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Although there has been some disappointment over the lack of new releases thus far, the Series X has lived up to its marketing of being the world’s most powerful console, with the current array of Series X optimized titles providing some of the best visuals available in gaming today. For anyone wanting to test the Series X’s capabilities, here are some of the best-looking games currently available for the system.
Updated on December 25th, 2022, by Jack Pursey:The ninth-generation consoles are finally starting to spring into life. Sony’s PlayStation 5 is already building an impressive catalog of exclusives, while Xbox looks set to have one of the biggest years in its history in 2023, thanks to games like Starfield and Redfall, along with the Activision acquisition potentially being finalized. Although the Xbox Series X/S’s first couple of years have been slow, the console now has an impressive selection of games for players to choose from, including some visually-stunning releases. We’ve updated this list to include some more of the best-looking games on Xbox Series X.
18 Elden Ring
Elden Ring was released in February 2022 and immediately dominated news and discussion in the gaming industry. FromSoftware’s action RPG immediately drew players in with its captivating open world that amazed players with its size and scope filled with bosses, dungeons, and hidden areas.
Elden Ring’s graphics may not be on the same level as a game like Forza Horizon 5 from a technical standpoint, but it’s more than deserving of a spot on this list for its stellar art direction.
17 Grand Theft Auto 5
Believe it or not, it has been nearly ten years since Grand Theft Auto 5 first hit stores. The game was originally released on seventh-generation consoles, though it has since come to both eighth-generation and now ninth-generation consoles with its release on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 in March 2022.
Although many people are frustrated that Rockstar Games continues to focus on GTA 5 rather than release a new game in the series, it’s hard to deny that the Xbox Series X/S version of the game looks unbelievably good and is one of the most immersive games of all time.
16 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, a sequel to the 2019 reboot, was released in October 2022. The game received a mixed reception from fans and critics, though one thing that everyone has agreed on is that the game looks fantastic.
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Before the game had even been released, images of Modern Warfare 2’s maps, character models, and objects were being shared on social media, with audiences amazed at how true-to-life the game looked.
15 FIFA 23
The latest entry in the divisive FIFA series has recently hit stores. The game has once again prioritized the controversial Ultimate Team mode, which has continued to grow in popularity. Interestingly, FIFA 23 will be the last FIFA game developed by EA, after FIFA and EA failed to reach an agreement on licensing rights.
Regardless of what happens with the licensing and branding, it’s safe to say that EA will continue to lead the way with visual achievement for the sport. FIFA 23 offers incredible player models, beautiful pre-match shots of stadiums, and excellent in-game visuals that are becoming almost frighteningly close to the real thing.
14 Far Cry 6
Throughout the last decade, Ubisoft has managed to create a distinctive, so-called “Ubisoft-style” of open world game. Their Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry franchises are at the forefront of this, with both series’ honing in on what has worked for them and their competitors in the past and streamlining it to offer safe, solid games that players know what to expect from before the game has even finished installing.
Far Cry 6 continues this trend, picking up where the previous Far Cry games left off with a sprinkling of new features and mechanics for good measure. It’s not just the gameplay and world design that picked up where the previous games left off, as the game’s beautiful visuals came as no surprise, following the series’ impressive track record in that regard.
13 Watch Dogs: Legion
From one Ubisoft series to another, the Watch Dogs franchise has also tried to take what works from other successful games in its genre and implement it into its series. Unfortunately, this hasn’t worked as well for the Watch Dogs IP, as it has struggled to reach the success of Ubisoft’s aforementioned Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry franchises.
Consequently, it’s possible that Watch Dogs: Legion will be the franchise’s final crack at the whip, with the critical reception of the series still not improving. If Watch Dogs: Legion is the franchise’s last entry, then it’s going out with a bang from a visual standpoint. The game’s interpretation of London is fantastic, and the Series X optimization has made it one of the console’s most visually impressive titles.
12 Destiny 2: Beyond Light
Destiny 2: Beyond Light was released by Bungie in November 2020 and is a major expansion for Destiny 2. Unfortunately, the expansion was poorly received by fans, earning user scores as low as 3.9 on Metacritic; critics were more positive about the expansion, exemplified by its Metascores as high as 77, though the overall reception was fairly lackluster.
Although some of the gameplay aspects failed to impress, the visual and art design are hard to fault. Destiny 2: Beyond Light raises the bar for the series’ aesthetics with fantastic sci-fi designs that alone make the expansion worth considering.
11 Metro Exodus
The post-apocalyptic genre may not seem an obvious home to one of the Series X’s most visually stunning games, though Metro Exodus manages to find beauty in its horror. The game’s post-apocalyptic landscape is battered, lifeless, and eerily vacant, yet it’s one of the most breathtaking open worlds currently available in gaming.
Metro Exodus’ visuals aren’t its only impressive feature, as the game manages to combine the first-person shooter, stealth, and horror genres into a well-balanced and enjoyable blend that feels unique.
10 Yakuza: Like a Dragon
With partial thanks to the series’ inclusion on Game Pass, the Yakuza franchise is finally getting the recognition that it deserves. The games have enthralled gamers for many years with their powerful, hard-hitting main narratives of the lives of Yakuza members while also offering some of the most bizarre and hilarious side quests in gaming history.
Yakuza: Like A Dragon is the latest game in the franchise and sees the series shift in direction with a new protagonist. The game’s open-world looks fantastic on the Series X and makes exploring the weird and wonderful city of Yokohama an absolute delight.
9 Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
Generally speaking, platformers don’t tend to be considered among the best-looking games of their respective release years. The games often provide visuals that are bright, colorful, and have a wholesome vibe to them, but they don’t tend to be vast or detailed enough to make them comparable to the environments in open-world adventures.
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However, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time features an incredible range of art designs across its multiple levels that make the platformer’s visuals competitive with games from any genre. Whether it be in N. Sanity Island, The Sn@xx Dimension, or Tranquillity Falls, each area looks unique, meticulously crafted, and memorable.
8 Ori and the Will of the Wisps
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time isn’t the only platformer on this list, as Moon Studios’ critically acclaimed Metroidvania Ori and the Will of the Wisps also features an incredible range of visuals. The game’s forest is filled with nature-inspired beauty that enhances the fantasy narrative and makes traversing the world and exploring new areas an enthralling experience.
Ori and the Will of the Wisps may look like a heart-warming adventure, though its cute characters will embark on a journey that will almost certainly bring a tear to the eye.
7 Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Considering how synonymous the Halo franchise is with Xbox, it should come as no surprise that Xbox Game Studios gave The Master Chief Collection a budget big enough to make the set of classic games look superior to even some of gaming’s most recent releases.
The collection’s cutscenes are its most impressive visual feature, with games like Halo 2 seeing its cutscenes completely reworked to look almost unrecognizable from their originals. To show off the flashy new looks, the devs included a mechanic that lets players switch between the old and new versions of a game with a touch of a button, showcasing how much improvement has been made.
6 Dirt 5
Codemasters’ Dirt 5 was released in November 2020 and received a warm reception from critics, exemplified by its 81 Metascore on Xbox Series X. The game features the excellent driving mechanics that one would expect from a Codemasters game, though its incredible visuals and car models blew even some of the most optimistic fans away.
Racing fans are interested to see how Codemasters’ next few years are going to play out, following their acquisition from industry giants Electronic Arts.
5 Hitman 3
A game about a Hitman may not sound like the source of stunning locations, though Agent 47 is lucky enough to travel to a range of beautiful areas to conduct his brutal murders.
Throughout the game’s 8-hour journey, players will travel to Dubai, a quincuncial British manor, and an Argentinan hillside, among other memorable areas. As one would expect from a Hitman game, each location is packed with various items and objects that can be used for efficient or often ridiculous methods of killing a target.
4 Control: Ultimate Edition
Control was initially released in 2019 by 505 Games. The game’s development was handled by Remedy Entertainment, who made a name for themselves with the first two Max Payne games before releasing critically acclaimed story-driven adventures like Alan Wake and Quantum Break.
Control received tons of plaudits for its story, level design, and gameplay mechanics, though many people believe that the art design was the game’s stand-out feature. The work put into the visuals didn’t go unnoticed, as Control won multiple end-of-year awards for its art, including Best Art Direction at The Game Awards 2019.
3 Gears 5
Like the aforementioned Halo series, the Gears of War franchise is a staple of Microsoft’s home console, so it makes sense that Xbox Game Studios would suitably fund the series’ latest game to ensure it’s one of the best-looking titles on the market.
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Gears 5 drops the of War part of the series’ name but keeps the gameplay mechanics similar to its esteemed predecessors. The game doesn’t quite reach the heights of the original trilogy, though it still manages to set a high bar for the next entry in the series, particularly from a visual standpoint.
2 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
The Assassin’s Creed franchise has become a cornerstone of the open-world genre; the last three games have seen the series transition from action-adventure to action-RPG, with clear inspiration being taken from CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
As one would expect, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla provides a very similar gameplay experience to its predecessors, so those who enjoyed Origins and Odyssey will almost certainly enjoy Valhalla. Although the gameplay is very similar, Valhalla does see the series make improvements visually, which is an impressive achievement considering how good its predecessor looked.
1 Forza Horizon 5
Ever since the gaming industry originated, people have wondered whether video games will get to the stage where it’s hard to differentiate between graphics and real life – Forza Horizon 5 is one of a handful of games that have achieved this impressive feat.
Although the incredible car models and beautiful visuals are Forza Horizon 5’s main selling points, its driving mechanics are also excellent, making the game feel incredibly engrossing and immersive.
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