Xbox Series X games: full list of release games available at launch - and can you play Xbox One games on the new console?

The next-generation of gaming is finally here, with the launch of Microsoft’s Series X and Series S consoles on 10 November.

Utilising more modern tech to present games with much more visual clarity than ever before, it’s certainly an exciting time to be a gamer.

Thanks to Microsoft’s commitment to backwards compatibility, there will be thousands of games available to play on your new console at launch.

Every Xbox One game will work on the new machines, as will many Xbox 360 games, and even a handful of games from the original Xbox console released way back in 2001.

But what about new games, those titles that will be bringing in next-gen visuals? The games that fans really want to get their hands on on launch day.

Here is everything you need to know.

Do I need to buy an Xbox Series console to play these games?

It’s worth noting that at least at launch, none of the games playable on Microsoft’s Xbox Series machines are exclusive to those platforms.

Microsoft have been committed to ensuring all of the games released at launch are playable across their full library of consoles.

So even if you haven't bought a new Xbox console since 2013’s Xbox One, you won’t miss out on any title from the list below – they will all play on your existing hardware.

However, as the older consoles are less technologically advanced, certain games may not run as well as they might on a newer machine.

That’s not to say they’ll be unplayable, but there may be some graphical downgrades to ensure newer games still function on older technology.

What does ‘Optimised for Xbox Series X|S’ mean, and what is Smart Delivery?

While all Xbox One games will be playable on Microsoft’s Series consoles, a handful of them are actually optimised for the newer machines, meaning the games’ developers have ensured they take advantage of the latest, more powerful tech to look and play there.

Smart Delivery is Microsoft’s scheme to ensure that gamers are always getting the best version of the game that their console can run, and allowing them to upgrade to newer versions at no extra cost.

For instance, if you were to play Watch Dogs: Legion on an older Xbox One machine for a few months, when the time does come for you to upgrade to the new Series X console, you’ll get the optimised version of the game for free.

That includes all your in-game progress, so you won’t have to start again and you can pick up the game right where you left off.

The following list contains every game Optimised for Xbox Series X|S on launch day, so while these games may have previously been released, 10 November marks the first chance players will get to experience their next-gen updates.

We’ve noted which games include Smart Delivery; unfortunately, if a game doesn’t support Smart Delivery, you may need to buy the next-gen version separately.

Keep an eye out for this when purchasing new games to make sure you are getting the best possible version; most physical games will confirm Xbox Smart Delivery support on the box.

Every game coming to Xbox Series X and S on launch day:

Assassins Creed Valhalla (Smart Delivery)

Borderlands 3 (Smart Delivery)

Bright Memory 1.0 (Smart Delivery)

Cuisine Royale (Smart Delivery)

Dead by Daylight (Smart Delivery)

Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition

DIRT 5 (Smart Delivery)

Enlisted

Evergate

The Falconeer (Smart Delivery)

Fights in Tight Spaces

Fortnite (Smart Delivery)

Forza Horizon 4 (Smart Delivery)

Gears 5 (Smart Delivery)

Gears Tactics (Smart Delivery)

Grounded (Smart Delivery)

King Oddball (Smart Delivery)

Maneater (Smart Delivery)

Manifold Garden (Smart Delivery)

NBA 2K21

No Man's Sky: Next Generation (Smart Delivery)

Observer: System Redux

Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Smart Delivery)

Planet Coaster: Console Edition (Smart Delivery)

Rogue Company

Sea of Thieves (Smart Delivery)

Tetris Effect: Connected (Smart Delivery)

The Touryst (Smart Delivery)

War Thunder (Smart Delivery)

Warhammer: Chaosbane Slayer Edition

Watch Dogs: Legion (Smart Delivery)

WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship (Smart Delivery)

Yakuza: Like a Dragon (Smart Delivery)

Yes, Your Grace (Smart Delivery)