The Xbox Series X is a powerhouse, a towering black monolith with the power to push games to their limits. But there’s the sticking point — there aren’t that many new games to really make the most of Xbox’s hefty offering. Instead, the best-looking games on the Xbox Series X are often older, upgraded games.
If you’re like me and struggling to find what will look best on that shiny new monitor you got just for the next-gen consoles, then take a look at this list. Everything here has a perfect mix of flashy art styles, graphical enhancements, and next-gen optimisation to make sure you get to see the Series X flexing every one of its muscles.
If you’re looking for more next-gen news, check out our game reviews for Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5.
1. Forza Horizon 4
One of if not the best games Xbox has put out in recent years, Forza Horizon 4 is at the forefront of visual fidelity, so much so that it still looks great three years after its release. Running at 4k60fps, the game finally feels like it was meant to all along.
With all those frames and a decent HDR function, colours pop as cars fly over swaying fields of wheat and churned mud with a clumsy elegance. Every inch of the game feels better and more responsive, making it one of the best-looking games on Series X, and still the best racing game you can play on the console.
Forza Horizon 4 is still exceptional three years after release.
2. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Ubisoft has often been praised for making beautiful worlds in the Assassin’s Creed series, but I’ve never really agreed. Their foliage has felt static, the facial animations unnatural, and the litany of icons on the screen made the whole world feel ugly.
Well, not anymore, as my high standards have finally been met with the Viking raiders of Norway visiting England at a dynamic 4k60fps in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. You can also choose a mode that runs at a rock-solid 4k30fps, but the higher frames are a godsend. All this, as well as the richer colours of the world, have helped it to be one of the best-looking new games on the Series X.
Valhalla is easily the prettiest game Ubisoft has made.
3. The Outer Worlds
The Outer Worlds received heaps of praise for its writing and gameplay, with a slightly more muted response to the visuals. I’ve always thought it was beautiful (not on every console, mind you), but with the recent upgrade, it looks better than ever.
Running at 4k60fps, the game flows smoothly, making gunplay more responsive and exploration more fulfilling. This alone would make it one of the best-looking games on the console, but with the game making use of HDR, the Series X can really make it shine.
The skyboxes in The Outer Worlds are amazing.
4. Dirt 5
Racing games have always been at the forefront of a new generation of consoles. While Dirt 5 doesn’t really feel ‘next-gen’ (whatever that means), it does have a more colourful and explosive presentation than your average racing game.
The player has three options to choose from — dynamic 4k60fps focused on ether framerate or in-game resolution (shadows etc.), or a very impressive dynamic 2k120fps. All three options look gorgeous, with mud splashing the cars and sun glinting off their back windows. Just don’t make me do a Sprint race again, please.
Dirt 5 bursts with colour at every corner.
5. Ori and the Will of the Wisps
One of the most gorgeous indie games of recent years got a massive upgrade on next-gen too. Moon Studios’ Ori and the Will of the Wisps can now run at 4k120fps, or a supersampled 6k60fps, making it the best-looking game on Series X based on the numbers alone.
What this supersampled mode does is render the game at 6k, and then downscale it to 4k for the TV or monitor. This, combined with HDR, can give richer detail. Standing up close to my 4k TV and I could barely see a pixel, it was very impressive. 120fps is preferable, as the difference is more dramatic, but both modes are gorgeous. Oh, and the game is exceptional as well, of course.
One of the best metroidvanias in recent years.
6. Control: Ultimate Edition
Control riled a lot of gamers up by making its next-gen upgrade cost money. Personally, it doesn’t seem too brazen to charge $40 for the game, all its expansions, and some lovely ray tracing too. But hey, each to their own.
What all this lovely techy stuff results in is that one of the most atmospheric games of the previous generation is now one of the best looking games on the next generation, pushing the Series X to do stuff most games don’t yet. It would be nice to see more ray tracing showcases, especially as it was such a buzzword at launch.
The eeriness is heightened with gorgeous lighting tech.
7. Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Halo is wonderful and old. All the games are great fun and old. The story is ridiculous and fun but also old. However, the Master Chief Collection not only has the best-looking versions of the games, but it also runs at a dynamic 4k120fps on the Series X.
What is old is now new then, it seems. Because, to my eye, it is one of the most beautiful things on the console. This in large part to its art style, but the upgrades make every inch of gameplay slick and exciting too. To experience such historic games in this way is genuinely astonishing.
Look at that pretty face!
8. Watch Dogs: Legion
One of the few games to offer ray tracing, Watch Dogs: Legion came out with a bit of a whimper. Not many people loved the game itself, but lots of people praised its lovely recreation of London. Well, it’s even lovelier on next-gen.
While it’s only 30fps, it does come with ray tracing, which is hard to find at the moment. What this means is that every puddle or blood splatter glints in the light of a streetlamp in ways never before seen. I don’t understand how it works, but I do know it looks damn good.
Looks better than London does now, to be honest.
9. Gears 5
Probably the pinnacle of Xbox’s next-gen offering is Gears 5. With the various modes on offer allowing up to 120fps, the game is slicker than ever. It is a testament to Xbox’s commitment to backwards compatibility, too, making a last-gen game this much better for Series X.
It has software-based ray tracing too (i.e. not using the ray tracing hardware in the console), making it a veritable buffet of next-gen buzzwords and so many frames. It’s one of the best-looking games on the Series X, and a series that often goes unnoticed by any who aren’t Xbox die-hards.
This large man looks even nicer on Series X.
10. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
While all the games in this list are beautiful, not many have the style of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The inventive creature design and singular art direction allow this game a beauty beyond graphical beauty. Even so, the way this game runs on the Series X takes all that a step further.
Now running at 4k60fps, the brutal beauty of this game by FromSoftware shines anew, with every slash feeling crisp and instant. It’s one of the best games of last generation, and lives on as one of the best games of this generation, too.
The most beautiful FromSoftware game.
