises, gadgets, poisons, plotting, planning, and sweet-talking are all tools in your arsenal in the most gloriously fun ways.

IO Interactive has placed the Hitman franchise on hiatus to focus on developing the anticipated James Bond game.

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