There are countless free games out there, but few are very good. Even among those that are serviceable, after a few hours you usually end up running out of things to do or needing to pay for extra content.
Fortunately, there are some great free games on the Xbox Series X|S that can provide you with lots of excellent gameplay.
We've previously covered the best free games for Xbox One, but here we're focusing on games that have been enhanced to take full advantage of the Xbox Series X|S's power.
10. Asphalt 9: Legends
If your first thought was "Hey, I thought Asphalt 9: Legends was a mobile game," you're not wrong. While Asphalt 9: Legends originated on mobile, it works surprisingly well on the Xbox Series X|S.
Sure, it's not up to snuff with the Forza Horizon series, but it's one of the few options for racing games that don't cost you anything up front. Just be aware that in-game purchases can get out of control pretty quickly.
9. Fall Guys
While Fall Guys may technically be a battle royale game—a genre that seemingly still hasn't worn out its welcome—it feels remarkably different from any of the others of its kind.
That's all thanks to its fun, colorful aesthetic and its focus on platforming (whereas most battle royale games are shooter-heavy).
Instead of gathering resources and fighting your way to the end of the match, you're just trying to follow a whimsical series of platforms to the end—and it's surprisingly fun!
8. Call of Duty: Warzone
If you want to play a Call of Duty game without outright buying one, Call of Duty: Warzone is as close as you're going to get, at least for now.
While this is a take on the PUBG-style battle royale shooter, it still has the feel of a standard Call of Duty game—and depending on who you ask, that's basically the best of both worlds.
As with most games bearing the Call of Duty moniker, it's one of the most popular shooters out there, so you'll always find people playing.
7. Gundam Evolution
Have you ever wondered, "What if there was a game like Overwatch, except it featured giant robots instead of superpeople?" If so, then Gundam Evolution is the answer!
And if you really love anime and/or mecha, this may just end up being your favorite multiplayer shooter game of all time.
Aside from some differences in the controls, Gundam Evolution is very similar to Overwatch. There are a ton of iconic Gundam robots here, and if you're a fan of that franchise, that's probably all you need.
6. Apex Legends
While some of us are still patiently waiting for a proper Titanfall 3, many others are happily playing Apex Legends.
Yes, this is yet another battle royale shooter, but developer Respawn knows how to make a multiplayer shooter feel great to play, and that's certainly the case here.
Apex Legends hasn't seen a flood of new content recently, but at the time of this writing, Respawn has successfully overhauled the matchmaking system, so hopefully new content will soon follow.
5. Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2 may not be enjoying quite the same success as its predecessor, but the hero shooter has come a long way.
While some fans haven't adjusted to the update, the fact that Overwatch 2 is now free-to-play means there's no risk in giving this sequel a try.
When the game launched, players seemed somewhat underwhelmed. Now, it seems like the more people play the game, the more other people are playing, so the multiplayer population is quite plentiful.
4. Destiny 2
Overwatch isn't the only shooter franchise to have massive success selling a game with a price tag before taking it free-to-play.
Case in point: Destiny 2, which launched as a standard $60 game, only for the base game to turn free-to-play after a few expansions.
So much content has been added to Destiny 2 over the years that, even without the content that developer Bungie "vaulted," there's still a ton to do in the free version.
3. Fortnite
After its weak launch in 2017, Fortnite developer Epic Games took a few months to introduce a new game mode: Battle Royale. It was an instant hit, and soon Fortnite became the biggest game in the world.
Epic Games hasn't slowed down since, adding tons of characters from movies, games, and the real world to keep players forking over their hard-earned cash, as well new game modes to play.
The Zero Build mode introduced in 2022 brought new players to the game by the thousands, so whether you've never played Fortnite or you stopped playing it a long time ago, now's a great time to try the game.
2. Rocket League
Rocket League launched in 2015 to immediate success with both critics and the gaming public. It sold so well that the developers decided they had enough money, so they made the game free-to-play.
Well, technically, Epic Games bought developer Psyonix in 2019, and the free-to-play model didn't come out until 2020.
Either way, Rocket League has been free-to-play ever since, and the good news is you can play the game all you want without spending a cent.
1. Halo Infinite
Halo Infinite has had its issues, but after a few updates, the game's multiplayer feels better than it has in years.
No, you don't get campaign mode—you have to buy the game or spring for Xbox Game Pass to get that—but there's plenty to do in the game's multiplayer, even if you stick with the free Battle Pass only.
Developer 343 Industries is still updating the game regularly, so don't worry about whether you're too late. Hop on and give it a shot.
