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How do Xbox Series X and S lineups compare to Microsoft's previous generations?

How do Xbox Series X and S lineups compare to Microsoft's previous generations?
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Microsoft confirmed all the launch titles for the Xbox Series X and Series S, but how do the original Xbox, 360, and One stack up?

How do Xbox Series X and S lineups compare to Microsoft's previous generations?

We finally have the full list of day-one titles for the Xbox Series X and Series S, and it includes 30 games.

Some last-gen games can be upgraded via Microsoft's Smart Delivery problem, while others will be available through Game Pass at launch on Nov. 10.

The list is full of variety but lacks a system seller. Take a look, compare it with the other Xbox generations, and share your thoughts.

Xbox Series X and Series S Launch Lineup

  • Devil May Cry 5: Special Edition
  • Enlisted
  • Evergate
  • Fortnite
  • King Oddball
  • NBA 2K21
  • Observer: System Redux
  • Warhammer: Chaosbane Slayer Edition
  • Assassins Creed Valhalla (Smart Delivery)
  • Borderlands 3 (Smart Delivery)
  • Bright Memory 1.0 (Smart Delivery)
  • Cuisine Royale (Smart Delivery)
  • Dirt 5 (Smart Delivery)
  • Maneater (Smart Delivery)
  • Manifold Garden (Smart Delivery)
  • Planet Coaster (Smart Delivery)
  • War Thunder (Smart Delivery)
  • Watch Dogs: Legion (Smart Delivery)
  • WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship (Smart Delivery)
  • Yakuza: Like a Dragon (Smart Delivery)
  • Yes, Your Grace (Smart Delivery)
  • Dead by Daylight (Xbox Game Pass plus Smart Delivery)
  • The Falconeer (Xbox Game Pass plus Smart Delivery)
  • Forza Horizon 4 (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
  • Gears 5 (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
  • Gears Tactics (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
  • Grounded (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
  • Ori and the Will of the Wisps (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
  • Tetris Effect: Connected (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)
  • The Touryst (Xbox Game Pass + Smart Delivery)

The biggest omission is Halo Infinite, which was delayed until next year. A huge issue is that there aren't any exclusives that encourage the casual public to buy the console on day one. A launch title is usually what companies rely on to get more of a market share, and games like The Falconer just aren't going to get that type of attention.

Microsoft might rely on its Games Pass bundle to draw new players to the cheaper Series S model for a very reasonable price compared to the competition. Even if Xbox doesn't have the exclusives out of the gate, it might still succeed as the cheapest place to play new third-party titles.

Xbox One Launch Day Games

Source: Microsoft - Millenium
Source: Microsoft

The Xbox One launched with 21 games on Nov. 22, 2013. Eight of those were exclusives, including Ryse: Son of Rome, Dead Rising 3, and Forza Motorsport 5.

The full list:

  • Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag
  • Battlefield 4
  • Call of Duty: Ghosts
  • Crimson Dragon
  • Dead Rising 3
  • FIFA 14
  • Fighter Within
  • Forza Motorsport 5
  • Just Dance 2014
  • Killer Instinct
  • Lego Marvel Super Heroes
  • Lococycle
  • Madden NFL 25
  • NBA 2K14
  • NBA LIVE 14
  • Need for Speed: Rivals
  • Powerstar Golf
  • Ryse: Son of Rome
  • Skylanders: Swap Force
  • Zoo Tycoon
  • Zumba Fitness: World Party

A recurring theme for Microsoft launch day is a bunch of sports titles. The Xbox One marketed itself as a home entertainment hub that originally shipped with the Kinect for motion control capture games. It failed to catch onto the Nintendo Wii hype and was eventually discontinued.

Xbox 360 Launch Day Games

Source: Microsoft - Millenium
Source: Microsoft

On November 22, 2005, Microsoft released Xbox 360 to the world. Here are the games that were available at launch, including nine console exclusives.

  • Amped 3
  • Call of Duty 2
  • Condemned: Criminal Origins
  • FIFA ‘06: Road to FIFA World Cup
  • GUN
  • Kameo: Elements of Power
  • Madden NFL 06
  • NBA 2K6
  • NBA Live 06
  • Need for Speed: Most Wanted
  • NHL 2K6
  • Perfect Dark Zero
  • Peter Jackson’s King Kong
  • Project Gotham Racing 3
  • Quake 4
  • Ridge Racer 6
  • Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2006
  • Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland
  • These games were available from the Xbox Live Arcade:
  • Bankshot Billiards 2
  • Bejeweled 2
  • Gauntlet
  • Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
  • Hexic HD (pre-installed on the hard drive)
  • Joust
  • Mutant Storm Reloaded
  • Outpost Kaloki X
  • Smash TV
  • Zuma

This lineup also featured a lot of sports games, as well as some favorites like Perfect Dark Zero and GUN. Call of Duty 2 launched as a console exclusive as well and along with PDZ built a strong online community for a system that touted playing with friends anywhere in the world. Microsoft promoted itself as the most advanced console to date and made an impact in the industry.

Xbox Launch Day Titles

The original Xbox launched on Nov. 15, 2001. It's hard to imagine now, but at the time, a company like Microsoft making a gaming console was preposterous. How would it work?

Because it was a fairly new venture, the titles were mostly generic outside of one that might ring a bell.

  • 4x4 EVO 2
  • Air Force Delta Storm
  • Arctic Thunder
  • Cel Damage
  • Dark Summit
  • Dead or Alive 3
  • Fuzion Frenzy
  • Halo: Combat Evolved
  • Mad Dash Racing
  • Madden NFL 2002
  • NASCAR Heat 2002
  • NASCAR Thunder 2002
  • NHL Hitz 20-02
  • Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee
  • Project Gotham Racing
  • Shrek
  • Test Drive Off-Road Wide Open
  • Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2X
  • TransWorld Surf

The console had a few solid titles like Dead or Alive 3 and Cel Damage, but Halo: Combat Evolved proved to be just what the doctor prescribed in terms of a successful, culture-defining game. It also illustrated how important it is to have an ambitious IP to illustrate the console's potential, something the newest one is conspicuously lacking.

Consoles don't Live or Die on Day One

The original Xbox launched with 19 games. Eleven were exclusive. The Xbox 360 started with nine exclusives out of 28 titles. Fast forward to the Xbox One. Microsoft brought out 22 games, eight exclusives alongside 14 third-party titles.

It usually takes time for a new console to find its footing. Launch day games, and sometimes even the first year of a console, are never really indicative of its performance in the long run. Developers need time to really delve into a new system and figure out how to make the most out of it. Who knows what this generation's surprise title is that will move the needle in terms of what is possible?

xbox
Could we also be getting an Xbox Series V?

If a new 'leak' is to be confirmed, then we could also see a middle-ground version of Microsoft's next-gen console — an Xbox Series V.

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Jon Silman
Jon Silman

Jon SIlman is a freelance writer based in Florida. His favorite Zelda game is A Link To The Past.

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