You have your shiny new Xbox Series X and a cool TV to play it on, but what games should you hit first? What games will allow you to take advantage of all those exciting new features and really show off what your new hardware can do? Read on for a few of our favorites that excel at maximizing the potential of the all-new XBox console.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
The first game for our list of show-off titles is Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. The latest entry in the long-running series from Ubisoft is a visual stunner that really pushes the hardware of the new systems to the breaking point. Sadly, that aggressive visual piece also means that the framerate can have a hard time holding a solid 60 fps.
Thankfully, the new Xbox supports VRR, or variable refresh rate, so if you have a compatible TV the frame rate issues become invisible to the eye. Makes playing Valhalla a truly next-generation experience.
Gears of War 5
Gears of War 5 is a great example of how Microsoft is using the power of the Xbox Series X to make older games look and play better than ever. The game got a major update that pushes the graphical settings of the single player mode higher than ever, and allows the game to run at 60 fps during the campaign.
That means more fluid controls and quicker feeling combat. It really changes the experience. The same level of power was also levied at the game’s multiplayer mode. Now instead of 60 fps, Gears of War 5 multiplayer runs at a blistering 120 fps. Again, this increased frame rate means that every input registers quicker, and all your actions feel faster than ever.
Watch Dogs Legion
One of the fancy new features for this next generation of gaming consoles is the inclusion of Ray Tracing. This is a really fancy way of rendering games that can give you perfect shadows, lighting, and even exact reflections. One of the very first games to show off this new technology is Watch Dogs Legion.
As you run around the city of London, reflections in glass building windows and water puddles are all using ray tracing. The result is really stunning in motion, and it gives the game a level of realism that wasn’t possible on last generation systems.
Ori And The Will Of The Whisps
Ori is another game that came out towards the end of the last generation that receives a massive upgrade for the Series X. In fact, Ori gets two exciting upgrades. The first is the addition of a 120 fps mode that runs at a full 4K resolution with HDR. That makes Ori the fastest-running 4K game currently available on the system.
But, if you have a 4K TV that doesn’t support 120hz, you can activate a “Resolution Mode” that actually runs the game at 6K resolution. This cut’s your framerate down to 60 fps, but gives you even better visuals. Basically it creates a full 6K image, and then your TV shrinks it down to 4K. This adds even more detail and sharpness to the image than what normal 4K can offer.
