Xbox Series X and S owners got the year’s best-performing versions of several major releases in 2026, plus a first-party racer that critics almost unanimously recommended. This list ranks the 15 best games released on Xbox Series consoles between January 1 and September 17, 2026, using review scores for the Xbox version specifically, which in several cases run higher than the same game on other platforms.
15. Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2
The sequel (August 25) raises squad size from three to four Colonial Marines and adds a new Specialist class, with crossplay and AI teammates filling empty slots. Critics were rough on it, 73 on Xbox and well below that elsewhere, but for four friends who want to shoot xenomorphs together, it remains the year’s most straightforward co-op power fantasy.
14. Onimusha: Way of the Sword
Capcom’s September 4 revival brings back a series that had been dormant for two decades, built around an Oni Gauntlet that drains souls from demons mid-fight in Edo-era Kyoto. It holds an 83 on Xbox. Our Onimusha guides cover the parry system that the whole game rests on.
13. Denshattack!
A trick-based arcade score-chaser where you pilot a train through a neon Japanese dystopia, launched July 15 to an 84 on Xbox. It wears its Jet Set Radio and Tony Hawk influences openly, and it is the most purely fun thing on this list.
12. Star Wars Zero Company
The Clone Wars turn-based tactics game from ex-Firaxis developers (August 27) earned an 85 on Xbox and the best Star Wars review average in over 20 years. Squad composition matters enormously, which our Zero Company guides break down.
11. Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection
Capcom’s monster-collecting RPG spin-off (March 13) scored 86 on Xbox, telling a story about twin Rathalos hatched from one egg. Fair warning for returning players: unlike Stories 2, this entry is single-player only, a change critics and fans both flagged.
10. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight
TT Games rebuilt LEGO Batman as an open-world Gotham on May 22, with Rocksteady contributing to development, and it scored 86 on Xbox, the highest of any platform. The catch is real though: couch co-op for two players only, with no online option at all.
9. 007 First Light
IO Interactive’s young Bond origin story (May 27) scored 88 on Xbox and is the best-reviewed James Bond game since GoldenEye. Its stealth and gadget systems inherit directly from Hitman, which is the highest compliment available to a spy game.
8. The Blood of Dawnwalker
Xbox got the best-reviewed version of Rebel Wolves’ vampire RPG at 88, several points above other platforms. Coen switches between human by day and vampire by night across a 30-day campaign clock. Our Dawnwalker guides cover the time limit and the corruption system.
7. Mewgenics
The Binding of Isaac creator’s decade-in-development cat-breeding tactics roguelite reached consoles on September 8, after selling a million copies on PC in its first week. Every run produces new cats with inherited traits and increasingly cursed mutations.
6. Pragmata
Capcom’s sci-fi adventure (April 17) hit 87 on Xbox. You play astronaut Hugh and android Diana at the same time, hacking enemies in real time while shooting them, and it is the most mechanically inventive big-budget game of the year. Two million copies sold in 16 days.
5. Valheim
The Viking survival sandbox graduated from Early Access on September 9 with an 89, adding the Deep North as its ninth and final biome. Ten-player online co-op with crossplay makes it the best cooperative experience on Xbox this year. Start with our Valheim guides.
4. Mina the Hollower
Yacht Club Games’ first new property since Shovel Knight (May 29) scored 90. Its burrowing mechanic turns traversal into a combat tool, and the whole thing plays like a lost Game Boy Color classic rebuilt with modern design sense.
3. Forza Horizon 6
Playground Games’ May 19 racer scored 90 on Xbox with a remarkable 99 percent critic recommend rate across 166 reviews, one of the highest figures any game has posted this generation. It is also the closest thing to a true console exclusive here: the PlayStation version has been announced for later, but as of September 17 it is an Xbox and PC game.
2. Mixtape
Xbox got the highest-scoring version of Annapurna’s coming-of-age story at 92, well above other platforms. Three friends spend one last night together before everything changes, told as a series of vignettes set to a licensed period soundtrack. It is short and light on traditional interaction, which some players bounced off, but on Xbox the critical reception was close to rapturous.
1. Resident Evil Requiem
Capcom’s February 27 entry earned a 93 on Xbox Series X, its best score on any platform and the highest of any 2026 game on Xbox. The campaign alternates between FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, whose sections lean into first-person survival horror, and Leon S. Kennedy, whose sections play like modern third-person action.
Producer Masato Kumazawa has said the project began as an open-world online game before those systems were cut, and what remains is the most focused Resident Evil in twenty years. If you own one Xbox game from 2026, make it this one. It also tops our best horror games of 2026.
Honorable Mentions
The Sinking City 2 gave Lovecraft fans a genuinely improved sequel, Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake brought a J-horror landmark back (with divisive combat changes), and John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is the year’s most chaotic four-player co-op shooter. All three appear in our horror ranking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Xbox game of 2026 so far? Resident Evil Requiem, which scored 93 on Xbox Series X, its highest score on any platform.
What is the best Xbox exclusive of 2026? Forza Horizon 6, which released on Xbox and PC in May with a 99 percent critic recommend rate. A PlayStation version has been announced for later.
Are these games on Game Pass? Xbox first-party titles like Forza Horizon 6 arrive on Game Pass at launch. Third-party availability varies, so check the store listing before buying.
Which 2026 Xbox games have co-op? Valheim (10 players online), Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 (4 players online), and LEGO Batman (2 players local only). Our best PC co-op games of 2026 covers more cross-platform options.