Xbox has been a shooter console since Halo defined console first-person play, and the library on Xbox One and Series X|S covers everything from arena duels and campaign-driven blockbusters to co-op monster hunts. Fast frame rates, strong online infrastructure and first-party heavyweights make it one of the best places to play the genre. The games below work on both generations, either natively or through backward compatibility.
1. Doom Eternal#
id Software released Doom Eternal in March 2020 as a faster, more demanding follow-up to the 2016 reboot. You tear through demons with a chainsaw, flame belch and glory kills, each of which refills the health, ammo or armor you need, so the game constantly pushes you forward. Heavy metal music and enormous arenas give it an unmistakable identity. The platforming and the amount of weapon switching can overwhelm newcomers, and the lore-heavy story sometimes interrupts the pace. For pure shooting mastery it is hard to beat.
2. Titanfall 2#
Respawn Entertainment released Titanfall 2 in October 2016 and paired a fluid, wall-running multiplayer mode with one of the best shooter campaigns of its generation. The story of a rifleman and his Titan, BT-7274, is short but packed with inventive levels, including a time-shifting factory that still feels unique. Movement is the real star: sliding, wall-running and grapple hooks make every map a playground. The weakness is that the campaign lasts only a few hours and the multiplayer has a smaller community than the big live-service shooters.
3. Doom (2016)#
id Software's 2016 Doom revived the series with a simple rule: stand still and you die. Glory kills reward aggressive play, Mick Gordon's industrial soundtrack drives the pace, and the Mars and Hell settings are a love letter to the classics. Multiplayer was uneven, but the SnapMap editor and the tight campaign hold up. Its weakness is some repetition in the later levels and less depth than Eternal. Newcomers to the series should start here, since it is the more focused and forgiving of the two.
4. Halo Infinite#
343 Industries released Halo Infinite in December 2021 for Xbox One and Series X|S. Master Chief returns in a semi-open-world Zeta Halo, where the Grappleshot changes how every fight plays out. The arena multiplayer returned to the series roots, with sandbox weapons and vehicles. The campaign's open world leans on repeated outposts, and some progression systems in multiplayer drew criticism at launch. Even so, the core gunplay is some of the best the series has offered, and it is an easy entry into the series.
5. Halo 3#
Bungie's Halo 3 launched on Xbox 360 in September 2007 and is playable on Xbox One and Series X|S through Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which launched in November 2014. It closed the original trilogy with the Covenant war and the Flood, added the Forge map editor and Theater mode, and set the standard for console online shooters. Campaign co-op for up to four players remains a highlight. Its age shows in the visuals and some limited enemy variety, and you need the full collection to play it.
6. Gears 5#
The Coalition released Gears 5 in September 2019. It follows Kait Diaz in a story that finally digs into the series mythology, and it mixes the classic cover-based third-person shooting with more open hub areas. Campaign co-op for up to three players, the Escape mode and strong Versus options add depth beyond the main story. The open-ended sections can feel sparse, and cover combat is less fluid than in fast-paced shooters. It is a solid, polished blockbuster that shows why Gears remains a pillar of Xbox.
7. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus#
MachineGames released Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus in October 2017, sending B.J. Blazkowicz through an alternate 1961 America occupied by the Nazis. The shooting is heavy and satisfying, with dual-wielding and a cast of memorable, well-acted characters. Its mix of dark humor and real emotional moments sets it apart from other shooters. The difficulty can be steep and some sequences push you toward stealth. Skip it if you want a multiplayer experience, since it is a pure single-player story.
8. Metro Exodus#
4A Games released Metro Exodus in February 2019. Artyom and the Spartan Order travel across post-apocalyptic Russia on the train Aurora, through large semi-open levels with scavenging, stealth and crafting. The atmosphere is among the most oppressive and memorable in any shooter, and it works well as a survival-flavored single-player game. A Series X|S enhanced version followed in 2021. The gunplay and AI are less polished than the world-building, and some sections feel slow.
9. Borderlands 2#
Gearbox released Borderlands 2 in September 2012, and it reached Xbox One in Borderlands: The Handsome Collection in March 2015. It is a loot shooter with a cel-shaded look, sharp humor and Handsome Jack, one of the genre's best villains. Four-player co-op, a huge number of procedurally generated weapons and plenty of DLC make it endlessly replayable with friends. The visuals and UI are dated, and the quest structure becomes repetitive when you play alone.
10. Destiny 2#
Bungie released Destiny 2 in September 2017 on Xbox One. It blends first-person gunplay of the highest quality with MMO-style loot, raids and seasonal content, and its shooting feel is the best part. Strike playlists, raids with friends and the Crucible PvP mode offer many hours of play. The sprawling content, changing systems and heavy live-service structure can overwhelm new players, and some older content has been removed over time.
11. Prey#
Arkane Studios released Prey in May 2017, set on the space station Talos I, where shapeshifting Typhon aliens have broken loose. It is a first-person immersive sim: you solve problems with the GLOO Cannon, hacking, and creative use of powers as much as with guns. The station is a beautifully designed, interconnected space with rewarding exploration. Combat is clunkier than in a pure shooter, and the inventory and loading screens can frustrate. It suits patient players who want more than action.
12. Battlefield 1#
DICE released Battlefield 1 in October 2016, turning the series to World War I. Large-scale 64-player matches, Operations mode, Behemoths and destructible environments create chaotic, cinematic moments. The War Stories campaign is a set of short, atmospheric vignettes rather than a single story. The slow pace of bolt-action weapons suits some players less, and the campaign is brief. It remains one of the most immersive multiplayer war shooters.
13. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege#
Ubisoft Montreal released Rainbow Six Siege in December 2015, and native Xbox Series X|S versions followed in December 2020. Two teams of five fight in a tense attack and defense mode where walls, floors and ceilings can be destroyed. Every operator has a unique gadget, which rewards team communication and planning. The learning curve is steep, and solo players may struggle with coordination. For tactical shooter fans, nothing on console is more rewarding.
14. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2019)#
Infinity Ward rebooted Modern Warfare in October 2019. It delivers a tense and morally grey campaign, the Gunsmith weapon customization system, and large-scale Ground War battles alongside the classic fast multiplayer. The shooting and sound design are among the best in the series. The campaign is short, and multiplayer can be hectic and favor experienced players. It is the most polished entry for people who want a modern Call of Duty on Xbox.
15. Deep Rock Galactic#
Ghost Ship Games released Deep Rock Galactic in full in May 2020 on Xbox One and PC. Up to four dwarf miners dig through procedurally generated caves, fight swarms of alien bugs and complete missions before calling the drop pod. Four distinct classes and destructible terrain make teamwork essential. It is a cooperative first-person shooter with a cheerful tone. It is at its best with friends, and the mission structure becomes repetitive after a lot of hours.
16. Cuphead#
Studio MDHR released Cuphead in September 2017. It is a run-and-gun shooter in the vein of Contra, dressed in hand-drawn 1930s cartoon animation and a jazz soundtrack. The boss fights are inventive and demand precise dodging, and two-player co-op is available. It is punishing, and the difficulty is not for everyone. If you like arcade shooters with a distinctive visual style, it is one of the most memorable games on the platform.