Ever since the original Xbox hit the market to compete with the PlayStation, the two systems have more or less been at a graphical stalemate. Yes, the Xbox One lagged slightly behind the PS4, but with this generation, Microsoft decided to split the difference and offer players two choices for jumping into next-gen. Comparing the Xbox Series X versus Series S all comes down to graphics since they can both play the best Xbox Series X games.
Despite having an uneven release schedule from first-party studios, the Xbox Series X has built up an impressive library of visually stunning games, and there are plenty of upcoming Xbox Series X games to look forward to. Many games here could even be mistaken for real-life footage or images, and yet they’re fully playable on this powerful console. Showing off what your new console can push out visually is always a treat, so if you’re looking for a handful of games that will make any onlooker’s jaw drop, here are our picks for some of the Xbox Series X games with the best graphics.
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Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Simulator
Developer
Asobo Studio
Publisher
Xbox Game Studios
Release
November 19, 2024
It’s easily forgotten, but Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is actually the longest-running game series in Microsoft’s catalog, predating its entry into consoles. Originally a PC-exclusive series, this entry is the first to transfer over to your couch, and it doesn’t lose a single pixel of amazing visuals. The game uses real photographs of the entire planet to create the landscapes, and it shows. Flying your immaculately detailed plane over the most majestic real-world locations is a near-meditative experience, especially when the weather hits just right, a bright orange sunset or crisp morning sky. Even if flight simulation isn’t your thing, this game is worth a download just to gawk at.
Forza Horizon 5
86%
4/5
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Racing, Sport
Developer
Playground Games
Publisher
Xbox Game Studios
Release
November 09, 2021
Forza Horizon 5 takes all that beauty you get from Flight Simulator but brings it down to street level. On one hand, the world isn’t nearly as vast as the entire earth, but the version of Mexico Forza Horizon 5 created has all the environmental diversity you could want. Of course, every car is lovingly crafted to be accurate down to the screws and bolts, but even for people who aren’t motor-heads, just watching the dirt kick up from the tires, or the lush trees scream by in a blur, is on another level. Racers are always a safe bet when it comes to pushing the graphical benchmark, and Forza Horizon 5 really does impress.
Tekken 8
77%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Fighting
Developer
Bandai Namco Studios
Publisher
Bandai Namco Entertainment
Release
January 26, 2024
Fighting games are known for being some of the best multiplayer games, but only Tekken has been on the cutting edge of graphics for its entire history. With Tekken 8, the series has become a visual feast compared to games of all genres. Character models are still a bit outlandish, but detailed and realistic enough to be incredibly convincing. When you’re in the heat of a fight, with particles flying, and the game goes into slow motion, you won’t be able to help but be impressed with how good it all looks.
Alan Wake II
87%
4/5
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Shooter, Adventure
Developer
Remedy Entertainment
Publisher
Epic Games
Release
October 27, 2023
The gold standard we all hold game graphics to is real-life visuals. Games will likely never hit that level perfectly, but Alan Wake 2 does something almost as impressive, which is to mix real footage with gameplay and have it not stick out like a sore thumb. Characters and environments ooze personality and depth just as much as they mimic real life. Without spoiling anything, there are moments in this game that blew our socks off from an experiential standpoint, and graphics played a major part in that.
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II
78%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Adventure
Developer
Ninja Theory
Publisher
Xbox Game Studios
Release
May 21, 2024
While it left a lot to be desired in terms of gameplay, the one aspect of Hellblade 2 that can’t be argued is its graphics. Senua’s face, the environment, and every detail of this world feels like something that shouldn’t be possible in a game. It’s a short experience, and it can get bogged down in some uninspired puzzles and simple combat, but the performance and beauty of this world are something to behold.
Gears 5
81%
4.5/5
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Shooter, Adventure
Developer
The Coalition
Publisher
Xbox Game Studios
Release
September 10, 2019
When Gears 5 first launched it was still during the Xbox One days, but even then we all could feel the hardware creaking while trying to show us just how good this game was meant to look. Thanks to the power of the Series X, Gears 5 finally shines how it was always meant to. Having a bigger focus on environments this time around, every location is a treat to look at from any distance. Vistas can make your eyes water, but getting up close to a rock or wall and you’ll be greeted with the most minute details that really add that level of care needed to make a world feel real. Oh, and then there’s the gore. Popping a locust head, or slicing them through with a chainsaw, has never been so deliciously gory.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps
88%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Platform, Adventure
Developer
Moon Studios
Publisher
Xbox Game Studios, iam8bit
Release
March 10, 2020
Great graphics don’t have to be restrained to just being photo-realistic, however. Ori and the Will of the Wisps is beautiful in a completely different way. The game looks more like a painting in motion than anything else, and despite being a 2D game, the level of detail and sense of depth and scale of the background elements have made it feel like a full world. The animations also play into this in a major way, with fluid motions, amazing color work, and a rock-solid frame rate all contributing to the game achieving a level of artistry rarely attempted.
Hi-Fi Rush
86%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Music, Platform, Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure
Developer
Tango Gameworks
Publisher
Bethesda Softworks
Release
January 25, 2023
Continuing that thought of graphics not necessarily being photorealistic, Hi-Fi Rush is one of the best-looking games to come out on Xbox consoles. The cel-shaded style pops off the screen like a cartoon come to life. The music and the way every character, enemy, and object in the environment moves to the beat gives the entire game a sense of life and vibrancy you don’t find often. This feels exactly like playing your favorite old cartoons, only better.
Cyberpunk 2077
82%
Platforms
Google Stadia, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Mac, Xbox One
Genre
Shooter, Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Developer
CD Projekt RED
Publisher
CD Projekt
Release
December 10, 2020
Even when the game was a little bit busted, it still looked very good, especially on PC. Now that it has reached version 2.0, it is not only far more polished and stable, but the graphics can fully shine on consoles. The gritty streets of Night City are full of details to admire as you explore on foot or in one of the many vehicles. Seeing all the near-future tech brought to life in lovingly directed and acted cutscenes makes the entire universe feel all the more believable — as scary as that is. If you were turned off by this game’s poor reputation, now’s the best time to take in the sights and sounds.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
94%
Platforms
Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Turn-based strategy (TBS), Adventure
Developer
Studio Zero
Publisher
Atlus, Sega
Release
October 11, 2024
Xbox has finally gotten itself a respectable library of JRPGs, but no developer makes them with as much style as Atlus. There are plenty of Persona games on Xbox now, but Metaphor: Refantazio might be the most visually appealing if you like an anime aesthetic. It isn’t just that the game looks like an anime in motion, but even the menus are works of art. The character and world designs are creative yet familiar and add to the unique tone the game is presenting. The cutscenes are all fully animated but with the quality and budget of a feature film rather than a typical episode.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
73%
Platforms
Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
Genre
Adventure
Developer
Massive Entertainment
Publisher
Ubisoft Entertainment
Release
December 07, 2023
We might not be able to tell you much about the story or characters from the Avatar movies, but everyone knows they’re the peak of CGI visuals. Ubisoft’s Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora had to live up to that standard, and mostly achieves it. While it isn’t as good as the films — likely an impossible task — it is just as effective in engrossing you in the alien world of Pandora. The jungles feel alive with life, sounds, and skies that will leave your mouth agape as you explore.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
75%
Platforms
Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox One
Genre
Shooter
Developer
Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher
Activision
Release
October 25, 2024
If you’re too focused on the running and gunning, you might not appreciate just how beautiful Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 actually is. The series has always paid fine attention to detail, but this game feels like the team meticulously crafted every scratch and curve of metal in a gun by hand. Character models are likewise industry-leading. It is honestly worth the price of admission (or Game Pass) just to play the campaign and see what a game with a nearly infinite budget can look like.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
81%
4/5
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Shooter, Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Developer
GSC Game World
Publisher
GSC Game World
Release
November 20, 2024
The first Stalker games were by no means ugly at the time, but it wasn’t until we saw Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl for the first time that we realized how visually impressive this sequel would be. Set in the radiated zone, this game perfectly captures the desolate beauty of nature reclaiming the land tainted by radiation. That deep realism only adds to the game’s cruel systems that force you to play cautiously and seriously at all times. At least when there aren’t any bugs.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla
77%
4/5
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Google Stadia
Genre
Adventure
Developer
Ubisoft Montreal
Release
November 10, 2020
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is one of the earliest games we got a Series X version of, and whether or not you enjoy the formula, the visual quality of the Viking setting here cannot be argued. Just on a character scale, all the details in hair, tattoo, skin, and clothing feel true to the time period and location. Ubisoft has always been a perfectionist at attempting to recreate whatever real place it’s exploring in its games, and the hills, mountains, rivers, and forests here feel like taking a trip to the past for real. Climbing up to a high point and scouring the vista will never disappoint you.
Psychonauts 2
89%
4/5
Platforms
Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Platform, Adventure
Developer
Double Fine Productions
Publisher
Xbox Game Studios
Release
August 25, 2021
Psychonauts 2 can be considered ugly by some, but in the same way that older cartoons would. If you fall on the side that enjoys the somewhat gritty aesthetic of more mature animation, then you’ll love Psychonauts 2. The art style is what it is, but what makes the visuals so impressive is what you’re looking at rather than how detailed it is. Going into different people’s minds and seeing twisted, almost dreamscape-like places means that no two levels will ever look similar. Variety and creativity are the core of the entire game here, and that bleeds over into the visuals just as much as the story and gameplay.
A Plague Tale: Requiem
88%
3.5/5
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Developer
Asobo Studio
Publisher
Focus Entertainment
Release
October 18, 2022
The sequel to a small title that already had the graphical fidelity of a big-budget game, A Plague Tale: Requiem takes its visuals to the next level for the Series X. Not only do the characters and environments of the historical French setting impress, but the scale and detail of the massive amounts of rats will send shivers down your spine. Being a stealth-focused game, as well as using light as a main mechanic to ward off the plague-ridden vermin, lighting is also some of the best you can find.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
75%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Shooter
Developer
Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher
Activision
Release
October 25, 2024
Whether you love the Call of Duty games or not, you can’t deny that every entry looks impressive. And Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 looks downright amazing, to the point where recreations of real-life locations can too easily be mistaken for real footage. Environments are detailed down to cracks and chips in the walls, and character models move and behave in realistic and believable ways. Even the campaign and multiplayer are impressive, but just gawking at all the amazing locations you visit is worth the price of admission.
