For a story-led, imaginative adventure, start with Psychonauts 2; for a familiar, action-focused platforming series, try Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. They suit different players, and neither is an objective winner: this shortlist weighs how each game moves between 3D and 2.5D play, its emphasis on story or exploration, whether it’s a single game or a collection, and its Xbox Series X|S platform status.
Best picks at a glance
| Game | Best fit | Perspective and structure | Xbox Series X|S note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Psychonauts 2 | A distinctive story and imaginative worlds | Platform-adventure; not simply a mascot collectathon | Double Fine lists Xbox Series X|S as a platform |
| Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time | Players drawn to a recognizable action-platforming series | Level-based platforming | Xbox Wire announced an optimized Series X|S version |
| New Super Lucky’s Tale | A cheerful mascot adventure | Mixes 3D exploration with 2.5D platforming | Check the current local storefront for compatibility and availability |
| A Hat in Time | Exploration, puzzles, secrets, and varied worlds | Traditional 3D platforming | Check the current local storefront for compatibility and availability |
| Spyro Reignited Trilogy | Exploration across a multi-game collection | Three remastered Spyro games; gems, enemies, and secrets | Check current Series X compatibility and product format in your storefront |
| Kao the Kangaroo | A less obvious colorful mascot alternative | 3D levels with collectibles, secrets, and obstacles | Check the current local storefront for compatibility and availability |
Choose by the kind of platforming you want
For a story-rich, unusual adventure: Psychonauts 2
Psychonauts 2 is the strongest starting point if you want platforming wrapped around an unusual story and worlds. Double Fine categorizes it as a platformer and adventure, and its premise follows Razputin Aquato, an acrobat and young psychic who joins the Psychonauts and confronts a threat within the organization. The developer lists its release date as August 25, 2021, and includes Xbox Series X|S among its platforms. Double Fine’s official game page
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Split Fiction XBOX Series X | $32.43 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed - Xbox Series X | $36.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Screenbound - Xbox Series X | $29.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Oddworld: Soulstorm - Enhanced Edition - Day One (XSX) - Xbox Series X | $29.94 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
XBOX Wireless Gaming Controller | Carbon Black | $49.49 | Buy on Amazon |
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Its appeal is the mix of adventure and imaginative settings, rather than a straightforward collect-everything mascot format. Double Fine lists content descriptors including fantasy violence, mild suggestive themes, mild language, alcohol reference, tobacco, and crude humor.
For a familiar action-platforming series: Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
Choose Crash Bandicoot 4 if you want a recognizable series and a level-based action-platforming game. Xbox Wire announced an Xbox Series X|S optimized version for March 12, 2021. It also said Xbox One digital owners could upgrade through Smart Delivery at no additional cost. That upgrade detail applies to those Xbox One digital owners; check the current store listing for the edition and terms available to you. Xbox Wire’s announcement
#1 Best Overall
- This split-screen adventure is tailored for two. Experience co-op gameplay where you'll have to coordinate your actions and timing as well as work together to overcome challenges.
- Discover new mechanics and abilities in every level of your adventure, which will alternate between sci-fi and fantasy worlds.
- Mio and Zoe don't get along at first, but soon enough they become each other's only hopes. This journey will throw unexpected twists at them and if they want to make it through, they'll need to have each other's backs.
- This video game is the new must-have split-screen adventure game tailored for two players; This wild ride comes to you from Hazelight, the co-op thrill-makers that brought you It Takes Two and A Way Out; This game requires an Internet connection
Microsoft Store also surfaces the game in its current search results for popular platformers optimized for Xbox Series X|S. Store sorting is a catalog signal, not proof of a universal quality ranking. Microsoft Store’s optimized-platformer results
For a cheerful mascot game with changing perspectives: New Super Lucky’s Tale
This is a fit for players who want a colorful mascot adventure with exploration, secrets, collectibles, enemies, and bosses. Keep its perspective in mind: it combines 3D exploration with 2.5D platforming, so it is not fully free-roaming 3D throughout. GameSpew’s platformer roundup, published May 21, 2024
Rank #2
- Explore a reimagined Wasteland, full of Disney's timeless characters and stories
- Wield the magic brush: Paint to create, thinner to alter. Every choice shapes your story
- Meet Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Disney's original star, in a rich, narrative-driven world
- Enjoy advanced gameplay with new abilities and enhanced visuals in a classic setting
- Mickey has new moves such as dash, ground pound and sprinting
For classic-style exploration: A Hat in Time
A Hat in Time is a candidate if varied worlds, puzzles, secrets, and tools matter more to you than a story-first pitch. GameSpew describes it as a traditional 3D platform game with those exploratory elements. GameSpew’s platformer roundup
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →For several adventures in one package: Spyro Reignited Trilogy
The collection brings together three remastered Spyro games, with exploration built around gems, enemies, and secrets. That makes it the clearest multi-game option here. Before buying, confirm your local store’s Series X compatibility information and whether the listing is for the format you want; the collection’s inclusion here does not establish current regional availability or physical stock. GameSpew’s platformer roundup
Rank #3
- Dual-Dimensional Gameplay: Control both 3D and 2D versions of yourself simultaneously. Your actions mirror across realities, but the rules don’t.
- Challenging Puzzles: Solve different puzzles that require shifting perspective, timing and logic across two planes of existence.
- Unlock New Tools and Skills: Unlock new abilities as you progress that give you even more ways to solve the puzzles
- Uncover the Story and Secrets: Explore offbeat areas and discover a unique story through environmental storytelling
- Dual Focus: Some objects, enemies, and platforms only exist in one world so stay alert!
For a less obvious mascot alternative: Kao the Kangaroo
The 2022 reboot offers colorful 3D levels with collectibles, secrets, and obstacles. Consider it if you have already played the better-known series and want another mascot-led option. GameSpew’s platformer roundup
What “3D platformer” means for this shortlist
Perspective can change from one game to another. New Super Lucky’s Tale mixes 3D exploration and 2.5D stages. Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair, another title in GameSpew’s roundup, is mostly 2D with a 3D isometric hub, so it is a less direct choice if you want 3D platforming throughout. GameSpew describes Tinykin as a 3D platformer blended with puzzle and adventure elements. GameSpew’s platformer roundup
Rank #4
- Enhanced Edition: Includes the brand new game mode: Vykkers Labs Challenge Rooms
- Day One Oddition Features one copy of Oddworld: Soulstorm for XSXX1 and one exclusive embossed metal case
- Action-Adventure Platformer: Evolving the platforming genre by adding RPG-lite elements with player agency to play as you'd like, whether aggressively or passively
- Narrative: A dark storyline with a twisted sense of humor that shines a light on the ironies that exist in the human condition
Likewise, a collection is not the same kind of purchase as one standalone game: Spyro Reignited Trilogy contains three remastered games, while Psychonauts 2 and Crash Bandicoot 4 are individual entries. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is another remastered collection mentioned in the roundup, but it is not necessary to choose it over Crash 4 if you specifically want a single newer series entry.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Check compatibility and availability before buying
Xbox Series X|S support is independently established for Psychonauts 2 on Double Fine’s platform list and for Crash Bandicoot 4 by Xbox Wire’s optimized-version announcement. For the other games, confirm the current local Microsoft Store or retailer listing rather than inferring compatibility from a general roundup. Prices, subscription inclusion, editions, regional availability, and physical stock can change, and are not established here.
Best Value
- MODERNIZED DESIGN — Experience the modernized design of the XBOX Wireless Controller with sculpted surfaces and updated geometry that enhances comfort and control during long gaming sessions.
- PRECISION PERFORMANCE — Stay on target with a hybrid D-pad and textured grips on triggers, bumpers, and back case for improved accuracy and handling.
- SHARE BUTTON: Seamlessly capture and share content such as screenshots, recordings, and more with the new Share button.
- VERSATILE CONNECTIVITY — Connect via USB-C for plug-and-play on console and PC, or quickly pair and switch between supported devices with XBOX Wireless and Bluetooth support.
- BUILT-IN AUDIO SUPPORT — Plug in compatible headsets using the 3.5mm audio jack for direct voice chat and immersive in-game sound.
Microsoft Store search pages filtered to platformers optimized for Xbox Series X|S have surfaced Psychonauts 2 in a best-rated view and Crash Bandicoot 4 in a most-popular view. Those labels and their catalog order can change; they do not establish an objective cross-game ranking or numeric review-score comparison. Microsoft Store’s best-rated results · Microsoft Store’s most-popular results
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
