It may not have the same exclusive selection as the PlayStation 4 or Nintendo Switch, but Xbox One's handful of game choices are worth checking out. They range from racing and shooting games, and everything in between.

Whether you're looking for a lengthy single-player game with a fantastic story or an online world to get lost in with friends, there's something for you. It also features lots of great platformers you won't find on other consoles.

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Now, there are thousands of games released for the Xbox One, and it can be a daunting task to choose among them. In this list, though, are 5 of 2020's most popular Xbox One games that you can check out and play.

The 5 Most Popular Xbox One Games of 2020
Image Source: The Verge

Fortnite

The game's concept is comparable to preexisting games of the genre. To protect themselves against other players, 100 players skydive onto an island and scrounge for gears.

Its difference from others in the genre is its construction elements. Players can build walls, obstacles, and other structures from collected resources to take cover from incoming fire or give one a strategic view advantage.

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Players can fight alone (Solo), with one additional player (Duos), or with a group of up to three others (Squads). The playable region within the island restricts, little by little, as the game progresses, giving players smaller and smaller space to maneuver with. The last living player or team wins the battle.

Fortnite offers a premium experience with zero upfront cost, and you can download it in the following places.

  • PC/Mac - Fortnite.com
  • Xbox - Xbox Marketplace
  • PlayStation - PlayStation Store
  • iOS - Available on App Store
  • Android - Google Play Store, Samsung Galaxy Store, and Epic Games app
  • Nintendo Switch - Nintendo eShop
The 5 Most Popular Xbox One Games of 2020
Image Source: Essentially Sports

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

The game takes place in a realistic and modern setting. The campaign follows a CIA officer and British SAS forces. They team up with rebels from the fictional country of Urzikstan, combating together against Russian forces who have invaded the country.

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Modern Warfare's single-player campaign focuses on realism and features tactically-based moral choices. The player is evaluated and assigned a score at the end of each level; players have to quickly ascertain whether NPCs are a threat or not.

The game's Special Ops mode features cooperative play missions that follow up the campaign's story. The multiplayer mode supports cross-platform multiplayer and cross-platform progression for the first time in the series. 

It introduced new features, such as a Realism mode that removes the HUD and a form of the Ground War mode that supports 64 players. You can get this for $59.99 at the PlayStation Store and for free at Xbox Marketplace

The 5 Most Popular Xbox One Games of 2020
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NBA 2k20

The player mainly plays NBA games with real-life or custom players and teams, following the rules and objectives of the NBA games. There are several game modes, and many settings can be customized.

For the first time, all 12 WNBA teams and more than 140 players are in the game and ready to compete in Play Now and Season modes. MyCareer returned as one of the available game modes. The Neighborhood also came back to MyCareer, where players can personalize their wardrobe, get haircuts and tattoos, and buy power-ups.

Furthermore, NBA 2k20 has the most realistic player control ever. It features an upgraded motion engine with signature styles, advanced shooting controls, a new dribble size-up system, refined off-ball collisions, and a new read and react defensive game.

You can buy a digital copy of NBA 2k20 at Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 for $59.99. This item is available as a free download for PlayStation®Plus users. For Xbox One, see pricing below.

  • Standard Ed $40.19; $19.79 with Xbox Live Gold
  • Digital Deluxe Edition $79.99; $63.99 with Xbox Game Pass
  • Legend Edition $99.99; $79.99 with Xbox Game Pass
The 5 Most Popular Xbox One Games of 2020
Image Source: Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V is set in Los Santos City around 2013 and follows the lives of the main characters: Michael De Santa, Franklin Clinton, and Trevor Philips. It takes place roughly five years after the Grand Theft Auto IV events, and four years after the Grand Theft Auto events: Chinatown Wars.

The vehicles were greatly improved; they feel more like a game of racing. Cars have different detailed interiors from each other, and the shooting is like a dedicated FPS game. Weapon selection has now been changed, too (a Weapon Wheel is now available).

Likewise, new activities, such as yoga and triathlon, have been added. Further, random events have been included in the game and can appear whenever the player explores around the map. The map, held open from the start of the game, is now a whole landmass than several islands.

Character swapping feature is executed in the style of Google Earth and was displayed during a demo of Game Informer. Players can press X / Square / SPACE (Xbox / PlayStation / PC) and then B / Circle / R (Xbox / PlayStation / PC) to ragdoll. The game is available on Xbox Marketplace and PlayStation Store for $29.99.

The 5 Most Popular Xbox One Games of 2020
Image Source: instant-gaming.com

Red Dead Redemption 2

Set in an American Old West fictional recreation in 1899, Red Dead Redemption 2 focuses on Arthur Morgan's life and his position within the notorious Van der Linde gang. The game follows the downfall of the gang, as lawyers, fellow gangs, and agents from Pinkerton pursue them.

The game is set in an open world of five American regions, which can be explored by the player as they proceed with the story and played through both third-person and first-person views. As with Arthur Morgan, there are several ways, including story missions and hunting, players can interact with the game world.

The game has new features that are absent from the game before. New mechanics like using a bow and arrow, dual-wielding revolvers, wading in the water, and using a canoe were all introduced. Wildlife and hunting have been greatly enhanced, too.

It also has Story Mode content and a fully-featured Photo Mode. You can experience all these fun and features by getting the game at PlayStation 4 ($59.99) and Xbox One (Standard- $44.99, Ultimate Edition- $99.99, and Special Edition- $79.99).

Conclusion

There are so many factors we considered before coming up with this list. One of them is the fact that the games chosen are the most played according to Microsoft Xbox.

After all, whether you're looking to take your thumbs through their paces or just sinking into a game for a while to escape the real world, Xbox One has something worth exploring and playing.