Just over two months after their release, the PS5 and Xbox Series X / S continue to be some of the most desirable gadgets in the world. While it’s still very difficult to get your hands on a new console, those lucky enough to own one can enjoy something unprecedented in modern gaming history. For the first time, next-gen console owners can take their existing library — whether it’s physical, digital, or a mix of the two — and bring it to a next-gen platform.
That gives consumers unprecedented freedom in deciding where they want to play and what performance benefits are worthwhile enough to upgrade. And technologies like cross-platform play and now even cross-generation support will allow people to still play with their friends, even if they don’t upgrade to the latest gaming hardware.
Yes, both consoles arrived within seven years of the last generation of console hardware. And while it’s likely within the first year of both consoles’ lifespan that many of the hottest titles may launch on last- and current-gen simultaneously, there’s still a good chunk of games that will be exclusive titles playable only a PS5 or Xbox Series X / S.
Besides 4K, the solid-state drives, and other spec changes, Microsoft and Sony have pledged to support close to every title in the existing console platforms’ libraries. Every Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One game currently playable on existing Xbox One hardware (minus Kinect games) will be playable on the Series X / S, while Sony is supporting a “vast majority” of PS4 games, totaling more than 4,000 titles. With both consoles early into their lifespan, it’s easy for many to return to older games to help fill the gap in between long wait periods for more titles to be added to each console’s library.
This changes the calculus a bit with regard to buying a new console. No longer do you have to abandon what you were playing on your old device and start anew. And thanks to some genuinely consumer-friendly initiatives like Xbox Smart Delivery and similar upgrade programs, plenty of the games we own now or are planning to buy in the next couple of months will not only work on the new platforms, but in most cases, they’ll also come with free upgrades from the standard PS4 and Xbox One versions. Sony also introduced the PlayStation Plus Collection, a library of PS4 games available for free with its online subscription service.
That leaves us with one big issue: how do you know what new games are coming out for which platforms and when? There’s also the painstaking process of parsing whether a game company is giving out a free next-gen upgrade of a cross-gen title, charging a little extra, or releasing a next-gen-only game.
2021 is packed full of new releases and full optimizations of cross-gen games that should further pad out what’s available to play on your new system of choice. We’ve compiled the list below to help you understand every game coming out during the first year of the PS5 and Xbox Series X / S.
This excludes games without release dates that may have been previously announced — like Elder Scrolls VI and the Fable reboot, for example — and any games that were released for either console in 2020, including launch titles. We’ve also chosen only to list release dates for games where the publisher has chosen a concrete date with both day and month.
PS5 & Xbox Series X/S 2021 Release Schedule
Game
Release Date
Xbox Series or PS5?
Cross-gen?
PC?
Game
Release Date
Xbox Series or PS5?
Cross-gen?
PC?
MXGP 2020
01/14/2021
PS5 only
No, PS5 exclusive
No
Hitman 3
01/20/2021
Both
Free upgrade from digital
Yes
Ride 4
01/21/2021
Both
No
No
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy
01/26/2021
PS5
No, PS5 exclusive
Yes
Cyber Shadow
01/26/2021
PS5 only
No, PS5 exclusive
Yes
The Medium
1/28/2021
Xbox only
No
Yes
The Pedestrian
1/1/2021
PS5 only
No, PS5 exclusive
Yes
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood
02/04/2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Nioh Remastered – The Complete Edition
02/05/2021
PS5 only
No, PS5 exclusive
No
Nioh 2 Renastered – The Complete Edition
02/05/2021
PS5 only
No, PS5 exclusive
No
Little Nightmares 2
02/11/2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Destruction AllStars
February 2021
PS5 only
No, PS5 exclusive
No
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
03/02/2021 (PS5)
Available now on Xbox, PS5 on 03/02/2021
Yes
Yes
Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Videogame 4
03/11/2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Samurai Spirits (aka Samurai Shodown)
03/16/2021
Xbox only
Yes
Yes
Returnal
03/19/2021
PS5 only
No, PS5 exclusive
No
It Takes Two
03/26/2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Balan Wonderland
03/26/2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Terminator: Resistance
03/26/2021
PS5 only
Yes
Yes
Disco Elysium: The Final Cut
03/01/2021 (PS5)
PS5 on 03/031/2021; Xbox TBD
Yes
Yes
Kena: Bridge of Spirits
March 2021
PS5 only
Yes
Yes
Outriders
04/01/2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Guilty Gear Strive
04/09/2021
PS5 only
Yes
Yes
Curse of the Sea Rats
04/01/2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Resident Evil Village
05/07/2021
Both
Yes, free upgrade
Yes
Hood: Outlaws & Legends
05/10/2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Deathloop
05/21/2021
PS5 only
No, PS5 exclusive
Yes
Back 4 Blood
06/22/2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Solar Ash
June 2021
PS5 only
Yes
Yes
Little Devil Inside
July 2021
PS5 only
Yes
Yes
Ghostwire: Tokyo
October 2021
PS5 only
No
Yes
12 Minutes
2021
Xbox only
Yes
Yes
Adios
2021
Xbox only
No
Yes
Aragami 2
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Blood Bowl 3
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Braid: Anniversary Edition
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Bright Memory Infinite
2021
Xbox only
No, Xbox exclusive
Yes
Chernobylite
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Chivalry 2
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Chorus
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Control: Ultimate Edition
2021
Both
Yes, upgrade only with Ultimate Edition
Yes
Cris Tales
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
CrossfireX
2021
Xbox only
Yes, free upgrade
Yes
Cyberpunk 2077
2021
Both
Yes, free upgrade
Yes
CYGNI: All Guns Blazing
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
DARQ: Complete Edition
2021
Both
Yes
No
Dawn of the Monsters
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Dead Static Drive
2021
Xbox only
Yes
Yes
Doom Eternal
2021
Both
Yes, free upgrade
Yes
Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Echo Generation
2021
Xbox only
Yes
Yes
EcxoMecha
2021
Xbox only
Yes
Yes
Exo One
2021
Xbox only
No
Yes
Evil Dead: The Game
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Evil West
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Far Cry 6
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch
2021
PS5 only
Yes
Yes
Five Nights at Freddy’s: Security Breach
2021
PS5 only
Yes
Yes
Flea Madness
2021
Both
No
Yes
Ghostrunner
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
God of War: Ragnarok
2021
PS5 only
TBD
TBD
Goodbye Volcano High
2021
PS5 only
Yes
Yes
Gotham Knights
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Grand Theft Auto V
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Gran Turismo 7
2021
PS5 only
No
No
Graven
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Guilty Gear Strive
2021
PS5 only
Yes
Yes
Halo Infinite
2021
Xbox only
Yes
Yes
Heavenly Bodies
2021
PS5 only
Yes
Yes
Hello Neighbor 2
2021
Xbox only
Yes
Yes
Hellpoint
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Horizon Forbidden West
2021
PS5 only
Yes
Yes
Hood: Outlaws and Legends
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
In Sound Mind
2021
Both
No
Yes
Insurgency: Sandstorm
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Jett: The Far Shore
2021
PS5 only
Yes
Yes
King Arthur: Knight’s Tale
2021
Both
No
Yes
Lake
2021
Xbox only
No
Yes
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Little Witch in the Woods
2021
Xbox only
No
Yes
Marvel’s Avengers
2021
Both
Yes, free upgrade
Yes
Metro Exodus
2021
Both
Yes, free upgrade
Yes
Microsoft Flight Simulator
2021
Xbox only
No
Yes
Mundaun
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Neptunia ReVerse
2021
PS5
No
No
Oddworld: Soulstorm
2021
PS5
Yes
Yes
Party Crasher Simulator
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis
2021
Xbox only
Yes
Yes
Praey for the Gods
2021
PS5
Yes
Yes
Psychonauts 2
2021
Xbox only
Yes
Yes
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
2021
PS5 only
No, PS5 exclusive
No
Riders Republic
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
RPG Time
2021
Xbox only
No
Yes
R-Type Final 2
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Ruined King: A League of Legends Story
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Sable
2021
Xbox only
Yes
Yes
Scarlet Nexus
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Scorn
2021
Xbox only
No
Yes
Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II
2021
Xbox only
TBD
Yes
She Dreams Elsewhere
2021
Xbox only
Yes
Yes
Shredders
2021
Xbox only
No
Yes
Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Song of Iron
2021
Xbox only
Yes
Yes
Stray
2021
PS5 only
Yes
Yes
Subnautica / Subnautica: Below Zero
2021
Both
Yes, free upgrade
Yes
S.T.A.L.E.R. 2
2021
Xbox only
No
Yes
Temtem
2021 (Xbox)
PS5 and PC available now; Xbox in 2021
Yes
Yes
The Artful Escape
2021
Xbox only
Yes
Yes
The Ascent
2021
Xbox only
Yes, free upgrade
Yes
The Big Con
2021
Xbox only
No, Xbox exclusive
Yes
The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
The Elder Scrolls Online
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
The Gunk
2021
Xbox only
Yes
Yes
The Last Stop
2021
Xbox only
No
Yes
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
The Wild at Heart
2021
Xbox only
No
Yes
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
2021
Both
Yes, free upgrade
Yes
Tribes of Midgard
2021
PS5 only
Yes
Yes
Tunic
2021
Xbox only
No
Yes
Unlimited Fishing Simulator 2
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Unexplored 2: The Wayfarer’s Legacy
2021
Xbox only
No
Yes
Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong
2021
Both
No
Yes
War Mongrels
2021
Both
Yes
Yes
Warhammer 40,000: Darktide
2021
Xbox only
No
Yes
Way to the Woods
2021
Xbox only
No
Yes
Project Athia
January 2022
PS5 only
No, PS5 exclusive
Yes
Ark 2
2022
Xbox only
No, Xbox exclusive
Yes
Hogwarts Legacy
2022
Both
Yes
Yes
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League
2022
Both
TBD
Yes
The Callisto Protocol
2022
Both
No
Yes
Pragmata
2023
Both
TBD
Yes
Update November 4th, 2020, 12:35PM ET: Added that ARK: Survival Evolved recently released an Xbox Series X enhancement update that will be available to new console owners on launch day.
Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated Haven would be a PS5-only release and that War Thunder would be Xbox Series-only at launch. Those are incorrect; Haven is also coming to Xbox Series X and Xbox One and as part of Game Pass at launch, and War Thunderis slated for PS5 mid-November. We regret the errors.
Update January 15th, 2021, 5PM ET: Updated to add additional titles releasing in 2021 and update any games that may have been delayed into this year.