Talking Point: Which Games Should Be Enhanced For Xbox Series X?

Yesterday was a big day for Xbox Series X news, with Microsoft sharing new information relating to tech specs, the controller, Quick Resume, HDR and more. We also found out more about backwards compatibility on the console, and heard that Gears 5 will be receiving an optimized upgrade for Series X in the future. So that's got us thinking -- which games should also get the enhanced treatment for Microsoft's upcoming system?

The Gears 5 news sounds (and looks) really exciting. It's been mentioned that the Series X build tested by Digital Foundry was only put together in a couple of weeks and was already displaying cutscenes in 60fps, while Xbox Wire shared that the game was running at over 100fps in standard gameplay. Additionally, the internal quality presets were increased to the equivalent of 'Ultra' on PC, while things like improved contact shadows and ray traced screen-space global illumination were also included.

Gears 5 wasn't the only Gears game Digital Foundry saw. They also got a look at Gears of War: Ultimate Edition running at native 4K despite being a 1080p game. This is due to an evolution of the Heutchy Method which previously allowed Xbox 360 games to be converted from 720p all the way up to 4K, and crucially, it doesn't require game developers to participate in the process. Here's what compatibility program lead Peggy Lo had to say in the article:

"Things that we are looking at include improving resolution for games, improving frame-rates - maybe doubling them! And the way we're doing it is really exploring multiple methods."

If we're being realistic, first-party titles are the most likely to get this treatment. Any Xbox Game Studios titles released this year are probably going to get some kind of upgrade when they make the jump to Xbox Series X -- recent and upcoming releases such as Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Bleeding Edge included -- while popular favourites such as Forza Horizon 4, Sea of Thieves and Halo 5: Guardians could be in line as well.

But then, there are some hidden gems that arguably deserve the treatment too. Sunset Overdrive is one of those games that remains popular despite having been released six years ago, and its colourful visual design could lend really well to a Series X enhancement. Ryse: Son of Rome is another game that looked outstanding despite being a 2013 launch title for the Xbox One, but only upscales to 1080p right now.

Neither of these titles were given the Xbox One X enhanced treatment, however, which is probably where the majority of Xbox Series X enhancements will come from. There are well over 200 enhanced games on the list at present, including the likes of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, while Cyberpunk 2077 makes the list as well, which is confirmed to also be getting a Series X upgrade in the future.

What about backwards compatibility games from the Xbox 360 and original Xbox era? We've seen improvements for these on Xbox One X (and even S) already, such as increased display resolutions and frame-rate adjustments. But if the Xbox Series X can work its magic, we could soon be playing beloved classics such as Star Wars: Knights of the old Republic and SSX 3 in even greater quality than currently possible.

It should also be mentioned that there's potential for every compatible Xbox Series X game from previous generations to receive some form of upgrade on the console in the future. The reason? HDR tech, which Eurogamer's Digital Foundry have witnessed applied to Halo 5: Guardians and original Xbox classic Fuzion Frenzy. It's already been mentioned by Microsoft's Claude Marais that, in theory, this could be applied to every game:

It can be applied to all games theoretically, technically, I guess we’re still working through user experiences and things like that but this is a technical demo.

Needless to say, we're pretty excited about the potential for Xbox Series X enhancements. The system's new Smart Delivery feature will work to provide (free) access to better versions of our favourite games, and with backwards compatibility at the forefront of Microsoft's focus, there's going to be every reason to keep playing our favourite Xbox One, Xbox 360 and original Xbox games well into the next generation and beyond.

Which games do you want to see enhanced for Xbox Series X and why? Let us know in the comments.