These are the best PS5 games and best Xbox Series X games of 2023, according to Metacritic
These are the games with the highest Metacritic scores for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S
Metacritic, the review score aggregate site, has revealed its highest-rated games of 2023 so far – and it serves as a timely reminder of just how many great titles have been released.
It also gives us a glance at the best PS5 games and best Xbox Series X games released this year, though glowing review scores don’t necessarily mean you’ll love a particular title as much as the critics did – it’s all subjective at the end of the day.
It’s interesting to note that seven of the top 20 titles are on PS5, six are on Nintendo Switch, and only one title is on Xbox Series X|S. However, because Metacritic only includes the platform with the highest number of reviews, some titles like Diablo 4, Resident Evil remake, Street Fighter, 6, Dead Space, and Star: Wars Jedi Survivor are only listed on PS5, despite also being available on Xbox Series X|S. I’ve updated the list to reflect this and provide a more accurate reflection.
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: best games of the year
🥇 Metacritic has revealed its top 20 games of the year
💪 The list includes blockbuster releases such as the Resident Evil 4 remake and Diablo 4
👍 The highest-rated game of the year so far is Tears of the Kingdom on Switch
👀 Only one Xbox Series X|S and PS5 exclusive has made the list
Check out the full top 20 list below. There’s a good chance we’ll see some of these games discounted on Amazon Prime Day 2023, which takes place on July 11 and July 12 this year.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Switch) – 96
Metroid Prime Remastered (Switch) – 94
Resident Evil 4 remake (PS5, Xbox Series X, PC) – 93
Street Fighter 6 (PS5, Xbox Series X, PC) – 92
Dead Space (PS5, Xbox Series X, PC) – 89
Final Fantasy 16 (PS5) – 88
Theatrhythm Final Bar Line (Switch) – 87
Hi-Fi Rush (Xbox Series X, PC) – 87
Diablo 4 (PS5, Xbox Series X, PC) – 87
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (PS5, Xbox Series X, PC) – 85
Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo (Switch) – 85
Humanity (PS5) – 85
A Space For The Unbound (Switch) – 85
Octopath Traveler II (PS5, Switch) – 84
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog (PC) – 84
Hogwarts Legacy (PS5, Xbox Series X) – 84
Cassette Beasts (Xbox Series X, PC) – 84
Labyrinth of Galleria: The Moon Society (Switch) – 83
Age of Wonders 4 (PC) – 83
Doomblade (PC) – 83
A quick glance at the PS5 2023 games and Xbox Series X 2023 games lists shows there are still some big releases on the way, which could easily break into this top 20. Starfield, Forza Motorsport, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Mortal Kombat 1, and Alan Wake 2 are all waiting in the wings and are likely to garner critical acclaim.
Metacritic has come under fire recently due to how it handles user review scores, and specifically, user review score bombing. It’s long been Metacritic’s biggest problem as hundreds of bad actors leave negative reviews to skew the overall perception of a game.
Starfield, a game that’s out on September 6, has already been review bombed, with one user giving it 0/10. That’s hardly surprising considering a desperate fan launched a petition to make Starfield a PS5 exclusive, but it’s frustrating nonetheless.
Metacritic has said it’s working on new systems to prevent this practice from happening, but it’s unclear how it will prevent users from logging in and trashing a game they clearly haven’t played or dislike because it exists on a rival console.