There’s no shortage of choices for the best Xbox Series X games in 2025, so narrowing things down to just 10 wasn’t easy. Microsoft’s latest home console generation may be lagging behind in sales compared to the PS5, however, there is still a wealth of franchises and console exclusives worth playing on the platform.
Whether that means running around in the chunky boots of John-117, the Master Chief, going for a personal best lap time in Forza Motorsport, or taking on the world in the latest online shooter, you’ll find only the best games for Xbox Series X listed below.
Best Xbox Series X games in 2025
10. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 may have had a rocky launch, but the latest installment in the aviation simulation series is now cleared for takeoff. The title intelligently uses AI to craft a realistic depiction of the entire world as you fly from dozens of airports across Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, North America, and more.
The standard edition of the game features a staggering 70 aircraft vehicles. However, varying editions include up to 125, many of which have been introduced into this year’s version of the game for the first time. You can take out the likes of the Airbus A310-300 and Boeing 737 Max for a spin to get a taste of the full commercial flight experience or go a little granular with the Powrachute Sky Rascal and even a Hot Air Ballon.
Without question, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 ranks among the best simulation games on Xbox Series X, but it’s not without a steep learning curve. There’s a suite of in-depth tutorials to help guide you from an airspace amateur to a seasoned pilot pro; combine that with some exciting missions that will test your skills, and you will have all the makings of an all-star classic. There are a few teething problems and less content from the 2020 iteration, but this should develop with time; the new features more than compensate.
9. Forza Motorsport (2023)
Rebooting the Forza Motorsport series was no easy feat for Turn 10 Studios. The 2023 entry arrived after several less-than-stellar titles over the previous decade, which left a lot to be desired, such as Forza Motorsport 5 and 6. The latest installment trimmed the fat without sacrificing the content, delivering one of the best racing games on the Xbox Series X to date.
For a start, Forza Motorsport (2023) is the first in the franchise to be developed exclusively for the Xbox Series X (and PC), finally leaving the aging Xbox One generation behind. This results in an unparalleled level of graphical fidelity and realism, which applies not only to the more than 500 vehicles (over 100 of which are new to the series) but also to the 20 newly constructed tracks to race on as well.
Petrolheads will no doubt get a kick out of the best cars in Forza Motorsport (2023). You can choose from classics such as the Mercedes-Benz 190E and Ferrari 641 to leading hypercars like the Koenigsegg Jesko, Rimac Nevera, and Hennessey Venom F5. What good are cars if you can’t push them, though? Luckily, you can take to Italy’s Mugello Circuit, South Africa’s Kyalamiu Grand Prix Circuit, and even the twisty Suzuka Circuit found in Japan. There’s also a handful of fictional raceways as well, like Grand Oak and Maple Valley, too.
8. Halo Infinite
Released fairly early into the Xbox Series X’s lifespan, Halo Infinite saw the long-running FPS franchise get a shot in the arm after its predecessor failed to capture the hearts and minds of seasoned fans. As with most mainline entries, you once again play as John-117, the Master Chief, in easily one of the best shooters on Xbox Series X in 2025.
The Halo Infinite campaign is a series best and will take you anywhere from 10 to 20 hours to complete, depending on whether you take the time to explore or not. For the first time in the franchise, you have a semi-open world to fight in, and Master Chief has a fair few tricks up his sleeve, such as the Grappleshot, which can greatly aid verticality. You’ll need to bring your A-game to push back against the invading Banished on the beautiful but deadly world of Installation 07 (Zeta Halo).
Another string to Halo Infinite’s armored bow is the fact that you can play the extensive multiplayer modes without paying a penny. For some, the Halo Infinite multiplayer could be all they ever do, battling on dozens of maps such as Aquarius, Bazaar, Chasm, Deadlock, Highpower, Prism, and Streets. Capture the Flag and Slayer return; Infection and King of the Hill are accounted for, and even Oddball shows up again. The multiplayer ranks among the best free Xbox Series X games around, but you shouldn’t miss out on the story either.
7. Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl
A more recent entry for the best Xbox Series X games list, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, finally arrived on the platform in November 2024 despite multiple delays. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. GSC Game World’s sequel, more than 15 years in the making, translates the tension, horror, and atmosphere of the original PC-exclusive trilogy wonderfully to Unreal Engine 5 and the current generation Xbox platform.
Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is far from the easiest or most accessible shooter to get into, but it’s a touch more forgiving than the likes of Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat without diluting what made those X-Ray engine games so satisfying to play in the first place. Heart of Chornobyl rewards exploration but isn’t without its risks. Dare you venture deep into the darkness of The Zone for the best loot, making uneasy alliances along the way, or do you throw caution to the wind and stick to the daylight? It’s all up to you.
One of the most impressive features about Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl (and the series in general) is its leading AI, as enemies can be incredibly aggressive and tactical. This extends to the hardcore mechanics of the title as well, as you’ll need to eat, sleep, stop/slow bleeding, and deal with radiation poisoning. It’s easily the best Xbox Series X survival game you can play right now, but certainly not for the faint of heart.
6. Starfield
Bethesda has a reputation for creating some of the best RPGs on Xbox, and its latest entry largely carries on the trend. The company’s latest IP in over 25 years, Starfield had to get it right when making its first impression when it debuted last year, and thankfully, it does enough to be worth a play in 2025.
You play as a deep space miner who stumbles across a mysterious artifact when out on the job. It takes you on a space-trotting adventure throughout the Milky Way Galaxy. You’ll meet new friends and enemies as you acquire new weapons and armor. Admittedly, the critical path isn’t a developer-best, but the real adventure is in the heart of the side content. It all depends on who you meet and the decisions you make for the full experience.
More recently, Starfield: Shattered Space launched in September 2024, and it centralized the core of the gameplay. Instead of hundreds of planets, you’re exploring just one: Va’ruun’kai, the home planet of House Va’ruun. The moon orbiting Kavnyk means you’ll get to play around with zero gravity mechanics to uncover the story behind the Great Serpent. As with many Bethesda games, you need to use the foundations provided to get the most out of things, but it’s worth doing.
5. Metaphor: ReFantazio
If you’re in the mood for an epic anime adventure, then you’ll want to pick up Metaphor: ReFantazio. The Atlus-developed title takes a new spin on the turn-based action as seen from the company’s previous Persona and Shin Megami Tensei franchises. It’s a fight for the vacant throne in a twisting tale of democracy, power, and corruption that can easily last you upwards of 100 hours if you aim to complete everything.
Despite being released late in 2024, Metaphor: ReFantazio ranks among the best turn-based RPGs on Xbox Series X already, thanks to its stellar visuals, excellent main story, and captivating characters. The aptly named Protagonist is your main character, but there are also others to control, like Grius, Strohl, Junah, Epha, and Heismay. That’s to say nothing of the Follower side quests and other side missions you can go on to deepen your relationships with the roster, too.
4. Dead Space (2023)
After a full decade of dormancy, the Dead Space series came back in top form with a ground-up remake of the first game in the franchise. Developed by EA Motive, Dead Space is a faithful recreation of the 2008 cult classic survival horror hit, armed with some intelligent changes to the physics, level design, bosses, and weapons, which make the 2023 version the definitive way to play.
Dead Space (2023) is an easy contender for the best horror games on Xbox Series X, on a platform that has no shortage of scares, either. One of the biggest additions over the original is the implementation of Isaac Clarke’s voice actor, Gunnar Wright, who reprises his roles from Dead Space 2 and Dead Space 3. Clarke was famously mute in the original, with little in the way of ingenuity or initiative. Now, with a voice, he is an active participant in the events of the story, leading to a far stronger narrative throughline than the “go here, do this” structure of the 2008 game.
Of course, Dead Space (2023) has incredible visuals that really show off the power of the Xbox Series X, especially when enabling ray tracing, which makes the contrast of light and dark even more menacing. You’ll never quite know exactly when a Necromorph will emerge from the shadows, adding to the tension. Combined with the “peeling system”, which shows real-time damage and deformation of enemies, you have one of the most gripping survival horror games on Xbox yet.
3. Tekken 8
Simply put, Tekken 8 is the best fighting game on Xbox Series X. The franchise may have its roots in PlayStation. However, the latest entry looks and plays exceptionally well on Microsoft’s latest console. This entry is exclusive to ninth-generation console hardware and powered by Unreal Engine 5 for incredible graphics and effects combined with a rock-solid 60fps framerate. What’s more, the game supports crossplay, so you can jump on with your friends (or go up against strangers) regardless of their platform of choice.
Tekken 8 features two complete story modes to go through, The Dark Awakens and Unforgettable Echoes, so there’s a wealth of content for single-player gamers as well. In tandem with a detailed practice mode, Arcade Quest, and even the return of Tekken Ball, you have one of the most feature-packed fighters on the platform. It’s not the easiest fighting game to get to grips with, owing to its expansive moves list and 3D range of movement, but it’s worth learning for anyone who wants an engaging and consistently exciting experience.
2. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
It’s no secret that Cyberpunk 2077 was severely problematic at launch and on consoles for several years after its release. CD Projekt Red had spent several years delivering hotfixes and sweeping patch updates to create a now-definitive shooter/RPG on the platform. The Ultimate Edition includes not only the base game (which itself will take you upwards of 30 hours) but also the highly-received Phantom Liberty expansion as well (another 20 or so hours).
The main story of Cyberpunk 2077 is consistently thrilling and immersive. You play as V, a small-time mercenary in Night City who must make a name for themselves by any means necessary. After a failed heist, you’re lumbered with the engram (a personality construct) of long-dead rocker-turned-terrorist Johnny Silver (portrayed by Keanu Reeves) in a tangled twisting tale to save your life. It’s one of the best Xbox Series X games of all time.
Where Cyberpunk 2077 excels most is in its jaw-dropping level of detail, which is present and accounted for on the Xbox Series X; you can even enjoy the game with ray tracing functionality, too. Driving around Night City in the latest cars and motorcycles never gets old; there’s always a story around the corner and people to meet. Whether that’s completing all the gigs to earn enough Eddies for the latest augments at the Ripper Doc or building a minimalist character that prefers traditional firepower.
You have full freedom of choice in how you play; the only question is, do you opt for the quiet life or go out in a blaze of glory?
1. Elden Ring
FromSoftware’s games are renowned for their rewarding level of challenge, and the same is true of Elden Ring. With that said, the Japanese company’s newest effort takes the previously linear formula to the open world, giving you the freedom to go wherever you want and take on challenges as you see fit. This commitment to non-linearity, coupled with satisfying combat mechanics and traversal, makes Elden Ring the definitive Xbox Series X game in 2025.
While there are over a dozen main Elden Ring bosses, you’ll likely encounter many more as you make your way through the Lands Between. Whether this means taking on early-game foes in Limgrave, such as the Tree Sentinel, Stonedigger Troll, or Mad Pumpkin Head, or making a beeline to the critical path, all play styles are equally valid as it’s your adventure ultimately.
The different classes you choose will determine your Elden Ring experience. You can go in as a Warrior, a Samurai, or a Vagabond, or try something different as a Prisoner, Confessor, Wretch, or Astrologer. There’s an in-depth character creator to build the right protagonist. That’s all to say nothing of the beloved Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, which adds anywhere from 25 to 50 hours onto an already (likely) 100+ hour experience. If you buy one game for your Xbox Series X and want a compelling challenge, make it this one.
