The Best Xbox Series X|S and PC Games Right Now, by Critic Score

Here is a strange fact about Xbox in 2026: its best-reviewed new game is set on the far side of the world from its home studio. Forza Horizon 6, made by Playground Games in the English Midlands, takes the series to Japan, and with an OpenCritic average of 91 it is the highest-rated Xbox Game Studios release of the year.

It sits at the top of a library that is now shared, more than ever, with the PC. Almost every Microsoft game lands on Windows the same day, many arrive on Steam, and a growing number also come to PlayStation. So this guide treats Xbox Series X|S and PC together: if a game is great on one, it is very likely great on the other. Scores are OpenCritic Top Critic Averages checked in mid-November 2026.

How we picked

Every pick is playable today on Xbox Series X|S, PC, or both, and averages 85 or more unless we say so. We favoured games with a clear reason to exist on this list: Microsoft's own studios first, then the multiplatform essentials, then the PC-friendly smaller games that critics have loved.

Microsoft's own studios

• Forza Horizon 6 (Playground Games, 2026): 91. Released on May 19, it swaps Mexico for Japan, from city streets to mountain roads. The easiest recommendation on the platform, and a showcase for what a Series X or a decent PC can do.
• Forza Horizon 5 (Playground Games, 2021): 92. Still one of the highest-rated Xbox games ever, and a good reason to try the series cheaply.
• Microsoft Flight Simulator (Asobo Studio, 2020): 92. The whole planet, rendered from map data, for anyone who has ever wanted to fly over their own house.
• DOOM: The Dark Ages (id Software, 2025): 86, and its 2026 expansion Revelations: 89. A medieval, shield-swinging Doom that became the biggest launch in id's history, with 3 million players in its first week.
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle (MachineGames, 2024): 86, with 92% of critics recommending it. A globe-trotting first-person adventure that feels like the films.
• Gears of War: E-Day (The Coalition, 2026): 85. A prequel that returns to the night the Locust first emerged, released on October 6.

What is missing tells a story too. Xbox spent much of 2026 in upheaval, with studio cuts and sales, and some of the brand's biggest names, such as Fable and The Elder Scrolls VI, are still ahead of us. For now, the strongest reasons to own an Xbox are racing, shooting and adventure, and the list above covers all three very well. If you only want one Microsoft game this winter, make it Forza Horizon 6.

The multiplatform essentials

These are the games that critics have placed at the very top of the Xbox and PC charts, regardless of who published them.

• Baldur's Gate 3 (Larian, 2023): 96. The highest-rated game on OpenCritic's all-time Xbox Series chart.
• Elden Ring (FromSoftware, 2022): 95, plus Shadow of the Erdtree (2024): 94.
• Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar, 2018): 95. On PC, it is still one of the most demanding and beautiful open worlds around.
• Hades II (Supergiant, 2025): 94. Arrived on Xbox on April 15, 2026.
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive, 2025): 92. The Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025.
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered (CD Projekt Red, 2026): 91. A free upgrade for existing owners since September 29.
• Split Fiction (Hazelight, 2025): 91. Two-player co-op only, and worth finding a partner for.
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (Warhorse, 2025): 89. A medieval RPG with real swordplay and no magic at all.
• Monster Hunter Wilds (Capcom, 2025): 89. Capcom's biggest hunting game.
• Resident Evil Requiem (Capcom, 2026): 89. The year's best horror.
• 007 First Light (IO Interactive, 2026): 87. A stealth-action origin story for James Bond.
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Kojima Productions, 2025): 90. No longer a PlayStation-only game: the PC version arrived on March 19, 2026.

PC highlights worth knowing

PC players have a few extra reasons to celebrate this year. CONTROL Resonant, Remedy's action-RPG sequel to Control, launched on September 24 with a Metacritic score of 83 on PC and a 92% positive rating from more than 10,000 Steam reviews. And the smaller games keep punching upward:

• Hollow Knight: Silksong (Team Cherry, 2025): 91.
• Mina the Hollower (Yacht Club Games, 2026): 91.
• Valheim (Iron Gate): 90. The Viking survival game that took over Steam when it entered early access in 2021.
• Mewgenics (Edmund McMillen and Tyler Glaiel, 2026): 89.
• ARC Raiders (Embark Studios, 2025): 87. An extraction shooter from a Swedish studio founded by former Battlefield developers.
• Star Wars: Galactic Racer (2026): 87. A new Star Wars racing game, released on October 6.

Xbox or PC: where should you play?

For most of the games in this guide, the honest answer is "wherever you already are". Many Microsoft titles support Xbox Play Anywhere, which means one digital purchase works on both an Xbox console and a Windows PC, with your save files following you. That makes the choice less about the library and more about how you like to play.

An Xbox Series X is the simplest way to get a big-screen experience with no settings to tweak. A gaming PC costs more and asks more of you, but rewards you with higher frame rates, mods and Steam's constant sales. And in between, handheld PCs such as the ROG Xbox Ally have made it normal to carry a slice of this library around, with Steam and Xbox apps side by side.

By the numbers

• 96: Baldur's Gate 3, top of OpenCritic's all-time Xbox Series list
• 92: Forza Horizon 5 and Microsoft Flight Simulator, among Xbox's best-rated in-house games
• 91: Forza Horizon 6, 2026's best-reviewed Xbox Game Studios release
• 3 million: players in DOOM: The Dark Ages' first week
• 83: CONTROL Resonant's Metacritic score on PC

What to play next

Three picks for a new Xbox or a fresh PC build: Forza Horizon 6 to see what the hardware can do, Baldur's Gate 3 for the story, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for the surprise. If you like your games loud, add DOOM: The Dark Ages; if you like them quiet and long, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.

What to watch: Microsoft's next big releases include Fable, due on February 23, 2027, and inXile's time-travel RPG Clockwork Revolution, planned for 2027 as an Xbox console exclusive. On PC, CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 4 is now targeting 2028. Expect this list to look very different by then.