Technologies

The 16 Best Xbox Games Right Now

Whether you’re gaming on an Xbox One, Xbox Series X or S, or streaming Xbox Cloud Gaming, CNET’s experts list the best Xbox games for you in 2024.

Over the past two decades, Microsoft has turned the Xbox brand into a veritable juggernaut in the console gaming world. The Xbox Series X and Series S, the combined fourth generation of the Xbox, have sold over 21 million units — and the Xbox One, which was still supported until 2023, sold over 58 million units worldwide.

As Microsoft shifts its focus toward supporting console and PC gamers alike with the Game Pass subscription service, there’s never been a larger ecosystem of Xbox consoles to choose from.

The future of the Xbox seems more than ever to rest in the hands of game developers, as original intellectual properties like Scorn and Pentiment become just as important as fan-favorite franchises such as Halo and Gears of War. If more Xbox exclusives follow in the footsteps of 2024 releases like Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, that future is sure to be bright.

CNET curated this list of the best games you can buy right now, including entries for Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S and PC Game Pass.

Best Xbox Series X/S Games — July 2025

Xbox game FAQs

Recent updates to the list

January 2025: Added Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

How we determined CNET’s best Xbox games

When creating this list of best Xbox games, we factored in how unique and enjoyable these games are for most players. We evaluated criteria including graphical quality, innovative gameplay mechanics and compelling narratives. The picks we made cover a variety of genres from fantasy to retro platformers to shooters to racing games, and while we favored console-exclusive games you won’t find on PlayStation, Switch or PC, we also included some can’t-miss games that appear on multiple platforms. If you’re looking for help choosing your next game, CNET’s top Xbox list is a good place to start narrowing your choices.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for July 25 #509

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for July 25 No. 509.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a mix of easy words to find and unscramble and one whopping long one. But if you know the theme, that word is easy to decipher. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Step to it!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Boogie shoes.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

HOGS, RICE, RICER, MUSE, CHAT, CHATS, GRAM, PANT, COAT, COATS, PARS, CARS, LASS, CLASS, CLASSY

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

MUSIC, COSTUME, RECITAL, TEACHER, CHOREOGRAPHY

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is DANCECLASS. To find it, start with the D that’s five letters down on the far-left row, and wind up and over.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for July 25, #305

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for July 25, No. 305.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition tested my breadth of sports knowledge. The blue category pays tribute to one of the greatest players of all time. See if you can figure it out. We’ve got hints and the answers in case you get stuck.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Rink-related.

Green group hint: The lower end of the Golden State.

Blue group hint: NFL G.O.A.T.

Purple group hint: You can also do this to your hair.