Thanks to the wonders of modern internet and the ever-expanding capabilities of streaming, there are entire generations worth of games available for you to pick up a gamepad for and play. But when there is so much, what should you play? It’s overwhelming, but we’re here to help in this golden age of streaming and gaming content.
Thanks to Xbox Game Pass, there are plenty of top quality sports games to play, and here are the best ones on the service right now for you to sink your teeth into.
The best sports games on Xbox Game Pass
Golf With Your Friends
Easy to pick up, but difficult to truly master, Golf With Your Friends has great potential for your next game session with your friends thanks to its multiple courses, customizers, and that burning desire to land a killer hole-in-one. With some outlandish courses, it’s one of those games that you’ll feel proud to be a master of, and no doubt one of the finest golf games ever made.
FIFA 22
The absolute giant that is FIFA is always there for a fun pick-up game. Thanks to advancements with its game modes, FIFA feels so much more complete, with it catering so many more types of gamers. Want to do a no-rules match? All yours to try. Become the next Pep Guardiola and guide Crawley to the Champions League? Go right ahead. Ultimate Team is still the major reason people play the series, but for those who want to avoid online shenanigans, the single-player modes are a good laugh as well.
Dodgeball Academia
An energetic sports and role-playing game hybrid, Dodgeball Academia is a fun and lesser known game to sink your teeth into when you’re needing a bit of both sports and RPG. With a lovely artstyle and a cute ambience, it’s a great game for families to try and also recommended to seasoned veterans of old-school Final Fantasy or fans of modern card-games like Slay the Spire. Start your child’s RPG obsession early!
Windjammers 2
Featuring hand-drawn animations and a vibrant color palate, Windjammers 2 is a tremendous tennis game variant that will bring out your competitive streak. Fun, dynamic, and exchillerating gameplay, you can’t take your eyes off the prize for a second if you’re looking for a victory. Capable of cross-play between Xbox and Windows versions, it’s time to take on your mates at Windjammers.
Football Manager
FIFA is great and all, but what if you wanted to become an absolute spreadsheet demon? Football Manager is for you. Available on both PC and Xbox now, Football Manager 2022 will test you to your limits of football knowledge and your pseudo-coaching abilities. Manage any club in the world from Sydney FC to Hammarby. The world is your oyster as you turn promising young players into the next Messi, Ronaldo, or into Ruben Zadkovich if you’re unlucky.
SkateBIRD
What happens when you combine the maverick art of skateboarding with delightfully cute small birds? SkateBIRD. It’s what the market has been clamoring for for many years, and it’s finally here. Similar to the iconic Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater games, this will give you that skateboarding game fix you’re after. Plug in some music from the late 90s, play some SkateBIRD, and all will be right with the world again.
MLB: The Show 22
Baseball games don’t get any better than The Show, which demonstrates meticulous attention to detail in hopes of giving players the ultimate digital baseball experience. Improving year-on-year much like FIFA, The Show is always evolving and the latest is a high quality way to play some ball. Time to win that world series you’ve been after.
Fuzion Frenzy
An original Xbox classic ported to modern day consoles, Fuzion Frenzy presents plenty of enjoyable party games for you to absolutely blitz friends at. If you grew up with it, you’ll be pleased to know it plays as well as you remember, with many small fixes to bring out the absolute best it has to offer. Time trials, brawls, races, it has pretty much every party game idea covered.
DIRT 5
If on-road racing isn’t hardcore enough for you, it’s time to embrace off-road chaos in the form of DIRT 5. Boasting online modes, four-player co-op, and a career mode, DIRT 5 has upped the ante from its previous entries, including big improvements to the graphics from its predecessors. Plenty of action available for revheads seeking some digital entertainment in a non-F1 game.
NBA 2K22
One of the most popular sports around the world, basketball fans have been blessed for many years with the very well-detailed NBA 2K series, which keeps improving and adding new features. Career modes, online play, and lots of very easy to pick-up game modes mean you can absolutely dunk on your friends when you’ve got that basketball itch.