Highlights

• Elden Ring captivated players with its captivating open world, array of bosses, dungeons, and hidden areas, despite its graphics not being on par with other games on this list.
• Microsoft Flight Simulator allows players to fly around the entire world, with iconic landmarks looking incredibly realistic and detailed, making it a hit with aviation enthusiasts.
• Despite its age, Grand Theft Auto 5 on Xbox Series X looks unbelievably good and offers one of the most immersive gaming experiences, even though some fans are eager for a new installment in the series.

The ninth generation of home consoles is now up and running, and those who have been lucky enough to get their hands on an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 have been treated to the gaming industry's latest advancements in technology.

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Although there has been some disappointment over the lack of new releases thus far, the Series X has lived up to its marketing of being the world's most powerful console, with the current array of Series X-optimized titles providing some of the best visuals available in gaming today. For anyone wanting to test the Series X's capabilities, here are some of the best-looking games on Xbox Series X.

Updated by Jack Pursey on September 27th, 2023: The gaming industry is constantly surprising players with its consistent leaps in technological advancements. Every year that passes, games are improving both visually and audibly, to the point where some games now feel like big-budget blockbusters. Although visual, sound, and art design aren't everything when it comes to a video game, it's hard not to be in awe of games that showcase the Xbox Series X's potential. This list has been updated to include some more information about the best-looking games on Xbox Series X to help players choose which game to play next.

1 Elden Ring

Elden Ring was released in February 2022 and dominated news and discussion in the gaming industry for most of the year. FromSoftware's action RPG immediately drew players in with its captivating open world that amazed players with its size and scope, along with the huge array of bosses, dungeons, and hidden areas.

Elden Ring's graphics may not be on the same level as a game like Forza Horizon 5 from a technical standpoint, but it's more than deserving of a spot on this list for its stellar art direction.

2 Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator was first released on PC in 2020 before arriving on Xbox Series X/S the following year. The game was a big hit with critics, earning a 90 Metascore on Xbox Series X/S. The game is a wonderfully well-designed simulator for those interested in flying, though the game's main appeal for many people is that it lets players fly around the entire world, with the world's most iconic landmarks like Mount Everest, Big Ben, and The Great Pyramid of Giza all available for players to fly past.

Despite the game's unbelievable scope, much of the world looks truly incredible from the skies, with notable landmarks and cities looking especially great thanks to the extra attention and care that was clearly taken with them.

3 Grand Theft Auto 5

Believe it or not, it has been nearly ten years since Grand Theft Auto 5 first hit stores. The game was originally released on seventh-generation consoles, though it has since come to both eighth-generation and now ninth-generation consoles with its release on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 in March 2022.

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Although many people are frustrated that Rockstar Games continues to focus on GTA 5 rather than release a new game in the series, it's hard to deny that the Xbox Series X/S version of the game looks unbelievably good and is one of the most immersive games of all time.

4 Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor was developed by Respawn Entertainment and is the sequel to the well-received Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Like its predecessor, the game puts players in the shoes of Cal Kestis and again lets players embark on a memorable single-player adventure that features many breathtaking sci-fi locations that are practically begging Star Wars fans to explore them.

Unfortunately, the game's high potential hasn't been reached as of yet due to numerous technical issues, particularly on PC. These issues are being worked on, though it's a shame that they weren't fixed before launch, as the game looks sensational when all is working as it should.

5 Far Cry 6

Throughout the last decade, Ubisoft has managed to create a distinctive, so-called "Ubisoft-style" of open-world games. Their Assassin's Creed and Far Cry franchises are at the forefront of this, with both series honing in on what has worked for them and their competitors in the past and streamlining it to offer safe, solid games that players know what to expect from before the game has even finished installing.

Far Cry 6 continues this trend, picking up where the previous Far Cry games left off with a sprinkling of new features and mechanics for good measure. It's not just the gameplay and world design that picked up where the previous games left off, as the game's beautiful visuals came as no surprise, following the series' impressive track record in that regard.

6 Metro Exodus

The post-apocalyptic genre may not seem an obvious home to one of the Series X's most visually stunning games, though Metro Exodus manages to find beauty in its horror. The game's post-apocalyptic landscape is battered, lifeless, and eerily vacant, yet it's one of the most breathtaking open worlds currently available in gaming.

Metro Exodus' visuals aren't its only impressive feature, as the game manages to combine the first-person shooter, stealth, and horror genres into a well-balanced and enjoyable blend that feels unique.

7 Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

Generally speaking, platformers don't tend to be considered among the best-looking games of their respective release years. The games often provide visuals that are bright, colorful, and have a wholesome vibe to them, but they don't tend to be vast or detailed enough to make them comparable to the environments in open-world adventures.

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However, Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time features an incredible range of art designs across its multiple levels that make the platformer's visuals competitive with games from any genre. Whether it be in N. Sanity Island, The Sn@xx Dimension, or Tranquillity Falls, each area looks unique, meticulously crafted, and memorable.

8 Ori and the Will of the Wisps

Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time isn't the only platformer on this list, as Moon Studios' critically acclaimed Metroidvania Ori and the Will of the Wisps also features an incredible range of visuals. The game's forest is filled with nature-inspired beauty that enhances the fantasy narrative and makes traversing the world and exploring new areas an enthralling experience.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps may look like a heart-warming adventure, though its cute characters will embark on a journey that will almost certainly bring a tear to the eye.

9 Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Considering how synonymous the Halo franchise is with Xbox, it should come as no surprise that Xbox Game Studios gave The Master Chief Collection a budget big to make the set of classic games look superior to even some of gaming's most recent releases.

The collection's cutscenes are its most impressive visual feature, with games like Halo 2 seeing its cutscenes completely reworked to look almost unrecognizable from their originals. To show off the flashy new looks, the game features a mechanic that lets players switch between the old and new versions of a game with a touch of a button, showcasing how much improvement has been made.

10 Dirt 5

Codemasters' Dirt 5 was released in November 2020 and received a warm reception from critics, exemplified by its 81 Metascore on Xbox Series X. The game features the excellent driving mechanics that one would expect from a Codemasters game, though its incredible visuals and car models blew away even some of the most optimistic fans.

Racing fans are interested to see how Codemasters' next few years are going to play out following the company's acquisition from industry giant Electronic Arts.

11 Hitman 3

A game about a hitman may not sound like the source of stunning locations, though Agent 47 is lucky enough to travel to a range of beautiful areas to conduct his brutal murders.

Throughout the game's 8-hour journey, players will travel to Dubai, an enormous British manor, and an Argentinan hillside, among other memorable areas. As one would expect from a Hitman game, each location is packed with various items and objects that can be used for efficient or often ridiculous methods of killing a target.

12 Control: Ultimate Edition

Control was initially released in 2019 by 505 Games. The game's development was handled by Remedy Entertainment, who made a name for themselves with the first two Max Payne games before releasing critically acclaimed story-driven adventures like Alan Wake and Quantum Break.

Control received tons of plaudits for its story, level design, and gameplay mechanics, though many people believe that the art design was the game's stand-out feature. The work put into the visuals didn't go unnoticed, as Control won multiple end-of-year awards for its art, including Best Art Direction at The Game Awards 2019.

13 Gears 5

Like the aforementioned Halo series, the Gears of War franchise is a staple of Microsoft's home console, so it makes sense that Xbox Game Studios would suitably fund the series' latest game to ensure it's one of the best-looking titles on the market.

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Gears 5 drops the of War part of the series' name but keeps the gameplay mechanics similar to its esteemed predecessors. The game doesn't quite reach the heights of the original trilogy, though it still manages to set a high bar for the next entry in the series, particularly from a visual standpoint.

14 Assassin's Creed Valhalla

The Assassin's Creed franchise has become a cornerstone of the open-world genre; the last three games have seen the series transition from action-adventure to action-RPG, with clear inspiration being taken from CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

As one would expect, Assassin's Creed Valhalla provides a similar gameplay experience to its predecessors, so those who enjoyed Origins and Odyssey will almost certainly enjoy Valhalla. Although the gameplay is similar, Valhalla does see the series make improvements visually, which is an impressive achievement considering how good its predecessors looked.

15 Forza Horizon 5

Ever since the gaming industry originated, people have wondered whether video games will get to the stage where it's hard to differentiate between graphics and real life -- Forza Horizon 5 is one of a handful of games that have achieved this impressive feat. Although the incredible car models and beautiful visuals are Forza Horizon 5's main selling points, its driving mechanics are also excellent, making the game feel incredibly engrossing and immersive.

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