The first half of 2026 has been an exciting time for gamers, with a plethora of new releases hitting the shelves. Metacritic, a renowned review aggregation platform, has compiled a list of the top 20 games from this period. The ranking is based on the platform with the most reviews for each game, which can sometimes lead to interesting discrepancies.

According to Metacritic's scoring system, Xbox has taken the top spot, but the rankings are not without their surprises. The methodology used by Metacritic can result in games with higher average ratings being ranked lower due to the platform with the most reviews being used for scoring.

Sponsored
  • Xbox has secured the number one spot, with several of its exclusive titles making the cut.
  • Resident Evil Requiem, despite having a higher average rating on Xbox, ranked fifth due to the PS5 version having more reviews.
  • The list highlights the diversity of games available, with a range of genres and platforms represented.
  • Metacritic's unique scoring system provides an interesting perspective on the gaming landscape.
  • The full list of the top 20 games can be found on the Metacritic website.

For more information on the top games of the first half of 2026, check out the full article on Source: Pure Xbox