The Xbox Series X is a huge technical jump from its older sibling the Xbox One. While still playing catch up to what PCs can do, it’s still a big deal for consoles. Packed with 4K capabilities and the potential to do 120 frames per second gaming, is something to talk about.

Gaming is in the early days of the current generation, so there are only a couple of exclusives for the Xbox Series X. However, most games are optimized for it, plenty of which look and perform really well on the new console. While there are many, here are some huge Xbox Series X games that run at 4K and 60 FPS.

Updated December 7, 2022 by Mark Sammut: The Xbox Series X has the potential to run games at 4K and 60 FPS, although not every title offers these features. For instance, A Plague Tale: Requiem cannot be played at 60 FPS, while many AAA titles ask players to prioritize either the resolution or the frame rate. Still, there are a number of optimized Xbox Series X games that run at 4K and 60 FPS.

Halo Infinite

For Xbox’s 20th anniversary celebration, Microsoft staged a doozy of a celebration. Along with announcing the final additions to the Xbox’s Backwards Compatibility Program, games that also received a performance boost, Microsoft dropped Halo Infinite multiplayer beta roughly three weeks prior to its full release.

This mode is free-to-play and does not require any sort of subscription, so anyone with an Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, or PC can jump into the fps franchise’s latest entry.

Xbox Series X and some PC owners can play Halo Infinite at 60+ FPS and 4k resolution, allowing them to experience Microsoft’s flagship property at the peak of its power.

Tunic

Tunic is a top-down action-adventure game that wears its Legend of Zelda influence on its sleeve. Comparisons to Nintendo’s legendary franchise can be a double-edged sword since Zelda sets the bar ridiculously high, but Tunic manages to reach that lofty standard. Do not be fooled by the cute protagonist and colorful art style as this game packs quite a punch, both in its surprisingly complex combat and the many brain-teasers scattered across the campaign.

Tunic sets its sights on delivering a proper adventure, one that expects players to craft their own path. This goes beyond exploration and into the gameplay mechanics. While Tunic’s battle system seems basic at first, depth lies in its flexibility and adaptability. Players need to investigate the tools at their disposal to figure out the optimum way to take on this world’s decent selection of enemies.

Back 4 Blood

Debuting on Xbox Game Pass, Back 4 Blood is Turtle Rock Studios’ first-person shooter reminiscent of the Left 4 Dead franchise. While solo play is available, Back 4 Blood is predominantly intended for co-op, as up to four players can come together to work through the game’s various acts. Although a recent update has lessened the game’s difficulty, Back 4 Blood is still challenging and rewards teams who are willing and ready to complement each other as they take on wave after wave of Ridden.

Back 4 Blood is optimized for the Xbox Series X, offering 4K and 60 FPS. The gameplay is not only continuous and punishing but smooth.

Alan Wake Remastered

In 2021, Remedy Entertainment’s Xbox 360 fan-favorite title received a much-needed remastering, one that not only improved Alan Wake’s performance but also made it available to PlayStation players for the first time. The game is not a full-blown action experience and has more than its share of quiet moments designed to let players soak up Bright Falls’ atmosphere, and the town looks better (and creepier) than ever on the Xbox Series X.

A couple of minor changes and additions aside, the remaster’s selling point is its higher resolution and steady frame rate.

Tales Of Arise

Bandai Namco’s latest entry in the Tales franchise has a contender for the best combat system in the license’s history, and that is a claim that can’t be made lightly. Tales of Arise tells a story steeped in discrimination and opts for a dark tone throughout its opening few hours, although the series’ trademark banter does eventually come in.

Tales of Arise supports 4K and 60 FPS on the Xbox Series X, ensuring this version delivers an optimized experience when it comes to the game’s fast-paced battle system. Although the JRPG is available on the Xbox One, the Xbox Series X version of Tales of Arise still feels like a ninth-generation title.

Scarlet Nexus

Bandai Namco’s new action RPG was received well by both critics and players, perhaps signaling that the future could include further missions with the OSF. Visually, Scarlet Nexus is not the most impressive game on the Xbox Series X, particularly when it comes to its environments and textures; however, the characters look great and, most importantly, the gameplay is fantastic.

Requiring two playthroughs to see everything the story has to offer, Scarlet Nexus will keep players entertained for over 50 hours.

Hades

Supergiant Games’ Hades is a roguelite about Zagreus, the son of the titular god, trying to escape from the Underworld to reach Mount Olympus. As is tradition for this acclaimed studio, Hades looks stunning, plays brilliantly, and has a captivating storyline that holds a number of surprises, both in terms of its plot and the way it plays around with conventions.

Roguelites and roguelikes are not for everyone, but Hades shakes things up by not wiping the slate clean after every failure. While players will be spending their time running through the same levels over and over again, the story progresses when Zagreus dies; consequently, it rarely feels like time has been wasted.

Doom Eternal

Id Software’s Doom Eternal is now available for the Xbox Series X and PS5, a change that makes a world of difference. Next-gen versions offer three graphics settings, with Balanced Mode delivering 4K resolution and 60 FPS. Performance Mode reduces the resolution to 1800p but elevates the frames per second to 120. Last but not least, Ray Tracing Mode delivers 1800p and 60 FPS.

Doom Eternal is controlled chaos, as the Doom Slayer must remain constantly on the move to avoid certain death.

Resident Evil Village

Capcom’s most recent horrorfest builds upon the strong work of Resident Evil 7, retaining the first-person viewpoint and Ethan as a protagonist. Set in a creepy village in Europe and featuring an antagonist that broke the internet, Resident Evil Village incorporates frights and thrills expertly, creating an experience that is more action-based than its predecessor.

Permitting Ray Tracing is not activated, Resident Evil Village runs at 60 FPS and 4K on the Xbox Series X. For a game filled with plenty of horrifying nightmares, Village has its share of beautiful imagery.

Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series

A compilation containing remasters of a PS1 and PS2 game, Klonoa Phantasy Reverie Series running at 4K and 60fps on the Xbox Series X should have been a given. Something less set in stone is whether this package would appeal to anyone besides pre-existing fans, and the answer is undoubtedly “yes.” It is incredible just how well both of these platformers hold up.

Although not an unknown property, Klonoa never quite reached the heights of gaming’s top-tier mascot franchises, at least in terms of popularity. However, when it comes to actual quality, Klonoa: Door to Phantomile and its sequel, Lunatea’s Veil, stand toe-to-toe with any platformers on the market. These games envision a creative world filled with unique and memorable stages, ones that are splendidly designed as well. The gameplay is also great, particularly in Klonoa 2.

Persona 5 Royal

Once upon a time, the thought of Persona appearing on an Xbox console, let alone Game Pass, seemed like nothing more than wishful thinking. Now, Xbox owners can play one of the best JRPGs of all time, Persona 5 Royal, in glorious 4K and 60 FPS. Anime-style visuals and turn-based combat might not seem like they would benefit too much from the jump in presentation and performance, but it could not be understated just how gorgeous P-Studio’s game is. Yes, it might not be as realistic or detailed as something like A Plague Tale: Requiem, but P5R makes up for it through sheer style and personality.

Xbox Series X has an OK selection of JRPGs, and P5R is undoubtedly the genre’s greatest representative on Microsoft’s console. Boasting a lengthy campaign lasting roughly 100 hours, this game can keep someone engaged for months on end.

Deathloop

Originally a PS5 console exclusive, Deathloop made its way to the Xbox Series X/S a year later, and the latter might be the game’s definitive edition. On the Xbox Series X, Arkane’s project has four performance modes, two of which aim for 4K and 60 FPS. The difference between the two is their focus, as one prioritizes resolution while the other emphasizes a steady frame rate. Consequently, players can decide which area is the most important to them. Users who would prefer 120 FPS can select another mode that reduces the resolution to 1080p.

Deathloop cast players as Colt, an assassin who must eliminate eight targets in a single day. Failure resets the day, forcing them to go through the process from scratch. While not endlessly replayable, Deathloop is a fun first-person shooter by a developer known for them.

No More Heroes 3

Considering No More Heroes 3 started life as a Nintendo Switch exclusive, the game’s ability to sustain a 4K resolution and 60 FPS on the Xbox Series X is nothing too impressive. Nevertheless, Grasshopper’s release benefits greatly from the hardware boost, particularly when it comes to resolution. Visually, the hack and slash title is somewhat bland except for boss fights and a few story moments; however, NMH3’s combat is much more enjoyable when experienced at a stable 60 FPS. That said, the game still has some slight performance issues on the Xbox Series X and PS5, particularly within its open-world.

NMH3 finds Travis Touchdown taking on an alien threat, a quest that involves battling an array of powerful enemies masquerading as heroes. Like its predecessors, No More Heroes 3’s boss fights are its strongest feature, and the 2021 game almost never drops the ball in this area.

Rogue Legacy 2

Building on the rock-solid foundations of the original Rogue Legacy, the sequel refines an already stellar formula to perfection. The basic gameplay loop has remained largely intact: players control a knight who runs through a castle facing bosses and finding loot. Once they die, players spawn as one of the knight’s kin so they can do it all over again. While each class comes with unique weapons and skills, each character also has a randomly-generated trait that adds a fun twist to the next playthrough.

Rogue Legacy 2 is an addictive game that can keep someone entertained for months. With more than 10 classes, this roguelike comes jam-packed with variety, and mastering each type of character will take quite a long time. In due time, most people will identify a few preferred classes, but the core combat is fun enough to ensure no playthrough feels like a waste of time.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time

The classic Sony mascot is no longer confined to just PlayStation systems, a fact that works in Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time’s favor. Debuting in 2020, Crash 4 made its way to ninth-generation consoles a few months later, allowing the game to take advantage of the new hardware’s power.

Crash 4 is gorgeous and vibrant, making it a perfect candidate to showcase the Xbox Series X’s 4K potential. The gameplay is smooth even on last-gen systems, but the Series X greatly reduces the load times for levels.

Dirt 5

While Dirt 5 looks fine on the older platform, there’s a noticeable difference between the two. For starters, everything about it is a smooth ride. The driver has more control over the vehicles now because it’s almost 1 to 1 with no delay.

This gives players on the newer console a slight advantage over the ones playing on older platforms. When racing on dirt roads with little traction and having the game be slow changes the whole experience. The frame rate increase from 30 to 60 helps the driving in general.

Dead By Daylight

Dead By Daylight works well for both survivors and killers. Quicker response time for the survivors to get away or do tasks, while the killers are more mobile and get their targets faster. What makes this game a good example of what the Xbox Series X can do is its graphical upgrade.

The already spooky-looking maps are even scarier thanks to its next-gen overhaul. Much like most games that got an update for the new console, everything got better, so playing on the Series X is a noticeable change.

Far Cry 6

Ubisoft’s Far Cry franchise is nearly always a front-runner in the visuals department, even if the games do not quite push the envelope as far as some other releases. Far Cry 6 is an absolutely gorgeous first-person shooter set within a lush open-world that is also quite dense with content.

Criticized for sticking too close to the license’s basic formula, Far Cry 6 ultimately offers more of the same; while this will put off people who have grown weary of Ubisoft’s structure, this also means that the game retains most of the franchise’s major strengths. For instance, the gameplay is as frantic and satisfying as ever, particularly on modern consoles.

Borderlands 3

The good thing about the Borderlands titles is that they’re not physically demanding, and the current-gen systems run them better than ever. The 4K update makes it feel like Borderlands 3 is a new game.

Colors are richer and more vibrant, and with the 60 frames per second, the chaos feels more focused. Plus, just everything about the game feels better just because it’s on the new console, as the updated graphics bring more life to its worlds. It’s like night and day in how the new hardware changes Borderlands 3.

Psychonauts 2

Double Fine’s highly-anticipated sequel finally dropped in 2021, and Psychonauts 2 not only successfully retains the magic of its 2005 predecessor but greatly expands on its ideas. Raz is a Psychonaut in training and enters the Motherlobe, the organization’s main base. While there, he sets out to unlock the mystery of the original Psychonauts, a journey that is both action-packed and emotionally complex.

Psychonauts 2 is a fun platformer with action elements, with Raz’s Psi-Powers providing a decent amount of variety when it comes to facing enemies and completing puzzles. The boss fights are also epic. More importantly for this article, Psychonauts 2’s level design and aesthetic are both mesmerizing; this is one of the best-looking games on the Xbox Series X.

Ori And The Will Of The Wisp

This already stunning platformer looks even better on the new console. The 4K works really well with games like Ori and the Will of the Wisps because of the depth of the colors. The light colors really pop out and they give the game a different feel. While the darker ones blend in really well with the background.

It’s no wonder why Ori and the Will of the Wisps is one of the best-looking games of 2020. The frame rate is also consistent on the Xbox Series X. The title is quite hard as it’s mostly about timing, so having smoother gameplay can help the players beat the game.

Sea Of Thieves

Online multiplayer games have a noticeable change on the newer console. Load-in times are quicker, allowing people to quickly connect with their friends. Not only that but graphically Sea of Thieves is beautiful; the sun blanketing the water looks amazing.

At night and with 4K, the view gets clear and with richer colors. Even when a player’s internet isn’t as good as the rest of the party’s, the frame rate helps somewhat with that. The smoother camera turns and quicker reaction time makes the game much better.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Ubisoft is known for making the Assassin’s Creed landscape and cityscape as life-like as possible. The latest in the series is not an expectation. Playing on the new console, players can visit some gorgeous-looking scenes in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and see what the Series X has to offer. The increase in frames translates into smoother combat. Players can time their attacks faster and do it more efficiently.

These games are huge, especially Valhalla, so it’s amazing seeing the loading time is cut down more than half on the Xbox Series X. This was probably the first game to really show what the new console could do.

Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

First-person shooters utilize the higher frames well. PC players know well that reaction time is the main thing to win. Therefore, if a player is playing on the Series X they’ll have an advantage because the frame rate gives them that.

While not looking all that different from the older version, Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War is technically better on the Xbox Series X. Matchmaking and loading times are better. Even the zombie modes look good as well. Those modes can be hard, but with more frame coming in it could change and makes it easier to play.

Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate

Shortly following the launch of the current console generation, NetherRealm Studios released PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate. Using a dynamic resolution, the fighting game reaches 4K and 60 fps on a reasonably consistent basis, so players can look forward to a smooth and gorgeous experience.

Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate’s gameplay is arguably the finest in the franchise’s history, and it is certainly the most strategic. By removing things like the run option, battles play out like chess matches that demand participants master both the offensive and defensive sides of the equation. The multiplayer is quite active, while the single-player campaign captures Mortal Kombat at the peak of its powers. The story is ridiculous, charmingly cheesy, and unapologetically violent; basically, it is perfect.

Forza Horizon 5

Similar to its predecessor, Forza Horizon 5 is a visual delight. It also plays pretty darn well across all platforms, although it naturally shines the brightest on the Xbox Series X and high-end PCs. This time around, the Horizon crew heads to Mexico, a destination that proves to be gorgeous, versatile, and perfect for jumping off cliffs in cartoonish daredevil stunts.

Forza Horizon 5 is a contender for the best arcade racer on the market, only competing with previous entries in the franchise. Even those who are not fond of racing games should consider giving this title a try; it is relaxing, charmingly silly, and breathtakingly gorgeous.

Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition

After a long, agonizing stretch, in 2019, Capcom finally graced the world with a proper sequel to Devil May Cry 4. The fifth entry set a new bar for stylish action games, delivering three very different playable characters, a host of unforgettable boss fights, and a more “realistic” graphic style that does not undermine the franchise’s over-the-top spirit.

The Special Edition brought Devil May Cry 5 to the Xbox Series X/S and PS5, introducing Vergil as a playable character along with some new features like Turbo Mode. Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition comes with a variety of performance modes, including “High Frame-Rate Mode” that offers 120 FPS at the cost of native 4K resolution. “Normal Mode” offers the best of both worlds.

Gears 5

Gears 5 is one of those games that is considerably different on the Xbox Series X. It’s what is underneath the hood that makes it a different game from the Xbox One version. On the new console, Gears 5 looks amazing.

On top of that, the frame rate helps the online action, allowing for smoother and more satisfying gameplay. Playing on the newer console just feels all-around better, and the turnaround time between online matches is even faster.

Every Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, And PC Game Coming Out In 2022 (And Beyond)

Anyone searching for that next big game they can sink hundreds of hours into should check out these articles:

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