Xbox Series X, Series S: What game should you play first?

The weekend’s here, we’re on the eve of a new console generation, and pre-orders are starting to get shipped out.

On Tuesday, November 10, many of us will get our hands on the incredibly powerful Xbox Series X and Series S — whose backward-compatibility library means it’s going to be harder than ever to decide what game to play first.

Launching the same day are titles like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Bright Memory, the early-access MMO Enlisted, Evergate, The Falconeer, Fights in Tight Spaces, Gears Tactics, Observer: System Redux, Planet Coaster: Console Edition, Tetris Effect: Connected, and — last but not least — Yakuza: Like a Dragon.

Every single one of these has been optimized for Microsoft’s new powerhouse console, and it’s really just the tip of the iceberg in terms of playable games that will take advantage of the hardware in ways both obvious and unexpected.

For my money, this is one of those console launches where most folks will have a particular game that calls out to them. In terms of launch titles optimized for the Series X, the turn-based combat and humor of the new Yakuza is looking pretty great.

Read more:Our review of Yakuza: Like a Dragon

I’ve logged thousands of hours in Destiny over the last six years, as well, so I already know that Destiny 2: Beyond Light will be my first adventure with the Series X.

But I’m also excited to check out what The Master Chief Collection can do with the hardware. And games like, for example, Fallout 4 or Jedi: Fallen Order — which I loved but found lacking in the performance department.

I can’t wait to take these games for a spin on Tuesday.