Games That Coming to Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5

With a new wave of hardware, gaming technology advancements, but that’s not always obvious on launch day. New consoles typically launch with a mediocre game slate, as developers take time to fully utilize modern hardware. Although Tetris on the Game Boy, Halo on the original Xbox, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on the Switch stand out as memorable launch titles, very few consoles have come with more than one or two games worthy of being named device vendors.

With the launch of Microsoft’s Xbox Series X/S  and Sony’s PlayStation 5 next week, considering the great-looking Tetris Effect: Linked port, the all-new Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and the Demon’s Souls remake, to name a few, that’s planning to stay largely real. But there’s one upside here that can’t be denied: this is the first time you can take your current library, whether physical or digital and carry it to a new device with you in modern console history.

This gives players unparalleled flexibility to determine where they want to play and what efficiency advantages are worth updating to. And technology such as cross-platform play and now even cross-generation support would allow individuals who do not update to continue to play with their mates.

Check out: Microsoft’s Xbox app will allow you to stream Xbox One games on your iPhone

Overview of Next-Gen Console Releases and Current Game Compatibility

Both Sony and Microsoft’s new consoles come seven years after their predecessors, launching within days of each other. However, the next-gen experience isn’t as revolutionary as many expected. While both consoles boast a few true next-gen titles, many of the games available are simply remasters or cross-generation releases with modest upgrades in visual and performance output. On a positive note, there are big-name franchise launches to fill the void, such as Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, which debuted alongside the consoles, and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, another major release.

An encouraging development is that Sony and Microsoft have pledged to offer support for games from their previous console generations. For instance, Microsoft has made it clear that all Xbox 360 and Xbox One games that are compatible with the existing hardware will also work on the Xbox Series X/S. The only notable exception is Kinect games. Sony, on the other hand, is committed to ensuring “the vast majority” of over 4,000 PS4 games will be playable on the PS5. This means that users won’t be leaving behind their old libraries, which could be a significant draw for potential buyers.

Consumer-Friendly Initiatives and Upcoming Game Launches

The good news for consumers is that both Sony and Microsoft have rolled out several consumer-friendly initiatives that enhance the value of purchasing their new consoles. One notable feature is Xbox Smart Delivery, which ensures that any games you purchase on Xbox One will come with a free upgrade to the Xbox Series X/S versions. Similarly, many games expected to release in the upcoming months will work on both current and next-gen consoles, allowing players to transition seamlessly to new hardware without losing progress.

In addition, Sony has introduced the PlayStation Plus Collection, a library of free PS4 games for PS5 users. These initiatives soften the blow for consumers worried about having to start over with new hardware and make the transition to the next-gen consoles more accessible. However, one challenge that persists is tracking which new games are coming out on which platform and when. The difficulty lies in determining whether a gaming company offers a free next-gen upgrade for cross-generation titles, charges an additional fee, or releases a title exclusively for next-gen consoles.

Looking ahead, both platforms have extensive lineups for their new console launches, with 30 fully optimized titles coming to the Xbox Series X on November 10th, while the PS5 will launch with 20 optimized games two days later. These figures only account for games fully updated for next-gen hardware and exclude those that are backward compatible but not yet optimized. The gaming community is eager to know which games will fully take advantage of next-gen capabilities, and only time will tell which titles truly deliver a next-gen experience.

The announced launch day lists touch the forthcoming PS5 and Xbox Series X game libraries’ surface. There are hundreds of more titles on the way in the weeks after release.