The original Xbox helped Microsoft successfully break into the video game console market, and the Xbox 360 saw the brand reach new heights. The Xbox 360 was a massive success compared to its predecessor, but unfortunately, Microsoft failed to capitalize on that momentum with the introduction of the Xbox One. A variety of issues plagued the Xbox One out of the gate, including a general lack of exclusive games, but Head of Xbox Phil Spencer and Microsoft have worked hard to reverse Xbox's fortunes. These efforts may not have been enough to really help the Xbox One beat its competitors in sales, but now the Xbox Series X will reap the rewards.

The Xbox Series X and its Xbox Series S variant console will be must-own for console gamers by the end of 2022. While PC gamers will still get to play most of the Xbox Series X console exclusive games, those that prefer playing on a console instead will definitely want to grab a Series X or S, as they are set to have some big console exclusives by the time 2022 comes to a close.

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Top of the list is Bethesda's open world sci-fi RPG Starfield, an ambitious new IP and the company's first original franchise in decades. There's a lot of hype behind Starfield, and for good reason. Bethesda hasn't released a proper, single-player open world RPG since 2015's Fallout 4, and so fans are definitely hungry for more of the experiences that the company is best known for, as opposed to the social and multiplayer offerings it's been experimenting with in recent years.

main player character in ship

Starfield is going to be a next-gen exclusive when it launches, meaning Xbox One players are going to be left in the dust. Not only that, but there will be no PS5 version of Starfield either, meaning the only place that console gamers will be able to play it when it launches on November 11 is on the Xbox Series X.

Starfield isn't the only Xbox Series X console exclusive that's set to launch by the end of 2022. Another big one is STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl. STALKER 2 is a timed Xbox console exclusive, currently set to launch on December 8. STALKER 2 may make its way to other platforms eventually, but those that own an Xbox Series X console by the end of 2022 will get first-dibs on playing the long-awaited game.

Xbox Game Pass in 2022

stalker 2 xbox game pass logo

STALKER 2 and Starfield are just the tip of the iceberg. Another big reason why the Xbox Series X and S consoles will be must-have by the end of 2022 is the Xbox Game Pass subscription service. One needs one of the new consoles to really get the most out of their Xbox Game Pass subscriptions, as they will have access to not only all the Xbox One games coming to Game Pass, but all the Xbox Series X titles as well.

Microsoft hasn't revealed all its plans for Xbox Game Pass in 2022 just yet, but recent history should give fans a pretty good idea of what to expect. The Xbox Game Pass subscription service will continue to grow exponentially in 2022, with Microsoft looking to bolster its lineup with the addition of day-one releases. All the first-party Xbox games are guaranteed to come to Xbox Game Pass on day one, but there will also be plenty of big third-party games debuting on the service in 2022.

In fact, there have already been multiple day one Xbox Game Pass games added in 2022, and we're not even a month into the new year just yet. Rainbow Six Extraction from Ubisoft was a day one Xbox Game Pass game, and there are even more third-party Xbox Game Pass games on the horizon for later in the year. This includes titles like A Plague Tale: Requiem as well as Atomic Heart, two games that have a decent amount of hype behind them and should be big "gets" for Game Pass.

A Plague Tale Requiem

Having PC Game Pass will ensure that PC gamers can play the vast majority of these games, but in the past there have been times when games have only been available on the console version of the service. For these instances, it will be necessary to have an Xbox console of some description, and while a regular Xbox One will likely work for most scenarios, the Xbox Series X and S consoles will give players the best performance.

The Xbox Series X especially is a powerhouse console capable of delivering high resolution graphics and 120 frames per second in its games. And with a number of third-party day one Xbox Game Pass games, major console exclusives like Starfield, and much more on the way, console gamers will definitely want to make sure that they add a Series X console to their collection sooner rather than later.

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