8 of the 20 Best 2025 Games Are Not Available on Xbox Series X

Discounting ports and remasters, 8 of the 20 best games of 2025, according to Metacritic scores, are not available on Xbox Series X, including the highest-rated game of 2025. This is obviously not a great look for the Microsoft console, but it’s not a new struggle for Xbox. This was often the case with the Xbox One as well. Of course, some of these games will eventually end up on the Xbox platform, but not all of them, and even if some of them do, it will be well after others have gotten to play them.

Below, you can check out all eight of these 2025 games currently missing from Xbox platforms. This includes not just information about each game and its chance of coming to Xbox consoles, but a trailer for each game as well.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Death Stranding 2 from Kojima Productions is a sequel to one of 2019’s best games, Death Stranding, and like its predecessor, it is one of the best games of the year, as our official review of the PS5 game notes. The first game notably came out on Xbox consoles years after its PS4 release, and the plan is presumably the same for the sequel.

Metacritic Score: 89

Platforms: PS5

Dispatch

Dispatch from developer AdHoc Studio — a team comprised of former Telltale Games and Ubisoft staffers — is an episodic adventure game with management elements, and it is one of the highest-rated 2025 games on the PlayStation Store. There is no word of it coming to Xbox consoles; however, there is no known exclusivity preventing it from coming to Xbox consoles, so it will probably arrive soon.

Metacritic Score: 89

Platforms: PC and PS5

Hades 2

The highest-rated 2025 game is Hades 2, a roguelike action game and sequel to its equally acclaimed 2020 predecessor, Hades. Developer Supergiant Games brought the first game to Xbox one year after its release, so it is safe to assume Hades II will be coming to Xbox Series X in the near future.

Metacritic Score: 95

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC

Donkey Kong Bananza

Donkey Kong Bananza is a 3D platformer from the team behind Super Mario Odyssey, and it is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. Unfortunately, for Xbox fans and others, it will remain a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive. The only way Xbox fans will be able to play it is by buying the new Nintendo console.

Metacritic Score: 91

Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2

Sword of the Sea

Sword of the Sea from developer Giant Squid is one of the best PlayStation Plus games of 2025. A chill adventure game, it should end up on Xbox, but not for a while. The studio’s previous game, The Pathless, was a PS5 console exclusive for three years before it came to other platforms.

Metacritic Score: 88

Platforms: PC and PS5

The Seance of Blake Manor

The Seance of Blake Manor from developer Spooky Doorway is one of 2025’s hidden gems, and right now, it’s a PC exclusive. There is no word of the supernatural detective mystery game coming to Xbox consoles, but console ports are presumably in the pipeline, given the success of the game on Steam. Whether Xbox will be included remains to be seen.

Metacritic Score: 88

Platforms: PC

Absolum

Another hidden gem of 2025 is Absolum, an arcade-like beat ’em up from Guard Crush Games and Dotemu. Considering the game is available on all platforms but Xbox, there is a chance it simply just not going to come to the Microsoft console.

Metacritic Score: 87

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, and PS5

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter

Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter is a turn-based RPG from Nihon Falcom, and it is a remake of 2004’s The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky. Considering the RPG is on every platform but Xbox, and considering the series’ history of skipping the platform, there is a decent chance this game will never make its way to Xbox consoles.

Metacritic Score: 88

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, and PS5

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