The Best Xbox Games of 2023

You don’t have to be a Star Wars fan to appreciate this grand, action-packed journey through the galaxy far, far away. Survivor picks up five years after the events of Jedi: Fallen Order, with Jedi troublemaker Cal Kestis (Shameless’s Cameron Monaghan) on a mission to Coruscant, the dark heart of the Empire.

If you like games with memorable characters, cinematic storytelling, and grand scale, this masterpiece from Respawn Entertainment will satisfy most players. And if you prefer lots of exploration, platforming, or boss fights—it’s got all that, too. An easy game-of-the-year contender for 2023.

This high-speed racer is set in an open-world Mexico that has to be seen to be believed. Tune into your favorite radio station—the soundtrack’s phenomenal—and take a drive in your favorite of over 500 new and classic rides. I haven’t enjoyed a racing game this much since the days of Midnight Club II and Need for Speed: Underground.

The Forza series has long been a fixture of Microsoft’s first-party lineup, but this new Playground Games entry is the best reason yet to check out the next generation of Xbox.

If you want a fun online action game with plenty of depth and variety, Destiny 2’s still the reigning heavyweight in that arena. Squad up with your friends or clanmates, do battle with aliens and time-traveling robots, and take on challenging endgame quests once you’ve mastered your skills.

It’s always rewarding to punch a robot in the eye or shotgun a spider tank in the neck. And all that rare loot’s pretty nice, too. Just know that there is a learning curve, so you’ll want a friend to guide you when you’re first starting out.

The Gears of War franchise is a delightful holdover from the Xbox 360 era—stunning spectacle, apocalyptic stakes, explosive set pieces. It’s always a great co-op game to play with a couple friends; the writing’s great; and you can make it as challenging or as casual as you like.

Gears of War 4 was a stellar soft reboot of sorts, and Gears 5 picks up right where that story left off, helped along by smooth next-gen performance and unbelievable visuals.

Play the iconic series of first-person shooters that put Xbox on the map in this definitive, beautifully curated anthology. With the Xbox Series X and Series S, all of these games run at 120 frames per second, and the classic multiplayer experience has aged more gracefully than pretty much any other shooter.

After you finish Halo 4 and Bungie’s original trilogy, check out Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer or add-ons like Halo: ODST and Reach. This is the perfect way to prepare for 343’s latest installment, Halo Infinite.

On Xbox Series consoles, this instant classic offers both a 120-fps performance mode and flight-stick support, making for the most authentic and exhilarating Star Wars dogfighting sim to date.

Jump in your X-wing, TIE fighter, or Y-wing bomber and take on the whole galaxy as both rebel and Imperial aces—each customized with your chosen name, voice, appearance, and loadouts. If you’re looking to scratch the Star Wars itch, this ought to do it.