10 Best Xbox Series X Games of 2026

Baldur's Gate 3 leads this list because no other Xbox Series X|S game packs this much choice into one campaign and lets friends join it on the same couch. Larian's store page describes a Dungeons & Dragons story in the Forgotten Realms where you pick a race and class, or play one of the origin characters, and travel from the Underdark to the Upper City. The Xbox version supports split-screen co-op for two players on one console and online play for two to four, with cross-platform co-op, so a friend on PC can join. Xbox Play Anywhere means the $69.99 purchase also unlocks the PC version. The store lists 60 fps+, HDR10 and Optimized for Xbox Series X|S. The trade-offs: combat follows turn-based D&D rules, which takes patience, the game carries a Mature 17+ rating, and it is not part of Game Pass, so you have to buy it. For a single game that can fill months of evenings, solo or with friends, it is the safest buy on the console.

Forza Horizon 6 is the best pick for anyone who wants an instantly fun game that works for the whole household. The Xbox Store page sets it in Japan with over 550 real-world cars and calls Tokyo City the largest urban area ever built for a Forza Horizon game. You start as a tourist, qualify for the Horizon Festival and work up to Legend Island, with homes and customizable garages to buy and a mountain-valley Estate to build in. Multiplayer covers Car Meets, Time Attack Circuits, Drag Meets, The Eliminator and Hide & Seek, and the CoLab toolset now lets friends build events together anywhere on the map. Playground also lists assists such as AutoDrive and Car Proximity Radar, and the game is rated Everyone. It costs $69.99 at the US store, or comes with Game Pass Ultimate. It is not on Xbox One and not in Game Pass Premium, so owners of the older console or the cheaper tier should consider Forza Horizon 5 instead.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is the RPG to buy if you want a strong story and inventive combat without a co-op group. Sandfall's store page sets up a world where a being called the Paintress erases everyone above a certain age each year, and the expedition leaves to stop her before she paints the number 33. Battles are turn-based, but you dodge, parry and counter in real time, chain combos and aim freely at weak points, so fights reward timing as well as planning. Characters are built through gear, stats, skills and party synergies. The Xbox Store lists 4K Ultra HD, 60 fps+, Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, 18 languages and Xbox Play Anywhere. At $49.99 it costs $20 less than Baldur's Gate 3. The limits are clear from the same page: it is single player only, it is not in Game Pass, and only one accessibility feature is listed, which matters for players who rely on accessibility settings.

Elden Ring is the pick for players who want challenge and discovery more than guidance. Bandai Namco's store page describes open fields and large three-dimensional dungeons connected in one world, character builds that freely mix weapons, armor and magic, and a story told in fragments. Online, you can bring in two or three players for co-op, and an asynchronous system leaves messages from other players in your world. On Xbox Series X|S the store lists 4K Ultra HD, HDR10 and Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, and Smart Delivery means the $59.99 purchase covers both console generations. The Shadow of the Erdtree Edition, at $79.99, adds the large expansion. It ranks below the top three because it is the hardest game here to get into: there is no split-screen, it is not on Game Pass, and its difficulty will stop some players early. If that sounds appealing rather than off-putting, it offers more to explore per dollar than almost anything else on the console.

DOOM: The Dark Ages is the shooter to play alone on Xbox Series X. id Software's store page calls it the prequel to DOOM (2016) and DOOM Eternal and a single-player dark fantasy and sci-fi campaign. The Super Shotgun returns, the new Shield Saw adds a melee and defense tool, and you ride a Mecha Dragon and pilot a giant Atlan mech between ground fights. On Series X|S the store lists ray tracing, Variable Refresh Rate, 60 fps+, Dolby Atmos and spatial sound, plus 11 accessibility features and 14 languages. It is $49.99 to buy and included with Game Pass Premium and Ultimate, so many owners can try it without paying extra. The limits are simple: there is no multiplayer mode, the Mature 17+ rating rules it out for younger players, and the Revelations add-on is sold separately. If you want a shooter to share with friends, Gears of War: Reloaded or Halo Infinite is the better choice.

Gears of War: Reloaded is the cheapest way on this list to get a full co-op campaign on one console. The Coalition's store page describes a remaster of the first Gears of War, rebuilt in Unreal Engine with 4K assets, remastered lighting and textures, HDR and Dolby Vision. It includes all post-launch content of the original, including a bonus campaign act and extra multiplayer maps, at no extra cost. Two players can play the campaign in split-screen or online, and Versus multiplayer supports two to eight players at up to 120 fps. Cross-play and cross-progression mean friends on PC can join and your saves follow you. Newcomers can pick a modern control layout. It costs $39.99 and is in Game Pass Premium and Ultimate. The catch is age: this is a remaster of the first game in the series, so its campaign is shorter and simpler than recent releases, and its store page notes that online multiplayer on console needs Game Pass Essential or higher.

Halo Infinite is the free option on this list, and the free part is its multiplayer. The Xbox Store page lists over 70 maps in matchmaking, ranked modes, Custom Games and Firefight: King of the Hill, a wave-based co-op survival mode. Forge, the map and mode editor, adds visual scripting, object scaling, lighting tools and an AI Toolkit that puts campaign enemies into custom creations. Play works across Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC, and the store lists up to 120 fps, VRR and keyboard and mouse support on console. It is rated Teen, the lowest rating among the shooters here. The campaign is a separate product, listed at $59.99 on the US Xbox Store and included with Game Pass Premium and Ultimate. Cosmetics are sold in-game. Because the free version is multiplayer only, players who want a story should treat it as a $59.99 game or play the campaign through Game Pass.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is the adventure game on this list. MachineGames' store page sets it in 1937, between Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Last Crusade, with Indy traveling from Marshall College to the Vatican, the pyramids of Egypt and the sunken temples of Sukhothai. Play is a first-person mix of exploration, ancient puzzles and combat, and Todd Howard is credited as executive producer. The Xbox Store lists ray tracing, Variable Refresh Rate, 60 fps+ and Dolby Atmos, plus 15 accessibility features and a Teen rating. It costs $69.99 or comes with Game Pass Premium and Ultimate, which is the better route for most players since the game has no multiplayer to keep you coming back. The Order of Giants add-on is sold separately. It ranks below DOOM and Gears because it costs $20 to $30 more to buy outright, but it is the best option here for players who prefer puzzles to shooting.

Starfield is the long single-player RPG for players who want to make their own character and wander. Bethesda's store page calls it the studio's first new universe in 25 years, from the team behind The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4. The year is 2330; you begin as a space miner, join Constellation, a group of explorers hunting rare artifacts, and travel the Settled Systems. The Xbox Store lists 4K Ultra HD, HDR10, Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Play Anywhere and cloud saves. It costs $49.99, with the Premium Edition at $69.99, and it is included with Game Pass Premium and Ultimate, which is how most owners will try it. It sits near the bottom of this list because it is single player only, lists just 5 accessibility features, and offers less shared or couch play than the games above it. If Baldur's Gate 3 or Clair Obscur already fill your RPG time, you can skip it; if you have Game Pass, it costs nothing extra to start.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is on this list because nothing else on Xbox Series X|S lets you fly anywhere on the planet. Asobo's store page says the Standard Edition includes over 65 aircraft and 150 handcrafted airports. A career mode builds from certifications to jobs such as Medevac, remote cargo, aerial firefighting, search and rescue and airline flying, and there are competitive Challenge League events plus Red Bull and Reno air races. A World Photographer mode adds photo challenges at landmarks. The store also describes a physics system with more than 10,000 rigid-body surfaces. It is rated Everyone, lists 12 accessibility features and 18 languages, and is included with Game Pass Premium and Ultimate. It ranks last because it scores lowest on ease of setup: flying takes practice, and it is a slow game compared with everything above it. The $69.99 Standard Edition is enough to start, and the pricier editions mainly add aircraft and airports.