10 Best Xbox One Games of 2026

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is the best value on this list for shooter fans. The Xbox Store page describes Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3 and Halo 4, plus Halo: Reach and Halo 3: ODST, as one integrated package with 67 campaign missions and more than 120 multiplayer maps. That alone puts it close to Red Dead Redemption 2, and at $39.99 it costs less. It also does something few current shooters do: the capabilities list shared and split screen, 2-player local co-op and up to 4-player local multiplayer, so it still works for couch play on an Xbox One. Halo 2: Anniversary includes a Classic Mode that flips between remastered and original 2004 graphics. The page also lists Halo: Reach at $9.99 and Halo 3: ODST at $4.99 inside the bundle, so confirm what your purchase includes. Game Pass Premium and Ultimate members get it included.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is our top Xbox One pick because no other game here packs this much into one purchase that still runs on the older console. The Xbox Store page describes a story set in 1899, with Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang on the run from federal agents and bounty hunters, and says the game has won over 175 Game of the Year awards. The same $59.99 package includes Red Dead Online, a shared world where you can build a camp, hunt, fish, trade, chase bounties or run a moonshine business, with online play listed for 2 to 32 players. If you only want the campaign, the store lists Story Mode on its own at $39.99. The trade-offs: it is rated Mature 17+, online play on console needs a Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate membership, and the game is not part of Game Pass, so you pay the full price. For a long single-player story with an online world to return to, it is the safest buy.

The Witcher 3 has been on Xbox One since its first release, and the Xbox Store now sells The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, dated September 29, 2026, which still lists Xbox One in its Play with section. That makes it the newest version of any game on this list that an Xbox One owner can buy. The store page says the remaster brings an upgraded skill system, revamped combat and improved visuals, and it includes both expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, for $49.99. The story follows Geralt of Rivia looking for his adopted daughter Ciri, with swords, potions, bombs and combat magic. It is single player only and leans on menus, crafting and inventory, which is why it scores lower than Halo for ease of setup. Xbox Play Anywhere means a purchase also covers PC. If you want one deep RPG with no online requirement, this is it.

Forza Horizon 5 replaces Forza Horizon 4 on this list. The Forza Horizon 4 Standard Edition page on the US Xbox Store no longer shows a price to buy the game, while Forza Horizon 5 is still sold for $59.99 and lists Xbox One under Play with. The store page describes an ever-evolving open world in Mexico with hundreds of the world's greatest cars, with online co-op for 2 to 6 players and online multiplayer for 2 to 12. It is rated Everyone, which makes it the easiest choice here for a household with children, and it scores highest on ease of setup because you can drive off and play without learning complex systems. Value is lower because the full price is $59.99 and the store sells many car packs on top. Game Pass Premium and Ultimate members get the Standard Edition included, which is the cheapest way to play it.

Gears 5 is the cheapest way on this list to get a full shooter campaign plus co-op modes on Xbox One. The Xbox Store sells it for $29.99, and it is included with Game Pass Essential, Premium and Ultimate. The campaign follows Kait Diaz uncovering her connection to the enemy, and the store page says it can be played in three-player online or split-screen co-op. Beyond the story there is Versus for competitive players and two co-op survival modes, Horde and Escape. The page lists eight accessibility features, including full controller remapping, single stick movement, Adaptive Controller support and narrated menus, more than most games here. It ranks below the open-world picks because it is a more focused game, and the story assumes you know the earlier Gears titles. It is rated Mature 17+, and some modes on console need a Game Pass membership.

Grand Theft Auto V is the safest pick for an Xbox One owner who might buy a Series X|S later. The Xbox Store listing says the product entitles you to download both the digital Xbox One version and the digital Xbox Series X|S version, including Grand Theft Auto Online, for $39.99. The story follows a young street hustler, a retired bank robber and a psychopath who must pull off a series of heists, and GTA Online is described as an ever-evolving world for up to 30 players. That mix of a finished campaign and a long-running online mode is why it ranks just behind The Witcher 3. It loses points on content: it is rated Mature 17+ with strong sexual content and intense violence, so it is not a family game. Online play on console also needs a Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate plan, and the game is not in Game Pass.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is the best-looking game here for its price, and the strongest choice for someone who wants to finish a game rather than live in one. The Xbox Store page describes a hand-painted world, a fully orchestrated score and a story about the spirit Ori trying to bring a family back together. Combat uses spirit weapons, spells and a Shard system that changes abilities, and there are large bosses and escape sequences. Spirit Trials add speed-run leaderboards and Spirit Shrines add timed combat waves, which give it some replay value. The page lists 4K and HDR on Xbox One X. It costs $29.99, or comes with Game Pass Essential, Premium and Ultimate. It is single player only, and the platforming is demanding in places even though the rating is Everyone.

Elden Ring has the deepest combat and character building of anything on this list, and it ranks eighth only because it is the hardest game here to get into. The Xbox Store page describes a world where open fields and huge dungeons are connected, and lets you mix weapons, armor and magic freely, building a strong warrior or a magic user. Online play adds co-op for 2 to 3 players, multiplayer for up to 6 and an asynchronous system that lets you feel the presence of other players. It lists Xbox Live cross-gen multiplayer, so Xbox One and Series X|S owners can play together. The base game costs $59.99, and the Shadow of the Erdtree Edition with the expansion costs $79.99. It is not in Game Pass and is rated Mature 17+. If you enjoy learning bosses through repeated attempts, rank it higher in your own list.

Sea of Thieves is the pick for a group of friends who want one game to return to every week. The Xbox Store page describes plundering lost treasures, fighting battles and defeating sea monsters, and the capabilities list online co-op and multiplayer for 2 to 4 players with cross-platform play, so Xbox One owners can sail with friends on PC or Series X|S. The current product is the Sea of Thieves 2026 Edition at $39.99, which adds the soundtrack, an audiobook and an eBook, and it is included with Game Pass Premium and Ultimate. It ranks ninth because it depends on other people: the page lists single player, but the game is built around crews. Online play on console needs a Game Pass Essential, Premium or Ultimate plan, and there are in-game purchases. If you have a regular crew, move it up your list.

Cuphead is the cheapest game on this list and one of the most distinctive. The Xbox Store page describes a classic run and gun game focused on boss battles, drawn with traditional hand-drawn cel animation and watercolor backgrounds, with original jazz recordings. You play as Cuphead or Mugman alone or in 2-player local co-op, pick up new weapons and super moves, and try to pay your debt back to the devil. It costs $19.99, and the bundle with The Delicious Last Course expansion is $26.99. It sits last because it is short on content compared with the open-world games and because the bosses are hard, which is why it scores lowest on ease of setup. There is no online co-op on the page, and it is not in Game Pass. For two people on one couch who enjoy a challenge, it is still worth the price.