The Xbox Series X may still be in its early days of existence, but that doesn’t mean it’s devoid of online games to play. From shooters to racing games and everything in-between, there are plenty of titles for you to dig into with friends via an internet connection. Of those titles, these are the ten best online Xbox Series X games you can play in 2021.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Best Online Xbox Series X Games
Who’d have guessed that a collection of Halo titles would be some of the best online titles in the Series X’s library?
In all seriousness though, the Master Chief Collection is hands-down one of your best options for online play. All six of the titles included in the Collection have pretty extensive online multiplayer suites, with everything from team deathmatches to capture the flag available for you to pick from. Through them, you can team up with friends for some cooperative play or duke it out with strangers to establish your dominance.
It also has some of the more stable online play out there. This is thanks in large part to the continued support and updates from 343 Industries over the years, and chances are it’ll continue to be refined for years to come.
Knockout City
Best Online Xbox Series X Games
Knockout City is a game where you engage in an intense match of dodgeball against other players, and the one who’s left standing at the end will be crowned the victor.
That’s all there is to this simple game’s premise, but it’s all the better as an online multiplayer title as a result. It’s super easy to pick up no matter what your skill level is with other games, but there’s also plenty of nuances to pick up as you play via timing shots, dodging balls at just the right time, and coordinating with your teammates to clinch a win.
This is to say nothing of the fact that the game is still in the early days of its existence. Developer Velan Studios and publisher EA are sure to have plenty of plans for improving and building upon its current framework, and you can bet that means there’ll be even more content to dig into in the future.
Rocket League
Best Online Xbox Series X Games
Rocket League dominated the online multiplayer scene during the last console generation, and its Xbox Series X port shows there’s still plenty of gas left in its tank for another few years of supremacy.
In addition to the simple yet deep gameplay which helped it gain its popularity in the first place, the next-gen port of the game also offers a bevy of updates, improvements, and additional content for you to take advantage of. You’ll have plenty of different skins to apply to your ball-bashing vehicle and a slew of different game modes to choose from while playing with friends and strangers alike.
To top it all off, Rocket League is one of the cheaper titles you can find on the Series X. For a small sum of cash, you’ll gain access to a gaming experience that’ll keep on giving for years to come; or at least, as long as you stay interested in the game.
Outriders
Best Online Xbox Series X Games
Before you bring it up, yes, we’re aware of how janky the online modes were when Outriders launched earlier this year. In the time since then though, the game has stabilized enough to show what it’s really capable of.
You can now log into its servers with ease, and team up with friends and strangers alike for some quality looter shooter action. What sets the title’s online play apart, though, is how its character abilities factor into the gameplay. Depending on how you’ve built up your character, you’ll be able to use abilities alongside your teammates to pull off flashy and effective strategies against enemies.
One session might see you focusing on gunplay to take out paralyzed or stunned enemies; another could see you disorienting opponents with trickster abilities while your allies ready waves of flame attacks; and yet another might see you charging straight through your opponents, clearing the way for less tanky team members.
It all amounts to some of the most varied and diverse gameplay you can find on the next generation of consoles, and an online experience you definitely don’t want to miss out on.
Destiny 2
Best Online Xbox Series X Games
Destiny 2 was pretty definitively one of the biggest online multiplayer experiences of the last generation. As such, it’s little surprise it remains a juggernaut on the Xbox Series X.
Available in its most recent state – complete with updates, seasonal DLC, and stability improvements – the game is the exemplar of an online looter shooter. The gameplay has been honed to near perfection, and you can spend hours diving in and out of raids with your friends or complete strangers.
Likewise, the different classes you can choose from help to keep the gameplay fresh depending on who you play with and how you play with them. Achieving victory with a party full of Titans will require different strategies than if you had an even spread of different class types, and figuring out what those strategies are on the fly can be a blast.
Sea of Thieves
Best Online Xbox Series X Games
Sea of Thieves remains one of the more unique online experiences out there, and its Xbox Series X port is one of the best ways to experience it to date.
The game plays like a dream on Microsoft’s latest console, with smooth and seamless gameplay whether you’re exploring on your own or with a group of friends. Its world is also chock-full of opportunities to work together with – or team up against – other players you happen upon, either through direct combat or pirate ship-based warfare.
Toss in the boatload of different cosmetics to unlock as you play through the game, and you’ve got an online multiplayer title that’ll keep you occupied for a good long while.
Forza Horizon 4
Best Online Xbox Series X Games
The Forza franchise remains a veritable force within the racing game sphere, and that’s not about to change with Forza Horizon 4 on Xbox Series X.
The port touts some of the best graphics the series has ever seen. Vehicles in races look spectacular regardless of how many players are involved in a game. The gameplay is also smooth and tight, allowing you to precisely and effectively maneuver your way to victory without missing a beat.
Your options for the cars you can drive aren’t limited either. The game currently has over 400 vehicles to choose from, and that’ll only increase as DLC for the game continues to be released.
Gears 5
Best Online Xbox Series X Games
Gears of War has maintained its status as one of the Xbox’s most enduring online multiplayer franchises for years now, and that doesn’t look to be changing with the Xbox Series X.
In addition to having enhanced graphical performance, the Series X’s port of Gears 5 also comes with all the improvements made since the game’s initial release. This includes the updates and multiplayer content that has been added to the game, such as the Hivebusters DLC and the ongoing Operations series.
It’s also worth noting that the port offers some of the smoothest gameplay possible for the title. Most any match you play will go off without a hitch, meaning you can fully immerse yourself in all the insanity the game has to offer without worry.
Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War
Best Online Xbox Series X Games
Call of Duty remains a pillar of the video game industry’s online multiplayer sector, so it’s not exactly shocking that the Xbox Series X already has a quality port of its latest title.
As with other recent entries in the franchise, Black Ops: Cold War offers some of the tightest online shooter gameplay around. Sprinting through maps, peppering enemies with bullets, and working with your teammates to secure a victory all feels invigorating in a way few other titles could hope to match. This feeling extends to all of the title’s different gameplay modes too, meaning you won’t need to rely on a specific match type to keep the good times rolling.
There’s also a slew of different weapons and costumes to unlock, helping you to keep your matches varied with different loadouts and wacky aesthetics.
Fortnite
Best Online Xbox Series X Games
Regardless of how you feel about Fortnite, you can’t deny that it’s one of the best online games in the Xbox Series X’s library.
Utilizing all of the improvements and additions made since the game launched, the Series X version touts the most extensive version of the title to date. You can play a variety of characters and utilize a wide swath of gear during matches. There are also a decent array of game modes to choose from, meaning you can mix it up no matter how long you’ve been playing on your own or alongside your friends.
It’s also worth noting that the game is fairly stable and reliable in terms of its online play. Even with the absurd number of people playing it, you shouldn’t have to worry about poor performance or connectivity issues with its servers. As such, you can play the game without worrying about being dropped from the game right before achieving victory.
Published: Jun 2, 2021 12:26 pm