Microsoft
The Xbox Game Pass offers great value for new owners of an Xbox One as it can potentially offer several games you might have never played before.
It’s also a good thing to have as it’s $10 a month but will get you access to all first-party Xbox One games going forward, such as Halo: Infinite.
The number of games on the service grows and changes each month so you’ll surely always be able to find something worth playing.
Let’s dive right in and take a look at 10 of the best games you can currently play as an Xbox Game Pass member.
The service is also available for PC so don’t forget to check out our separate list for best PC Game Pass games.
1. The Outer Worlds
Private DivisionThe Outer Worlds is fantastic.
The Outer Worlds is easily one of the best games to release in 2019 and it did so directly onto the Xbox Game Pass. It’s available on both the console and PC Game Pass so there’s really no reason not to pick it up.
If you’re a fan of the RPG genre, Fallout New Vegas in particular, then you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you don’t jump in and try this game out.
There’s so much to love here that getting for so cheap feels like cheating the developers in some way. Just try it out, you won’t regret it.
2. Kingdom Hearts 3
Square EnixKingdom Hearts 3 has arrived on Xbox Game Pass.
Xbox players have traditionally been left out in the rain when it comes to Kingdom Hearts. For the longest time, players had to either get a PlayStation or just watch from the outside as everybody else enjoyed the series.
With Kingdom Hearts 3, that all changed and the series finally came to Microsoft’s platform. on top of that, Square Enix brought over the rest of the series, so Xbox players were finally able to enjoy Sora’s adventure.
While the rest of the series will cost some money, KH3, which is the newest installment in the series, is available on Xbox Game Pass. You could play it as a standalone title and enjoy it, but it’s much better if you play the games before it first.
3. Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Halo 2 Anniversary multiplayer screenshot.
The Bungie developed Halo trilogy stacks up as arguably some of the best first-person shooters of all-time.
There’s a reason players were so hyped up to buy Destiny when it first launched and a lot of that has to do with Bungie.
The Master Chief Collection takes the first Halo trilogy and puts the series onto Xbox One making it an excellent bundle to revisit if you haven’t played the OG Xbox or Xbox 360-era Halo titles in a while.
With the latest update, Halo: Reach is now available so there’s really no reason to not be trying this one.
4. Sea of Thieves
RareSea of Thieves Cursed Sails DLC.
If you played Sea of Thieves at launch and thought it was lackluster, don’t worry because you’re not alone, then now might be a good time to revisit it.
Rare has been steadily updating the game since launch and as we approach the 1-year anniversary you can see the plethora of changes made since the initial launch.
An Arena PvP mode is on the horizon which will surely be a good launch point for both new and returning players.
Rare shares weekly developer updates so we recommend checking out some of the latest ones to see if there’s anything interesting to you if you’re looking to hop back into the seas.
5. Red Dead Redemption 2
It’s fitting that as Grand Theft Auto V was removed from Xbox Game Pass, Red Dead Redemption 2 arrived right in its place. As a matter of fact, that’s exactly how we filled the void here.
RDR2 is a game for anybody who loves single-player adventures and there will be a lot to love. As an added bonus, the Red Dead Online game mode will offer hours and hours of fun after completing the lengthy campaign.
While it’s not nearly as fleshed out at GTA Online, the mode is still being supported by Rockstar and as long as the playerbase stays there, we can surely expect the development to stay there as well.
6. Gears 5
MicrosoftGears 5 is the best installment in years.
The latest entry in the Gears of War franchise is a major return to form as it delivers a strong campaign and also has the frantic action you’ve come to love from the multiplayer.
To make things even better, you can jump into this entry without any prior knowledge of the ones before thanks to a surprisingly thorough recap video.
If single-player campaigns aren’t necessarily your thing, you can just hop right into the multiplayer and still get hours upon hours of fun out of this one.
7. Rocket League
This is a game that feels like you’re ripping off the developers by not paying for it.
Rocket League is best described as soccer but with vehicles. It’s a chaotic game that surprisingly works quite well. You’d be surprised by how much skill goes into a game like this.
Another added benefit is Rocket League is fully cross-play with other platforms, except the PS4, meaning players can play with friends across many platforms.
There are numerous hours of fun to be had with Rocket League and it is still receiving regular support from developers so now is a great time to jump in on the action.
8. Dead by Daylight
BHVRDon’t let the Hag scare you.
Perhaps the most popular game around that nobody really talks about, Dead by Daylight is a way to play as your favorite horror movie icons like Michael Myers and Leatherface while you stalk survivors.
The survivors are tasked with finding a way to escape these killers and the game receives frequent updates that will always keep things feeling fresh. There’s a high learning curve, but after enough playtime, you should feel right at home.
It’s worth mentioning that a lot of content is locked behind paid DLC, which will not be included if you’re playing the game through Game Pass. However, you’ll still be able to get a good feel for whether or not you like the game well before dropping any additional money into the game.
9. Forza Horizon 4
Playground Games, Microsoft Studios
The Forza series is one of Microsoft’s longest-running franchises with its roots going all the way back to the original Xbox.
Forza has since split off into the Horizon series and the main series. The Horizon games put a focus more on the open-world exploration and seeing the beautiful sights.
If you haven’t played a Forza game ever then Forza Horizon 4 will make a great starting point. There are numerous environments to explore and the graphics have never looked better.
The selling point for this entry is the addition of the four seasons meaning players will have to deal with all sorts of weather elements with this installment.
10. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt
CD Projekt RedThe Witcher 3 is one of the best games ever made.
What’s there to say about The Witcher 3 that hasn’t already been said? The game is packed full of content for players to explore and even four years after its initial release, it’s still one of the most gorgeous games ever made.
There are hours upon hours of content for players to explore and the quests are among some of the best we’ve seen in a video game. This open-world RPG consistently goes on sale but if you’ve been holding out for an eventual Game Pass release, this is your moment.
It’s quite a large game in terms of file size, but we can confirm that it’s worth it.
Last updated May 7, 2020:
- Removed DOOM (2016) and Grand Theft Auto V
- Added Red Dead Redemption 2 and Dead by Daylight