Upcoming Xbox games exclusives. Best Xbox Exclusives: Xbox One & Xbox Series X Exclusives

Great services and hardware aren’t going to be enough anymore. Bring on the exclusive games!

Microsoft’s fourth-generation Xbox consoles, the Xbox Series X and Series S, are now entering Year 3. And though Year 1 started with a soft launch in the exclusive games department, the second half of this generation’s first year delivered the flood that parched Xbox fans have waited years for. From Forza Horizon 5 to Halo Infinite to Psychonauts 2 to Microsoft Flight Simulator, it sure seemed like the Xbox’s exclusive games drought was finally over [Editor’s note: Whoops!]. Of course, by now you know the story because you lived through it. The whole of 2022 was like a mirage in the desert: you thought you could see water up ahead, but was it really there? As such, 2023 simply must deliver for Xbox gamers who’ve invested so much in the platform. Microsoft is a trillion-dollar company who has seemingly exhausted the patience of its player base. Fortunately, though, there’s reason to be optimistic.

Is X Finally Gon’ Give it to Ya?

The conversation around blockbuster exclusives for Xbox in 2023 begins and ends with Starfield, the first brand-new IP from renowned game designer Todd Howard in decades, and the first game he’s directed at all since Fallout 4 back in 2015. Howard tried to call his shot back in 2020, promising an 11/11/22 release date a full 18 months early. That didn’t work out, but now Starfield is finally almost here, and with apologies to Arkane’s Redfall (which we’ll get to in a moment), Starfield is not just the biggest game to come out of Bethesda since Microsoft bought the publisher for 7.5 billion two years ago, it is, on paper, the kind of exclusive that makes people want to buy into the Xbox ecosystem. And for the millions of players still enjoying the Starfield team’s own Skyrim, there’s good news: Starfield just might be Skyrim in Space, which should be welcome news for millions of Elder Scrolls fans who’ve been waiting over a decade for the sixth installment of that venerable series.

Starfield Combat and Exploration. Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase 2022

But Starfield will have to wait until closer to the middle of the year, at least. All indications are that the aforementioned Redfall will be released first. The four-player vampire-hunting co-op first-person shooter looked downright delightful the last time we saw it and got a giant info dump from co-creative director Harvey Smith, and it should help ease the sting of watching Bethesda’s last two major releases – Arkane’s own delectable Deathloop and Tango Gameworks’s solidly strange Ghostwire: Tokyo – get released as Playstation 5 exclusives as part of a deal Bethesda signed with Sony prior to the Microsoft acquisition. Fortunately, Deathloop is now on Xbox Game Pass and Ghostwire should follow when its one-year window of Playstation exclusivity expires in March. Arkane has always made devilishly Smart games – Hall of Fame game designer Warren Spector calls them immersive sims – that have tended to earn more critical acclaim than commercial success. Given the evergreen success of vampires in pop culture, perhaps Redfall will finally be the game that checks both boxes for the studio.

Also expected in the first half of 2023 is Forza Motorsport, the next-gen-only reboot of Xbox’s long-running simulation racing game series. As great as the first seven Motorsport entries have been, Horizon has arguably become the better Forza over its five iterations. It’s also got wider appeal. Thus, Motorsport will need to dig deep into its simulation-based history to raise the bar above its raucous sibling once again. What’s been shown so far has been gorgeous – not to mention developer Turn10 Studios has taken ample time in rebuilding the game from the ground up, as Forza Motorsport 7 released all the way back in 2017 on Xbox One. The developers of Forza Motorsport have never failed to deliver, so racing game fans have good cause to be excited when this reboot drops.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has had a huge impact on the video game industry, and two major Xbox exclusives slated for release last year were pushed back to account for the war encroaching on developers’ literal doorsteps. Triple-A first-person shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl, from Ukraine-based studio GSC Game World, is the most high profile of the games whose development timelines have been affected. The survival-horror shooter will hopefully land on Xbox Game Pass in 2023 and whenever it does, it will have the entire gaming community rooting for its success.

2023’s Most Wanted Console Exclusives

Here are the biggest games the console makers are planning to release in 2023, sorted by user wishlist ranks.

The same can be said for startup studio Sad Cat Studios, who had to relocate for the team’s own safety due to the invasion. Work on Replaced has resumed and it too will hopefully ship in 2023 as an Xbox exclusive. It’s a cyberpunk thriller with gorgeous 2.5D pixel art set in an alternate-reality 1980s, and it was a standout title in its debut at Xbox’s 2021 showcase event. Keep an eye on this one!

recently, Xbox’s 2022 Showcase promised more exclusives in 2023. Minecraft Legends is an action-strategy game that stands to do well with the casual crowd but is unlikely to move the needle for core gamers. It’s also a multiplatform offering. Instead, the biggest move Xbox is making in both 2023 and beyond – and right now the most fascinating grab-your-popcorn soap opera of recent times – is Microsoft’s attempted acquisition of Activision-Blizzard. As Sony and Microsoft take hilarious turns trying to appear more meek and feeble than the other in front of the regulatory boards in a bid to push the deal forward or stop it completely, the on-the-ground reality for Microsoft is, if the deal does go through, the company would suddenly bring Blizzard’s 2023 powerhouse sequel, Diablo 4, to Xbox Game Pass. The Call of Duty exclusivity situation is a whole other matter entirely, but getting a new Diablo onto Game Pass would be a huge win for Xbox.

Avowed could be the perfect way to satiate Skyrim fans while the wait for The Elder Scrolls 6 continues.

Even if you set aside the Activision-Blizzard drama, Microsoft still has a number of exclusives that have previously been announced that could land in the latter half of 2023. The gorgeous Unreal Engine 5-powered psychological thriller Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 from renowned developer Ninja Theory seems like the most probable candidate of the lot. Avowed is tougher to gauge, since we haven’t even seen a gameplay trailer from it yet, but Obsidian has already delivered one 10/10 game as an Xbox exclusive, and Avowed could be the perfect way to satiate Skyrim fans while the wait for The Elder Scrolls 6 continues. Could it sneak in at the end of 2023? Possibly, though it could depend on where in the calendar Starfield ends up landing.

Perfect Dark, Fable, The Outer Worlds 2, Contraband, and Gears 6 all seem unlikely to sneak in before the Xbox Series X’s third year comes to a close, but hopefully we’ll at least see something tangible from each of them. concretely, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that one or more of State of Decay 3, Indiana Jones, and Everwild lands on your console sooner than expected. The bottom line, though, is that it is well past time for Microsoft to deliver blockbuster exclusives to its fans.

All of those games will come with 70 price tags, as Microsoft finally joined most of the rest of the major publishers in the industry at raising its game prices from 60. Fortunately, many Xbox gamers won’t really feel any effects of that, since all of those first-party games launch directly into Xbox Game Pass, whose monthly price is (for now) unchanged.

Hardware and Services

On that note, Xbox Game Pass has become so successful it’s now a meme, which is probably the best-case scenario Microsoft could’ve hoped for when they spun up the service back in 2017. The thing is, though, the meme don’t lie: Xbox Game Pass really is the best deal in gaming, and 2023 should deliver not just the first wave of overdue first-party exclusives, but also continued third-party value as well. Though no formal announcement has been made yet, it’s reasonable to expect MLB The Show 23 to return to the service on launch day. So too will indie darling Hollow Knight: Silksong, the Vin Diesel vehicle Ark 2, promising soulslike Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn, intriguing farming SIM Lightyear Frontier, moody platformer The Last Case of Benedict Fox, and quirky action-adventure Ravenlok. And that’s just what’s expected in the first half of the new year. are inevitably coming.

Meanwhile, Xbox Cloud Gaming continues to quietly evolve and integrate into the Xbox ecosystem via Game Pass, there are deals to be had on the Xbox Series S, and oh yeah, you can now actually find and purchase an Xbox Series X at many stores without too much hassle. And once you do have the console in-hand, you can now order a custom Xbox Elite controller in the Xbox Design Lab, further personalizing your Xbox experience.

Ultimately, 2023 is a year of serious promise for Xbox, but it comes with an understandable sense of urgency from Xbox owners. Microsoft has seen its stable of first-party studios grow immensely over the past several years, rectifying a series of mistakes that compounded during the Xbox One generation. Players have been patient, but at this point, Microsoft has exhausted any goodwill it had remaining. In short, it’s time to put up or shut up. Fortunately, all indications are that, like the 2016 Chicago Cubs, this is finally going to be the year.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s executive editor of previews and host of both IGN’s weekly Xbox show, Podcast Unlocked, as well as our monthly(-ish) interview show, IGN Unfiltered. He’s a North Jersey guy, so it’s Taylor ham, not pork roll. Debate it with him on at @DMC_Ryan.

Best Xbox Exclusives: Xbox One Xbox Series X Exclusives

In this post, MiniTool explains several common exclusive types in the field of gaming, and lists Xbox exclusives. These games mainly include Xbox One exclusives and Xbox Series X exclusives. Pick the best Xbox exclusives in your mind from the list.

An Overview of Exclusive Types

By reading the content below, you can get a quick preview of several types of game exclusives.

  • Full Exclusive: Games released exclusively on one console.
  • Platform Exclusive: Games released exclusively on a single family of consoles.
  • Console Exclusive: Games released for a single console (or family of consoles) in addition to PC and smartphone.
  • Timed Exclusive: Games are exclusive to a single console (or family of consoles) for a limited time.
  • Generation Exclusive: Games that are exclusive to one console from a single generation of consoles, but also released on previous generation consoles.
  • Peripheral Exclusive: Games that are exclusive to one console (or family of consoles) that require additional peripherals like Playstation VR, Kinect, etc.

What you should know about PS5 exclusives and Xbox exclusives?

The PS5 exclusive is defined as “any new game (not a remaster) from a major publisher that has come out since the PS5 launch, which is not available on Xbox, and has a PS5-optimized version. Many PS5 exclusives have PC versions like God of War, the Last of Us, Spider-Man, etc.

Additionally, more and more PS5-exclusive games are going to create PC ports. There are signs indicating games such as Ghost of Tsushima, Returnal, God of War Ragnarok, Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Bloodborne will come to PC. As for Xbox exclusives, all of them have PC versions.

Xbox One Exclusives

When you search “Xbox exclusives 2022” on the Internet, you may get various results. Some of the best Xbox exclusives are summarized as follows. You can take them as a reference.

  • Sea of Thieves
  • Rare Replay
  • Gears 5
  • Quantum Break
  • Sunset Overdrive
  • Halo 5: Guardians
  • Halo: Master Chief Collection
  • The Ascent
  • Ori and the Will of the Wisps
  • Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
  • Psychonauts 2

What are the best PS1, PS2, PS3, PlayStation 4, and PS5 games? This post would list top PS1/PS2/PS3/PlayStation 4/PS5 games of all time.

Xbox Series X/S Exclusives

Xbox Series X/S exclusives are defined as “any new game (not a remaster) from a major publisher that has come out since the Xbox Series X/S launch, which is not available on Playstation, and has an Xbox Series X/S-optimized version.

Here is a list of Xbox Series X exclusives.

  • Forza Horizon 5
  • Immortality
  • Halo Infinite
  • Microsoft Flight Simulator
  • As Dusk Falls
  • The Elder Scrolls 6
  • Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2
  • Warhammer 40, 000: Darktide
  • Forza Motorsport
  • Perfect Dark
  • Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl
  • Ark 2
  • Avowed
  • Forza Motorsport

This post summarizes several best TVs for PS5 and Xbox Series X consoles and shows you how to connect a game console to a TV.

Upcoming Xbox Series X Exclusives

Some Xbox Series X exclusives are set to be released in the coming future. They are collected

  • Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition
  • State of Decay 3
  • Fable
  • Startfield
  • Everwild
  • The Outer Worlds 2
  • Redfall

If you are searching Xbox exclusives 2022, this post is worth reading as it collects the best Xbox exclusives and Xbox Series X exclusives. You can pick one from the list and enjoy the game on the console. How much storage does Xbox Series X have? How to Expand Space? This post shows you the details.

MiniTool Partition Wizard is a good option to increase disk space. Both Extend Partition and Move/Resize Partition features of this Windows partition manager can help you enlarge partition capacity. This program can also help you fix various errors related to hard disk or partition.

About The Author

Having writing articles about computer tech for a long time, I am rather experienced especially on the aspect of computer optimization, PC enhancement, as well as tech terms explanation. The habit of looking through tech forums makes me a great computer issues collector. And then, many articles related to these issues are released, which benefit plenty of users. Professional, effective, and innovative are always the pursuit of an editing worker.

Copyright © 2023 MiniTool® Software Limited, All Rights Reserved.

The 10 Best Xbox Series X Exclusive Games

Like Playstation, Xbox has many console exclusives you can’t play anywhere else, and some of them are definitely worth investing in an Xbox Series X for.

However, because many Xbox exclusives are available right now, it can be hard to know which ones will provide you with the best gameplay experience.

Fortunately, we’ve narrowed down the ones that will give you the most bang for your buck, so all you have to do is start playing!

The 10 Best Xbox Series X Exclusive Games

Our ranked lists are created by researching and rounding up information from the most reputable web sources, so you can find the best games to play right now.

Here’s our list of the 10 best Xbox Series X exclusive games:

As Dusk Falls

If you’re a fan of games like Life is Strange, you’ll love this interactive story adventure game from Interior Night and Xbox Game Studios.

The story revolves around two families whose paths cross in the Arizona desert, with numerous player decisions impacting how everything plays out.

What makes this game stand out is its impeccable writing that touches on many deep topics, such as trauma and family, that are often under-explored in traditional video games.

There are also many accessibility settings to choose from and a companion app that you can use to play with friends so that you can have a say in the game’s big decisions.

Upon release, As Dusk Falls was praised for its emotional narrative choices, voice work, art style, and co-op mode, all things that have helped make it a must-play for Xbox users.

Even if you’re not usually a fan of narrative-driven games, you may want to check this game out because it is surprising how invested you become in it in just a short period of time.

Vampire Survivors

Vampire Survivors is a quirky shoot ’em-up game that originally debuted on PC but has since been ported to the Xbox Series X and S.

In this game, players control a character that attacks automatically, and the goal is to hold out for as long as possible against a seemingly endless wave of monsters.

Defeating monsters and exploring different stages allow you to grab helpful items and find helpful items and weapons.

Each level has a time limit of between 15 and 20 minutes, after which a final boss named Death will appear, with a duplicate spawning after every minute until the player ultimately dies.

While it is a remarkably simple premise, Vampire Survivors won the Golden Joystick Breakthrough Award and has received universal acclaim for its gameplay.

It is worth giving this game a try, especially if you’re a fan of the best retro games of all time because it definitely has a classic vibe.

Sunset Overdrive

Developed by Insomniac Games, Sunset Overdrive is an action-adventure game that emphasizes speed and momentum over stealth and caution.

Set in Sunset City, players can use numerous weapons as they run, zip-line, and parkour their way through the mutant-invested open-world area.

While it’s set in a post-apocalyptic future, Sunset Overdrive isn’t bleak and depressive but rather bold, loud, and comedic.

Fans of the Borderlands franchise will certainly find a lot to love about this game, and it helps that the world functions as a giant playground for players to explore and blast their way through.

There is even a multiplayer mode that gives seven players the chance to complete a series of missions together, with the ability to bring items back and forth between single and co-op modes.

Currently available on Game Pass, you should definitely check out Sunset Overdrive if you want to play an addictingly fun game that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Microsoft Flight Simulator

There are the best real life simulation games, and then there’s Microsoft Flight Simulator which gives players the chance to live out their dreams of being a pilot without all the pesky training.

Even if you’re not usually a fan of simulation aspects, this flight simulator is something truly special, as it stimulates the topography of the whole world using data from Bing Maps.

It even uses real-world data to simulate real-time weather and air traffic, so you can truly get an idea of what it is like to fly anywhere in the world at any given time.

In fact, the weather effects are so up-to-date that, in 2020, players were able to observe Hurricane Laura in real time as it developed off the east coast of America.

Along with this, there are also many different game modes, including landing challenges and a safari mode where you have to photograph animals from the air (without crashing).

While it may not be as fast-paced or engaging as some of the other games on our list, we recommend checking this game out for yourself, as it is truly a sight to behold.

Gears Tactics

A spin-off of the Gears of War franchise, Gears Tactics is a turn-based tactics game published by Xbox Game Studios in 2020.

Played from a top-down perspective, this game allows players to command a squad of soldiers with the main objective of eliminating all hostiles on the map.

Gears Tactics really stands out because you can freely explore the whole map without being confined to a grid, like in many other turn-based games.

Along with the main campaign, there are also many different side missions and a Veteran Mode, which is unlocked after finishing the story missions for the first time.

While it doesn’t have a multiplayer option, once Veteran mode is available, you can remix campaign missions with a variety of new modifiers to make replaying the game much more interesting and challenging.

If you’ve enjoyed the best post-apocalyptic games of all time and are looking for something different, we definitely recommend giving Gears Tactics a try!

Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Released in 2020 for the Xbox One and optimized for the Xbox Series X as a launch title, Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a gorgeous platform adventure game.

This game emphasizes exploration and puzzle solving and was largely inspired by the Metroid and Raymen series, making it a must-play for fans of those games.

When it was released, it received universal acclaim for its artistic expression, characters, combat, and story, even winning Xbox Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards in 2020.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps is a sequel to Ori and the Blind Forest, but it features a lot of updates, including NPC side quests, improved combat, and the introduction of autosaving, as opposed to manual save points.

Although there were some fame rate issues and visual bugs when the game was initially released, all of these issues were largely resolved thanks to a day-one patch, and now it runs seamlessly.

While it may not be as well-known as some of the other big names on our list, Will of the Wisps is undoubtedly a beautiful game that is worth playing at least once!

Sea of Thieves: Season 5

From the maker of some of the best N64 games of all time comes one of the most popular Xbox games in the world, and one that is really hard to put down.

Although Sea of Thieves was criticized for lack of content when it launched, things quickly turned around, and now it is one of Xbox’s biggest exclusives.

This game gives you the ability to play as a pirate taking on voyages for various trading companies in a huge open-world adventure.

Best of all, because it is multiplayer, you can expect to run into other players out on the high seas regularly and either form alliances with them or take them on to try and grab their loot.

As of June 2022, Sea of Thieves has attracted over 30 million players and, the prior year, took home the Best Evolving Game award at the British Academy Game Awards.

If you’re a fan of multiplayer action games and want to immerse yourself in an unpredictable and entertaining high-seas adventure, this is one game you won’t want to pass up.

Forza Horizon 5

Forza Horizon 5 is, without a doubt, one of the best racing games of all time you can play right now and certainly one of the best looking on the Xbox Series X.

Set in a fictional version of Mexico, Forza Horizon 5 boasts the largest open-world map of any of the Forza Horizon games, and there is no shortage of races and challenges to complete.

There are also numerous ways to customize your cars by swapping engines, drivetrains, and body kits.

You can even download custom tunes made by other players to help give your cars a performance boost if you don’t want to tweak everything yourself!

However, Forza Horizon 5 really shines in terms of map design, and its new local weather system is one of the most impressive in gaming.

Furthermore, there are still expansions being released, so if you start playing now, you can still look forward to even more content in the future!

Gears 5

Although it debuted on the Xbox One in 2019, Gears 5 has really come to life thanks to the Xbox Series X’s power.

As opposed to the Xbox One version, Gears 5 benefits from a visual and performance boost on the X, boasting 60fps and 4k resolution.

It also has an impressive multiplayer mode, like Gears of War 4, one of the best split-screen Xbox One games, supporting up to 120 Hz.

This third-person shooter is one of the best on the Xbox Series X, and unlike previous titles in the franchise, it features more time to explore and experience the environment and story.

Set a couple of months after the events of the fourth game, Gears 5 focuses on Kait Diaz and the origins of the Locust Horde that once threatened all human existence.

While it isn’t as fast-paced as its predecessors, Gears 5 still nails all aspects of gameplay, from narrative storytelling to shooting mechanics.

Having been named the Xbox Game of the Year at the 2019 Golden Joystick Awards, it really is something you have to play for yourself to get the full impact of its impressive design.

Halo Infinite

Taking our number one spot is Halo Infinite, the sixth title in one of Microsoft’s biggest franchises and one that almost everyone knows.

Best EXCLUSIVE UNREAL ENGINE 5 Games coming to XBOX SERIES in 2023 and 2024

Released in 2021, Halo Infinite follows the Master Chief as he battles against the Banished on the ringworld Zeta Halo and shows off several new mechanics, such as the grapple shot, which you can use to grab items or enemies.

The game itself is a semi-open world, and it is filled with numerous enemies to kill, squads to rescue, and places to explore.

You can also find unique collectibles in the world, including audio logs that help flesh out the story further, something the previous games didn’t offer.

Players can also dive into the free-to-play multiplayer, which offers modes like capture the flag, and deathmatch, making it one of the best multiplayer games of all time in terms of accessibility and replayability.

Halo Infinite is a fresh take on a franchise that has been around since Halo Combat Evolved, which was released in 2001 and has definitely helped revitalize the series.

Having taken home the Player’s Voice Award at the 2021 Game Awards, this is one game you won’t want to miss if you are a fan of the originals, and it is available right now on Game Pass!

Summary

Xbox Game Studios has released many great games for the Xbox Series X that really help demonstrate just how great next-gen gaming is.

While there are many amazing Xbox exclusives to download and play, these 10 are the ones that you absolutely shouldn’t sleep on.

Each one offers something unique and entertaining, and they are all incredibly addicting once you start playing them.

Here’s a quick recap of the 10 best Xbox Series X exclusive games:

  • Halo Infinite
  • Gears 5
  • Forza Horizon 5
  • Sea of Thieves: Season 5
  • Ori and the Will of the Wisps
  • Gears Tactics
  • Microsoft Flight Simulator
  • Sunset Overdrive
  • Vampire Survivors
  • As Dusk Falls

Xbox Focuses on Massive Lineup of the Biggest Franchises and Original IPs Fans Can Play Over the Next 12 Months

At Xbox, we are on a mission to bring the joy and community of gaming to everyone on the planet and that’s why our teams and partners have been hard at work building a truly diverse line-up of content for players of all types to look forward to. And with Xbox, you have more ways to play those game than ever before – on console, PC, or on the go.

Everything in today’s Xbox Bethesda Games Showcase is targeted to launch in the next 12 months. From industry-defining racing games, gripping narratives, compelling strategy titles, and the most anticipated open world RPG of the last 20 years, there is something for everyone. The gameplay you saw today featured extended looks at highly-anticipated titles like Starfield, Forza Motorsport, Diablo 4, and Redfall, as well as focused, unique ideas like Pentiment, High on Life, and Ravenlok. The biggest franchises and the most original IPs are all coming to Xbox.

And for players looking to experience games that are built natively for their Xbox Series X|S consoles and high-end PCs, you can look forward to Redfall, Starfield, and Forza Motorsport. Or you can experience those games on your TV app, phone, or Xbox One thanks to Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Starting this week with Microsoft Flight Simulator, you’ll be jumping into monthly launches and game updates that will keep you entertained for the next 12 months. And if you’re looking for the best way to get ready for the next 12 months of games, get started with the new Game Pass deal that gets you 3 months for just 1.

Here is a summary of everything we announced during the Xbox Bethesda Games Showcase.

Massive Franchises and New IPs from Xbox and Bethesda

Today, we also announced a partnership between Xbox Game Studios and Kojima Productions to create a video game for Xbox like no one has ever experienced or seen before leveraging the power of the Cloud. Hideo Kojima is one of the most innovative and creative minds in our industry we can’t wait to share what our teams will create together.

In unveiling the first gameplay footage from Starfield, Game Director Todd Howard took fans on a tour of this next generation role-playing game set amongst the stars. The first new universe in 25 years from Bethesda Game Studios, Starfield will allow you to create any character you want and explore with unparalleled freedom as you embark on an epic journey to answer humanity’s greatest mystery. In the year 2330, humanity has ventured beyond our solar system, settling new planets, and living as a spacefaring people. From humble beginnings as a space miner, you will join Constellation – the last group of space explorers seeking rare artifacts throughout the Galaxy – and navigate the vast expanse of the Settled Systems in Bethesda Game Studios’ biggest and most ambitious game. Where will Starfield take you?

Console Exclusive on Xbox Series X|S, coming to Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Mojang Studios unveiled Minecraft Legends, an all-new action strategy game developed in partnership with Blackbird Interactive, launching in 2023. Minecraft Legends takes players to the Minecraft universe in a fun and unique new way, as they lead their allies in heroic battles to defend the Overworld. For more information, visit our Xbox Wire post here, follow the Minecraft Legends journey on @Legends_Game and for email updates and to join our Discord, visit https://www.minecraft.net/about-legends.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Set in 16 th century Bavaria, Pentiment will take players on a narrative journey through the eyes of Journeyman Artist Andreas Maler during a time of great social unrest. Players will become entangled in a series of murders that span over 25 years. It will be up to the players to investigate and interrogate the townsfolk to make their own decisions, where the consequences will impact the town for years to come. Led by game director Josh Sawyer, this game is brought to life by a talented team inspired by illuminated manuscripts, woodcut prints, and history itself. Be on the lookout as more information about Pentiment will be coming as we get closer to its release this November.

Console Launch Exclusive on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, coming to Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Xbox Game Studios Publishing is excited to reveal Ara: History Untold, an upcoming turn-based, historical grand strategy game for Windows PC and available day one with PC Game Pass. Ara: History Untold is in development at Oxide Games, which was founded by and includes many of the leads that shipped one of the most popular turn-based strategy games of all time. In Ara: History Untold players will build and lead a nation throughout history as they explore new lands, develop arts and culture, conduct diplomacy, and go head-to-head with rivals to prove they are the greatest leader ever known. To ensure the team ships the best possible version of the game when it releases, players can sign up for the Ara: History Untold Insider Program starting today, where you’ll join a passionate community of strategy game fans in the first technical alpha later this year and leave your mark on the game throughout development.

Coming to Windows PCs and Day One PC Game Pass.

INTERIOR/NIGHT’s debut game is an uncompromising tale of family, resilience and sacrifice, coming to Xbox, Windows, Steam and Xbox Game Pass on July 19. In As Dusk Falls, you’ll have agency over the lives of relatable, far from perfect human beings, inviting you to empathize with their real-life struggles and aspirations. This cinematic story is brought to life by the performance of actors that are digitally rendered into a beautiful art style, creating a unique experience that plays like a motion graphic novel.

Console Launch Exclusive on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, coming to Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

The Most Anticipated and Beloved Franchises from Our Partners

In a first for Game Pass, the partnership will extend beyond PC to include Riot’s mobile-only and mobile-accessible titles. Coming this winter, all Game Pass members will receive bonuses across titles like League of Legends (PC), League of Legends: Wild Rift (Mobile), Legends of Runeterra (PC Mobile), Teamfight Tactics (PC Mobile), and Valorant (PC).

We are excited to announce that Diablo IV will launch in 2023, and will be available on PC, Xbox One X|S, and Xbox Series X|S. It will feature cross-play and cross-progression for all platforms. On console, players can play alongside a friend with couch-co-op. Explore what the next generation of the genre-defining Action RPG has in store, with player choice at the forefront of a truly unique journey and every inch of Sanctuary built for combat. Learn about Diablo IV’s end game, where the story concludes but the quest for true power really begins.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PCs.

Cheers to 25 years of Persona! In celebration of this monumental anniversary, we are bringing the worldwide hits Persona 5 Royal, Persona 4 Golden and Persona 3 Portable to Xbox and Windows. Fans will get to experience this beloved RPG series starting this Fall! On October 21, 2022, don the mask of Joker and join the Phantom Thieves of Hearts in Persona 5 Royal.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PCs, on Xbox Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Enter the Dark Fantasy World of Team NINJA’s Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty

A joint creation by Team NINJA producers Fumihiko Yasuda (Nioh) and Masaaki Yamagiwa (Bloodborne), Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty follows the dramatic, action-packed story of a nameless militia soldier fighting for survival in a dark fantasy version of the Later Han Dynasty where demons plague the Three Kingdoms. Players will fight off deadly creatures and enemy soldiers using swordplay based on the Chinese martial arts, attempting to overcome the odds by awakening the true power from within when Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty launches in early 2023.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Witness the end of Innocence in A Plague Tale: Requiem, and embark on a heartrending journey into a brutal, breathtaking world, and discover the cost of saving those you love in a desperate struggle for survival. Strike from the shadows or unleash hell with a variety of weapons, tools and unearthly powers when A Plague Tale: Requiem releases in 2022.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Play Overwatch 2 for Free Starting in October

Attention all heroes! Overwatch 2 arrives on October 4 as a free-to-play live service. Tune into the Overwatch 2 Reveal Event on Overwatch’s YouTube Channel on June 16 to learn more about what is to come for the game. And stick around until the end of the event to watch the full-length version of the new animated short “The Wastelander”, featuring new Tank Hero Junker Queen.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PCs.

Memorable Experiences from the Games You Love

Forza Horizon and Hot Wheels are back together, with the Forza Horizon 5: Hot Wheels expansion. Coming July 19 to Xbox consoles, PC on Windows and Steam, and Cloud Gaming (Beta), this new expansion introduces players to the visually stunning, exhilarating new Horizon HOT WHEELS Park, in the clouds high above Mexico. Complete missions to unlock special Hot Wheels Heats events and celebrate the history of Hot Wheels in a new five-part Horizon Story. In a first for Forza, join friends and play the entire expansion from the very beginning in co-op. We’re excited to expand the Forza Horizon 5 fleet with 10 incredible new to Forza cars, including four new Hot Wheels scaled up to life size.

Available now for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PCs, with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Every Xbox Exclusive EVER. The Downfall of Xbox Exclusives from OG Xbox to Next Gen

The longest-running game franchise at Microsoft, Microsoft Flight Simulator, today announced that it looks forward to celebrating 40 years of flying around the world with the Microsoft Flight Simulator 40 th Anniversary Edition, a completely free offering for Xbox Game Pass members and those who already own Microsoft Flight Simulator. The 40 th Anniversary Edition will be a comprehensive celebration of the franchise and serves as a tribute to past editions as well as an introduction to new and highly anticipated aircraft types, including helicopters and gliders. The 40 th Anniversary Edition will also offer the famous “Spirit of St. Louis”, a true-to-life Airbus A310, and more. Finally, in an exclusive partnership with the Halo franchise and 343 Industries, Microsoft Flight Simulator introduces an incredibly detailed Halo Infinite Pelican add-on. It’s available for free today in the in-SIM marketplace. For the latest information on Microsoft Flight Simulator, visit our Xbox Wire post here and stay tuned to @MSFSOfficial on

Available now for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PCs, with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Grounded is preparing to leave Game Preview this September as it launches its full 1.0 release. Find out how the teens got into the yard and the mad scientist behind it in the fully playable campaign – all of which can be experienced alone or with a group of friends! This release also opens an entirely new part of the Grounded world – the upper yard. New armor recipes, new weapon recipes, and the giant Mantis wait for the players with this update. So, hop into the backyard today!

Available now for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PCs, with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

It’s Time to Become a Captain of Adventure in Sea of Thieves!

With a harmonious flourish, the latest Sea of Thieves trailer has unveiled a major addition coming in Season Seven: Captaincy! Offering players the ability to name and customise their ships, save loadouts between sessions and much more, this is a suite of highly anticipated features that the team are excited to bring to all who sail the Sea of Thieves.

Available now for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PCs, with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

A Brand-New Elder Scrolls Adventure Awaits

Protect the Legacy of the Bretons and explore a never-before-seen part of Tamriel in The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle, coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S on June 21. Travel to the Systres Archipelago, idyllic home of the Breton noble elite and uncover the dire schemes of the Ascendant Order. As part of the year-long Legacy of the Bretons adventure, this new Chapter allows you to dive deep into the history and culture of the proud Breton people and develops the epic story that will continue throughout the rest of 2022!

Available now for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PCs, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Take a Journey to The Pitt This September with Fallout 76’s Expeditions

For the first time, players will be able to go on adventures beyond the natural expanse of Fallout 76’s Appalachia with Expeditions! Arriving free for all Fallout 76 players this September, Expeditions takes players to the rusted ruins of post-nuclear Pittsburgh. Now known as The Pitt, the area is in conflict as the local Union is under siege from deadly Raiders, savage Trogs and more. With Expeditions, players can venture out and take on missions to earn XP, loot and even legendary items. Are you and your crew tough enough to enter The Pitt? Find out later this year!

Available now for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PCs, with Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Amazing Game Pass Titles from Developers Around the World

Explore Scorn’s Mesmerizing Labyrinth this Halloween!

With Halloween fast approaching, we’re so excited to officially announce that Scorn will launch this year on the 21st of October! With this nightmarish first-person horror adventure, players will be able to fully immerse themselves within a mesmerizing maze of odd forms and somber tapestries. Since reaching our last major milestone back in December, the team has been working hard to add all the finishing touches. With that being said, we’re thrilled to finally be able to reveal some new, exclusive gameplay footage – we hope you like it!

Console Launch Exclusive on Xbox Series X|S, coming to Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Starring Vin Diesel as the Hero Santiago, ARK 2 tells the story of a father and a daughter (“Meeka” played by Auli’i Cravalho!), of betrayal broken promises, and the strength of the family bond – and of course, it’s a story of badass giant dinosaurs. But even more importantly, this is about players’ own stories – like any good persistent-world online survival game, ‘Survivors’ in ARK 2 each have their own unique path through the game, as they form their own tribe, make their own friends, and attempt to build their own creature-aided civilization.

Console Launch Exclusive on Xbox Series X|S, coming to Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Fight for the Fate of a Haunted Land in Hollow Knight: Silksong

Discover a vast, haunted kingdom in Hollow Knight: Silksong! The sequel to the award-winning action-adventure. Explore, fight and survive as you ascend to the peak of a land ruled by silk and song when Hollow Knight: Silksong launches with Xbox Game Pass.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Dive into a twisted world of secret organizations, forbidden rituals, and cold-blooded murders in the evocative and hand-crafted Metroidvania that is The Last Case of Benedict Fox. Enter the consciousness of the victims to explore their memories in search for clues. Take up the last case of Benedict Fox, a self-proclaimed detective bound to his demon companion.

Console Launch Exclusive on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, coming to Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Take to Flintlock’s vast battlefields, combining and mastering an arsenal of tools and magical abilities. Join Nor and her mysterious companion, Enki, in this open-world RPG adventure and embark on an epic journey of vengeance, gunpowder and magic in humanity’s last stand.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

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Welcome to the Frontier! Begin your new life on a strange and beautiful planet as you build up your homestead, farm alien crops, and use your mech to explore what this new landscape has to offer. Enjoy our relaxing farming adventure with up to three friends when it lands in Early Access, Spring 2023!

Console Launch Exclusive on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, coming to Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Fresh out of high school with no job and no ambition, you’ve really got nothing going for you until an alien cartel that wants to get high off humanity invades Earth. Now, you and a team of charismatic talking guns must answer the Hero’s call and become the deadliest intergalactic bounty hunter the cosmos has ever seen. Travel to a variety of biomes and locations across the cosmos, go up against the nefarious Garmantuous and his gang of goons, collect loot, meet unique characters, and more, in the latest comedy adventure from Justin Roiland!

Console Launch Exclusive on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, coming to Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Ereban: Shadow Legacy is a fast-paced story-driven stealth platformer game where you become Ayana, the last descendant of a forgotten race. Harness mystical shadow powers, high-tech gadgets and avoid or kill to uncover the truth about your past and the key to saving a dying, morally grey universe.

Console Launch Exclusive on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, coming to Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Expand Your Mind with COCOON

From Jeppe Carlsen, the lead gameplay designer of LIMBO and INSIDE — COCOON takes you on an adventure through worlds within worlds. Master the world-leaping mechanics to unravel a cosmic mystery.

Console Launch Exclusive on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, coming to Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

An action-packed fable from Cococucumber, Ravenlok is a fairytale reimagining of a kingdom troubled by a corrupted Queen and a young girl’s destiny to fulfill a dangerous prophecy. After stumbling upon a magical mirror, Ravenlok finds herself pulled away from reality and into a land shrouded in darkness, cursed by the corruption of the Caterpillar Queen. Seeking only to return home at first, she rises to the occasion by challenging fearsome foes to save the fallen kingdom. Slash through sinister jesters in the Mask Mansion and burn down the Weeping Fungi in the mystical Mushroom Forest in an unforgettable, action-packed adventure.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

upcoming, xbox, games, exclusives, best

A mythical action combat game for up to 60 players, NARAKA: BLADEPOINT is one of the best-selling PC games in 2021 with over 10 million players since last August. NetEase’s debut on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, players can experience the excitement of melee combat and world exploration with their selected heroes and weapons, competing with other foes to be the last one standing when it launches with Game Pass on June 23.

Console Launch Exclusive on Xbox Series X|S, coming to Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass, coming to PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming

Action-packed roguelike, Gunfire Reborn, brings its fun and exciting world to Game Pass this October. Pick your Hero, each with their own abilities and powers, and dive into the action. Defeat nefarious enemies, discover awesome abilities and pick up dropped weapons and items to become more powerful! Collect scrolls and copper throughout your adventures to upgrade your Hero and refill supplies. Play in single-player or recruit your friends for 2–4 player co-op.

Coming to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and Windows PCs, Day One on Xbox Game Pass, coming to PC Game Pass, and via Xbox Cloud Gaming.

Finally, we invite you to tune in to the Xbox Games Showcase Extended show on June 14th at 10am PT where we will share new trailers, take deeper looks at the news from the Xbox Bethesda Games Showcase and speak with some of your favorite game creators.

Editor’s Note (June 14): We incorrectly stated that the Forza Motorsport demo was captured in-game on Xbox Series X. The demo was captured in-game on PC, and also tested on Xbox Series X for the same visual quality output. We have corrected this in the article.

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Xbox Series X won’t have next-gen exclusives for a while

  • Kyle Orland
  • 01/10/2020 10:25 pm
  • Categories: GamingView non-AMP version at arstechnica.com

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Xbox Series X, due in November 2020. It’s tall. And it has a modified controller compared to the Xbox One pad.

This is a better look at the new controller, along with a peek at at least one front-of-box USB Type-A port.

Phil Spencer then showed off new game Hellblade II: Senua’s Saga, which he said was all captured in-engine as being built to take full advantage of Xbox Series X.

Further Reading

Back in the middle of 2016, Microsoft was just revealing the first details of Xbox One Scorpio (which became the Xbox One X), and Sony was just confirming the rumored existence of the Playstation 4 Neo (which became the PlayStation 4 Pro). At the time, we had a simple question for the console industry’s near future:

In 2021, will developers still be expected to make games fully compatible with the original Xbox One and PlayStation 4 (console hardware that will be pushing eight years old at that point)? Or will developers be allowed to FOCUS on the ‘legacy’ Neo/Scorpio hardware and (presumably) whatever new top-end upgrade will replace them?

Now that such a heralded console future is approaching the console present (a year ahead of our original predictions), we at least have a temporary answer as far as Microsoft is concerned. In a recent interview with trade magazine MCV, head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty revealed that there are no plans to sequester the first year or two of games for the upcoming Xbox Series X away from compatibility with the original Xbox One.

Further Reading

As our content comes out over the next year, two years, all of our games, sort of like PC, will play up and down that family of devices, Booty explains. We want to make sure that if someone invests in Xbox between now and [Series X] that they feel that they made a good investment and that we’re committed to them with content.

upcoming, xbox, games, exclusives, best

The console is the new PC

It’s hard to overstate how weird the idea of an exclusive-free launch is for a new generation of video game consoles. Back when the original Xbox One launched, for instance, you had to upgrade your aging Xbox 360 hardware if you wanted to play heavily promoted first-party games like Killer Instinct, Forza Motorsport 5, Ryse: Son of Rome, and Dead Rising 3, to name just a few. Those exclusives were supposed to be the system sellers that would convince otherwise satisfied console gamers to shell out hundreds of dollars for new hardware.

For the Series X launch, though, even heavily promoted launch titles like Halo Infinite will apparently still be playable on your original Xbox One (even if that seven-year-old system is old enough to have come bundled with a Kinect). In that same MCV interview, Booty notes that the Halo Infinite team is definitely going to be doing things to take advantage of [Series X].” What Booty doesn’t talk about, of course, is how that team may be held back by a requirement to accommodate players on more limited Xbox One hardware.

Booty’s interview notably focuses only on first-party content, so third-party developers could theoretically create games that require the power of the Series X. Looking at previous console transitions, though, third-party developers are usually more likely than not to spend the first few years of a new console generation splitting their major games across multiple tiers of hardware. In late 2013, for instance, games like Battlefield 4, Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, NBA2K14, and Skylanders Swap Force were all launching on the brand new Xbox One and the eight-year-old Xbox 360 versions at the same time.

Further Reading

It’s unclear at this point whether early Series X releases will even have to be split into separate versions to work across multiple Microsoft console generations. The history of 2017’s Xbox One X suggests a single version of a new game might be playable across three different levels of Microsoft console, with only minor patchable graphical differences between them.

But the Xbox One X was always sold as a mid-generation stopgap upgrade which would never feature games that required an upgrade from the original Xbox One. For the Series X, Booty is limiting that kind of promise to the next year, two years, implying there will be some point where the original Xbox One (and even the One X) loses developer support and becomes as defunct as the Xbox 360.

When that phaseout will come, and how suddenly it will hit, are still unknown at this point. But the fact that the transition won’t even start in earnest when the Series X launches is something console owners aren’t used to.

On the PC side, gamers are more accustomed to this kind of gradual obsolescence cycle. In that market, different game makers can set more granular minimum requirements for GPU, CPU, and RAM levels, and players can upgrade individual parts when enough games warrant the investment.

In Microsoft’s new tiered Xbox hardware universe, the eventual shift from everything works on Xbox One to nothing works on Xbox One may come a bit more suddenly. Still, it’s interesting to see that Xbox One owners won’t need to upgrade to the Series X later this year to enjoy any exclusive software for the time being.