UPDATE: Shadow of the Tomb Raider has been added to our list of the best Xbox One X games — read all about its One X enhancements on the next slide!
The Xbox One X is finally here, and there are already a number of high profile titles on the console that have received patches that greatly improve their visuals, allowing the new games to play in true 4K on the console.
We now know of over 250 enhanced games for the new console with another 75 or so in the works. While we'd love to tell you all of these games are going to ooze visual fidelity when you pop them onto your TV, not all of these games are going to look like they're fresh out of the developer's oven.
You see, even though the Xbox One X is capable of 4K/HDR at 60 frames per second along with Dolby Atmos sound, not all games are guaranteed to have all of these improvements. Some will support all of them, while some will support HDR and nothing more.
With this in mind, we've created a list of the best games that push the console to its limits. Here you'll find the games whose patch details confirm they'll push at least two of the console's capabilities, whether that's 4K, HDR or Dolby Atmos.
We've also included details on some upcoming titles with confirmed Xbox One X enhancements in the works in an effort to keep you informed of what's on the horizon for the 4K-ready console.
The vast majority of the Xbox One X-enhanced games on this list, however, have been played by TechRadar staff, either in preview form or in their final retail state. Read on for our in depth impressions of the best Xbox One X games.
It's also worth keeping an eye on the regularly updated list of Enhanced titles on Major Nelson's website or Microsoft's official Xbox One X Enhanced list found on Xbox.com.
Want to see more on the Xbox One X? View our video below!
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What are its enhancements? Native 4K / 30FPS or 1080p / 60FPS
If you've previously had a chance to play Rise of the Tomb Raider on the Xbox One X, then you probably have a pretty good idea of what to expect from its follow-up, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, in terms of enhancements.
Like its predecessor, Shadow of the Tomb Raider can be played using settings that favor either Resolution or Performance — the former allows the game to regularly display at a native 4K resolution, while the latter drops the game down to 1080p, but offers much smoother gameplay targeting 60FPS.
Needless to say, Shadow of the Tomb Raider benefits greatly from the additional detail afforded by its 4K resolution uptick. Environments (particularly foliage, water and mud) are utterly jaw-dropping in 4K, making this entry the best-looking in the series to date.
That said, it's not an entirely flawless presentation, with occasional screen tearing issues and framerate drops cropping up during some of the game's more graphically intense sections. Still, it's highly likely that developer Eidos Montreal is working on a patch to iron out these problems — we'll check back on the game in the near future to see if they've been addressed.
While Shadow of the Tomb Raider's Performance mode shows a noticeable drop in visual fidelity when compared to the game's Resolution mode, the game still looks exceptional, with its smoother framerate giving the player an additional level of responsiveness, making its controls feel more tactile in the process.
It's clear that a lot of effort has been put into Shadow of the Tomb Raider's enhancements, and barring some occasional performance hitches that will likely be addressed in an update, the game really shines on Xbox One X.
Check out our full Shadow of the Tomb Raider review
What are its enhancements? Native 4K / 30FPS or 1800p / 60FPS
Though it's almost ten years old, Red Faction Guerrilla arrives on Xbox One X with some impressive visual enhancements that serve to make the game's destructive architecture and enormous explosions all the more satisfying. In the game's display options, you'll find two video options: High Quality and High Performance. The former sees the game target a 4K resolution at 30FPS, while the latter drops the resolution slightly to 1800p, delivering a smoother 60FPS experience.
To the naked eye, the High Quality resolution benefits aren't immediately apparent, given that the Xbox One X will automatically upscale to 4K anyway. However, the buttery-smooth framerate of High Performance mode is immediately apparent, looking especially great while driving around Red Faction Guerrilla's vast Martian landscapes.
As part of its 'Re-Mars-tered' package, the game also receives improved textures and lighting — both of which work hard to enhance the game's visual appeal. Of course, there's no denying that Red Faction Guerrilla looks like a remaster of a last gen title, with very little color variation in environments and shadows that are just a little too dark (the inclusion of an HDR mode might've given the game's endless browns, reds and oranges a little more life and variety).
Still, this is as good as Red Faction: Guerrilla is ever likely to look on a console, and if you're a fan of the game from its original release, we heartily recommend that you pick up this stellar remaster and get your ass to Mars again as soon as possible.
What are its enhancements? 4K and 60 FPS
What is it? It took a Hell of a long time, but Doom has now been updated for Xbox One X. While the game always looked incredible, it now looks sharper than ever, thanks to a native 4K update. Like before, the game still runs at 60 FPS, meaning the Xbox One X version of the game offers the best of both worlds. Admittedly, we'd have liked it if a HDR mode had been added, given how long this update was in gestation, but we can't argue with the 4K update we've received. Seriously, Doom looks incredible in Ultra High Definition, and its buttery smooth framerate is just the icing on the cake.
What are its enhancements? Native 4K and HDR
A contender for prettiest open-world shooter to date, Far Cry 5 receives a number of impressive enhancements when played on the Xbox One X. Unlike many enhanced games that employ dynamic scaling techniques to keep their resolutions as close to 4K as possible, Far Cry 5 boasts a full and unwavering 3840 x 2160 resolution that never dips. It also manages to retain the temporal anti-aliasing that made Ubisoft's own Assassin's Creed Origins look so spectacular on Microsoft's high-end console.
HDR settings are also available on Far Cry 5, though you won't be able to tweak them as thoroughly as you could with Origins' 'paper-white' and 'maximum luminance' sliders. Still, the game looks and runs gloriously on Xbox One X at 30FPS. On top of this, users playing on the console will also receive improved terrain detail and shading. We can only hope that every Ubisoft title going forward looks as good as this on Xbox One X.
Check out our full Far Cry 5 review
What are its enhancements? 4K and HDR
Though it's art-style is simplistic, there's an incredible beauty to be found in the presentation of Microsoft's latest exclusive, Sea of Thieves. This massively multiplayer online pirate adventure is available on both Xbox One and PC, and while the latter offers unlocked frame rates and ultra-wide monitor support, the console version ultilizes HDR to really bring the game to life — sunsets have never been more breathtaking in a video game. Thankfully, Sea of Thieves supports cross play between Windows 10 and Xbox so you can play with everyone.
Along with its stunning HDR-enhanced visuals, Sea of Thieves' cartoonish art style is bolstered by a native 4K resolution on Xbox One X. As you'd imagine, the water is especially beautiful in Sea of Thieves — we'd even go as far as to call it the most realistic water in any video game to date. The way that light shines through waves is also especially realistic.
Still, Sea of Thieves is most impressive when you're standing on the deck of your ship, looking out as the sun sets over an island brimming with the promise of treasure. Weather can change on you in an instant, with a dynamic cloud simulation and storm system that really ups the intensity as you sail the game's vast ocean.
If you want a game that shows off just how much the Xbox One X can enhance a visual experience, we suggest you set sail for the Sea of Thieves.
Read all about it in our Sea of Thieves hub.
What are its enhancements? 4K and performance enhancements
Bethesda's epic post-apocalyptic role-playing game has received an Xbox One X update which brings it more in line with the PS4 Pro version of the game. We now have a native 4K resolution, though the game still exhibits horizontal scaling during more graphically intense moments.
That said, at its lowest, it still delivers an impressive 3264x2160 resolution, which is much higher than the PS4 Pro's 1440p target.
Elsewhere, improvements have been made to Fallout 4's framerate on Xbox One, hitting its target of 30fps more consistently than it did at launch, though you'll still find dropped frames on occasion – a problem the PS4 Pro version does not have.
Still, even with the odd framerate hiccup, Fallout 4 looks glorious on Xbox One X, making it the best way to experience the game on consoles.
What are its enhancements? 60 FPS, 3K, enhanced graphics
What is it? Following behind Forza Horizon 3, Project Cars 2 is another racing game taking advantage of the Xbox One X's power. Developed by Slightly Mad Games and first released in September 2017, this is a racing sim that prides itself on striking visuals and accurate simulation.
Players will have a choice of three modes on Xbox One X: Enhanced Visuals, which will put the game in 1440p resolution while having shadow, track and vehicle details as high as possible; Enhanced Resolution will bump the game's resolution up to 3K; the final mode Enhanced Framerate will set the game's resolution to 1080p while ensuring the game maintains a smooth 60 frames per second.
What are its enhancements? 4K and 60 FPS
As the game is built on the same engine as Doom and already runs at 1080p and 60 PFS, the big difference with the Xbox One X version is that the game is brought up to a native resolution of 4K. Unfortunately, there's no HDR support as yet, but the game looks utterly sublime at 2160p. That the game's rock-solid 60fps is also maintained is especially impressive. A truly great example of what the Xbox One X is capable of.
What are its enhancements? 4K, HDR, and 30 FPS
What is it? Like Gears of War 4, this is an Xbox One exclusive that's been around for a while. Though it doesn't offer the same high frame rates that Motorsport 7 does, this game is sure to look fantastic in 4K with HDR. As well as a resolution bump, plenty of graphical improvements are promised with better visual effects and draw distances. The best thing is, if you already own it your enhanced patch will come free and the file size is a relatively manageable 670 MB.
What are its enhancements? 4K and HDR
Fans of Ubisoft's tactical co-operative shooter Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands are in for a treat with the game's Xbox One X update, as it brings a bevy of enhancements. First off, the game now renders at 1800p (which is then upscaled to 4K), and also offers high-dynamic-range support – all without sacrificing the game's rock-solid 30 FPS framerate. Further enhancements include an increased texture cache size (which is said to improve loading times by keeping more recent assets in memory), increased terrain details and texture resolutions, bigger draw distances and more. Quite frankly, the game has gone from being moderately good-looking to drop-dead gorgeous on Xbox One X. HDR is a particular highlight here – the game just looks so much sharper than before, with a noticeable uptick in vibrancy, especially in bright and sunny environments. Extremely impressive.
What are its enhancements? 4K or 60 fps and HDR.
What is it? The Witcher 3 is one of the older enhanced titles on this list but it still stands as one of the best. Believed by many to be the RPG to end all RPGs, this fantasy adventure will take you through incredible vistas and through thrilling adventures. Using the Xbox One X's power, CD Projekt Red has created two enhanced modes.
One utilises 4K visuals and runs at a solid 30 frames per second, while the other uses dynamic resolution and promises a smooth 60 frame per second. Both modes will allow you to enjoy HDR - a technology that will truly shine in the game's dynamic world.
What are its enhancements? 4K and HDR
What is it? As one of the biggest games this year, it's natural that Destiny 2 appears on this list. With its original game, Bungie managed to create a huge triple-A success as well as a cult hit.
Now, however, it's opening up to the masses and anyone that felt like they couldn't jump on the Destiny band wagon the first time shouldn't miss the opportunity to do so now.
This huge online multiplayer shooter will reel you in with its universe, single-player story, satisfying gameplay and addictive online modes. In our full Destiny 2 review, we call Destiny 2 "the Destiny you know, and the Halo you used to love, all in one loot-filled package."
If you're just getting started, it's also worth taking a peek at our handy tips and tricks guide which will allow you to hit the ground running.
What are its enhancements? 4K, HDR, Dolby Atmos and 60 FPS
The fourth entry in the Gears of War series already looked great on the original Xbox One, however, it looks damn-near astonishing when enhanced for the Xbox One X. Once patched, new advanced video options appear in the game’s settings which give the player control over every major area of its presentation.
You can choose whether you want to place preference on detail (offering native 4K resolutions and textures at 30 frames per second) or performance (locked 60 frames per second and increased graphical detail). While the jump in detail is noticeable when playing the game at 4K, the performance mode looks nearly as good in terms of textures, with the added bonus of running at a buttery-smooth frame rate.
And, while the Xbox One S already provided Gears of War 4 with HDR settings, they’ve received a boost here to work in conjunction with the game’s 4K rendering, allowing for its wider color gamut to be displayed in much greater detail. You’ll find a much-appreciated HDR brightness slider in the settings, and if you want to get a real picture of the difference between standard and high-dynamic-range, you can split the screen and see them both side-by-side while playing the game.
Although it's a slightly older release, The Coalition has done a great job to turn Gears 4 into a poster child for what the Xbox One X is capable of.
What are its enhancements? 4K and HDR
Right from its opening chapter, which takes place during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, Call of Duty: WWII astonishes with its graphical presentation.
We’ve all come to expect the Call of Duty series to provide 60 frames per second gameplay, regardless of platform, but when that framerate is used in conjunction with the Xbox One X’s 4K resolution boost and HDR functionality, the game takes on an extraordinary level of detail and visual clarity.
The opening mission, which recreates the D-Day invasion of Normandy, feels more realistic because of the Xbox One X. Witness, for instance, the realistic textures of fabric on uniforms and realistic skin textures found on faces.
Or how about the way the ocean sprays fine mist and water all over you as your landing craft crashes through the waves on your approach to the beach? The game’s steady framerate, incredibly high resolution and high-dynamic-range colors and lighting, gives the game an almost unnerving quality when played on Xbox One X.
Like many other Xbox One X-enhanced games, Call of Duty: WWII has HDR sliders that allow you to tweak the game’s brightness and white balance to your liking – a much-appreciated addition that we hope carries over to all enhanced games going forward. Quite frankly, we want all games on the console to look this good.
What are its enhancements? 4K, HDR, and 60 FPS
Forza Motorsport 7 was Microsoft’s poster-child for the power of the Xbox One X and thus far it’s the game that’s received the most attention in terms of performance assessments.
As a first-party title, the game's development team has been able to take full advantage of the Xbox One X’s power. The game’s patch promises 4K resolution at 60 frames per second with HDR support.
Having played the Xbox One X-enhanced version of the game for several hours, we're still blown away by how good it looks and how smooth it runs. The game's One X enhancements are most noticeable in its various environments, which show exceptional definition. We pelted our Porsche 911 GT2 RS around the rocky desert hills of Dubai and were astounding by the level of detail found in the rock faces surrounding the track.
Thanks to HDR, the sunlight hitting the track and our vehicle looked brighter than ever. The 4K resolution also allows developer Turn 10 Studios to recreate the cars and their interiors to an astonishing degree of detail. This is especially evident in cars with Alcantara upholstery (pictured) – the fuzziness of the suede-like synthetic material looks just like the real thing!
It's not all about sunny weather, though – we also had the opportunity to race around the famous Nürburgring track in a Nissan GT-R during heavy downpour and were incredibly impressed with how realistic the rain and weather effects appeared.
The combination of 4K, HDR and locked 60 frames per second brings with it some incredibly detailed and realistic visuals with crisp and responsive gameplay. Buckle up for a truly show-stopping Xbox One X demo disc in Forza Motorsport 7.
Read our full Forza Motorsport 7 review
What are its enhancements? 4K and HDR
As you’d probably expect, Assassin’s Creed Origins uses the power of the Xbox One X to make some serious visual impact. The game renders at 4K (although those without 4K screens will still benefit from an oversampled 1080p resolution) and supports HDR, too.
The high resolution support means that the game’s environments and characters are seriously detailed with highly realistic textures and the console’s CPU power means the quality is maintained from longer distances.
However, It’s HDR that makes the game really shine, creating greater contrast between bright sunlight and flames and shadows. This adds real depth to the game world, capturing the blinding brightness of the Egyptian sun and making the shade of tombs feel mercifully cool. As with most Xbox One X-enhanced games that we’ve tested, Assassin’s Creed Origins has an HDR slider that allows you to manually adjust the game’s paper white balance level, as well as the television’s brightness nits.
Having played several hours of the game on Xbox One X, we found the game to be visually impressive with wonderful textures and a remarkably consistent frame rate given everything that was happening on screen at once.
Read all about it in our Assasins Creed Origins hub.
What are its enhancements? 4K, HDR, 60FPS
Haven't spent a significant amount of time with Rise of the Tomb Raider post-Xbox One X patch, it's safe to describe it as one of the prettiest games on the console.
The updated game supports three modes, so you can tailor what exactly you want the console to prioritise with the game. High frame-rate has the game run at 1080p with enhanced textures, and upscaling to reach 4K. This mode is probably the least detailed of the three, but comes closest to maintaining a locked 60fps framerate.
Native 4K mode, as the name suggests, prioritises rendering a full 4K’s worth of pixels, even if this involves bigger hits to framerate, which can make the game judder in its more intense scenes, even though the game is targeting a more modest 30fps.
Finally, the ‘Enriched 4K’ mode strikes a nice balance between the two. It features a more advanced form of upscaling, so even though it’s not native 4K, it’s close enough that it still looks decent.
In all three modes, the implementation of HDR was a treat. Light peeking into each tomb we explored had a fantastic brightness to it, while water had a fantastic level of glimmer and shine. Truly stunning.
What are its enhancements? 4K and HDR
Continuing the trend of giving users the option of how to use the X’s extra graphical horsepower, Shadow of War features two different graphical settings. You can either have the game favor resolution or favor quality.
Choose to favor resolution, and the game will attempt to get as close to 4K as possible (falling back on dynamic scaling when this isn’t possible).
Opt to favor quality and the improvements will be wider-ranging, but won’t bring the same benefits to resolution. Textures will see enhanced detail, draw distances will be improved, there’ll be more vegetation and shadows and lighting will be improved.
Both modes will feature HDR, and will unfortunately only run at 30fps rather than the 60fps of some of the other titles on this list.
Having played Shadow of War at a recent preview event, we came away impressed by the sheer detail offered by 4K, which really brought the large-scale battles to life. We’ll have to wait to see the final version of the patch to issue our definitive judgement.
What are its enhancements? 4K, HDR, 60 FPS (coming soon)
FIFA 18 is another big title that takes advantage of the Xbox One X’s 4K and HDR capabilities.
Looking more realistic than ever before, the latest entry in the FIFA series displays at 4K on Xbox One X at smooth 60 frames per second and with HDR support thrown in for good measure.
4K resolution means even more detail and improved textures (you’ll pore over every blade of grass) but when it comes to fast-paced games like FIFA, it’s the consistent frame rate we’re looking forward to – a slight judder or dip in frame rate could be the difference between making and missing a goal.
Add to this the expanded color gamut and improved lighting that HDR brings with it, and this beautiful game really comes to life, contrasting the bright sunlight against the shadows cast by the stadium to add greater depth.
This is everything we know about FIFA 18.
What are its enhancements? 4K and HDR
What is it? You've probably heard of the JRPG phenomenon that is Final Fantasy and XV is its latest addition. The games are already stunning but we're looking forward to seeing what has been done with the Xbox One X's power here - the open world of Eos is sure to be a treat in 4K.
What are its enhancements? 4K, HDR, 60 FPS
Bungie might have left the Halo series to focus on Destiny, but the blockbuster Xbox series is still alive and well thanks to developer 343 Industries. The most recent entry, Halo 5: Guardians, was released back in 2015, but it will be receiving the Xbox One X treatment via a patch that’s available now.
When patched for Xbox One X, the game will continue to run at 60fps as it did originally, but with the added bonus of a 4K resolution boost.
Unfortunately, due to the age of the original release, the game won’t be receiving an HDR upgrade alongside its 4K one. Still, a native 2160p resolution and rock-solid 60 frames per second is nothing to be sneezed at.
Expect this already beautiful game to look even more stunning when played on the Xbox One X.
What are its enhancements? 4K and HDR
The Xbox One X patch for Madden NFL 18 is not available just yet, but we already know what to expect: like the PS4 Pro version, this year’s Madden will display at a 4K resolution backed by HDR’s expanded color gamut.
This will give the game razor sharp visuals with naturalistic lighting and eye-popping colors, particularly in uniforms and stadiums.
On top of the 4K and HDR boost, Madden NFL 18 is expected to always run at a smooth 60 frames per second during plays on the field. The PS4 Pro version does this, though will drop to around 30 frames per second during replays and when sideline camera angles are used throughout the game’s broadcast-style presentation.
Whether the Xbox One X version will be able to stick to 60 frames per second at all times is currently unknown, but we’ll be sure to let you know as soon as the patch is released.
What are its enhancements? 4K, HDR and 60 FPS
What is it? Minecraft is a game that needs no introduction, and its 'Super Duper Graphics Pack' is set to make its polygonal world the sharpest its ever looked. We got to have a look at the Xbox One X-enhanced version of the game and it was quite fun to see a more beautiful version of what is essentially a very simple looking game.
While the game keeps its famous blocky appearance (we obviously wouldn't want that to change), it does receive vastly improved lighting thanks to the inclusion of HDR support. For instance, your creations can now be viewed with the added bonus of a glorious sunset.
Colors also receive a boost, looking less flat in the process, and vegetation also looks more detailed than before. Still, you can rest assured that the Xbox One X version of the game doesn't mess with the winning formula too much – it simply makes it better.
What are its enhancements? 1440p (upscaled to 4K) and HDR
We hope you’ve got plenty of space on your hard drive, because the patches required to play the Xbox One X-enhanced version of Quantum Break, combined with the game install itself, will take up a staggering 178GB of your console’s storage. Welcome to gaming in the future!
So what do the huge patches give you exactly? Well, since the game is incredibly demanding from a hardware perspective, even on high-end PCs, Quantum Break technically runs at true resolution of 1440p but is displayed as 2160p in its video settings.
According to Digital Foundry, the game makes use of a ‘temporal reconstruction’ technique that gives the illusion of 4K by cloning frames and using the information to make the resolution look much higher than it is. The original Xbox One version did the same thing, taking its native 720p resolution and applying the same technique to provide the illusion of 1080p.
Aside from this, the game has received a texture boost, making its visuals look much crisper in the process. Funnily enough, the film grain effect seen in the standard Xbox One version of the game has been dropped entirely for the One X, giving Quantum Break much more depth and clarity in its presentation.
It’s a shame that 60 frames per second is unavailable, but given the game’s cinematic styling based on film and television, it seems like developer Remedy would probably prefer it that way regardless. Either way, Quantum Break looks downright beautiful on Xbox One X.
What are its enhancements? 4K, HDR, Dolby Atmos and 60 FPS
What is it? The next addition to the Xbox exclusive chaotic franchise. Crackdown 3 was supposed to be a launch title for the Xbox One X but its been pushed back to Spring 2018 to make extra sure it's ready to meet those high running standards its promising.
What are its enhancements? 4K, HDR and 30 FPS
What is it? BioWare's new IP is a bit of a mystery at the moment but its already confirmed as an Xbox One X enhanced title. We know it's going to be a science-fiction game that leans down the fantasy vein like franchises such as Star Wars. You can read more about it here.
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