30+ Games Optimized for Xbox Series X | S at Launch

Microsoft shared a list of 31 games that will be optimized for the Xbox Series X | S consoles at launch. The list includes games you’d expect to be optimized such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Watch Dogs: Legion, and Gears 5, as well as a number of surprise indie games. 

30+ Games Optimized for Xbox Series X | S at Launch

In a blog post from Microsoft, 31 games that’ll be optimized for Xbox Series X | S and available on launch day were revealed. According to Microsoft, these games will “look and play best on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S” with 20 offering Smart Delivery. 

If you’re unfamiliar with the term, Smart Delivery means you can purchase a game for your Xbox One and play it on the Xbox Series X | S. If you’re waiting to purchase an Xbox Series X and buy a game like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, you’ll be able to play it on your Xbox Series X once it arrives without you having to purchase a second copy of the game.

 In addition to Smart Delivery, many of the games in the list of optimized titles will be part of Xbox Games Pass at launch which means you won’t have to purchase that particular game right away. You can play and enjoy it on Xbox Game Pass as part of your subscription. 

Wondering what games will be optimized, or part of Game Pass at launch? Here’s the full list as provided by Microsoft! 

• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (Smart Delivery) 

• Borderlands 3 (Smart Delivery) 

• Bright Memory 1.0  

• Cuisine Royale (Smart Delivery)

• Dead by Daylight (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery) 

• Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition  

• DIRT 5 (Smart Delivery) 

• Enlisted  

• Evergate

• The Falconeer (Smart Delivery) 

• Fortnite  

• Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery) 

• Gears 5 (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery) 

• Gears Tactics (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)

• Grounded (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery) 

• King Oddball (Smart Delivery) 

• Maneater (Smart Delivery) 

• Manifold Garden (Smart Delivery) 

• NBA 2K21

• Observer: System Redux

• Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery) 

• Planet Coaster (Smart Delivery) 

• Sea of Thieves (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery) 

• Tetris Effect: Connected (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)

• The Touryst (Xbox Game Pass + 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) 

It’s exciting to see 20 of the 31 games supporting Smart Delivery, and 9 games available through Xbox Games Pass on launch day. It’s a pretty well-rounded list of games with AAA titles like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Watch Dogs: Legion, along with indies like Maneater and Observer: System Redux. 

Microsoft adds that there are games that aren’t included in the above list that will be optimized for Xbox Series X | S shortly after launch day. These titles include: 

• Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War – November 13
• Cyberpunk 2077 – November 19 
• Destiny 2: Beyond Light – Launching November 10, optimized for Xbox Series X | S on December 8
• The Medium – December 10 

Games like Cyberpunk 2077 will also support Smart Delivery, so even if you decide to buy and play it on Xbox One, you can enjoy it on Xbox Series X | S at a later date without having to buy it again.

If we add the above games to list, we get 35 games that’ll be optimized for Series X | S either at launch or shortly after launch. It’s a heck of a lot of content. If you’re like us and want to make cheesy jokes, you could say that Thanksgiving is coming early for gamers this year based on the feast of games you’ll be able to enjoy on November 10. 

For more information on games that’ll be optimized for Series X | S at launch, be sure to read through Microsoft’s full blog post.