The developer of the best game of 2026, at least so far, has confirmed that said game will be Steam Deck Verified at day one of its launch next week. According to Metacritic, the best games of 2026 that have already been released are Pokémon Pokopia, Resident Evil Requiem, Mewgenics, Saros, and a couple of other smaller indie games. These are the best games of 2026 that have already been released. The highest-rated game of 2026 isn’t out yet, but reviews have gone live a week early, and they are glowing. To this end, the game in question has a 92 on Metacritic, which makes it the first game with a 90+ score of 2026.
More specifically, when Playground Games and Xbox release their new racing game, Forza Horizon 6, on May 17, via PC and Xbox Series X, it will be Steam Deck Verified. This means Vave has tested the game itself and can independently confirm it works on the machine from start to finish, and works “great” with its built-in display and controls. However, in recent months, Steam Deck users have discovered the Verified badge is given out pretty liberally, with numerous examples of it being awarded to games that shouldn’t have it, and in some cases, earned it without even making any meaningful change to compatibility. That said, Xbox has been a steady, great supporter of the machine, so there’s no reason to doubt Forza Horizon 6 will be another example of this.
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The Best Game of 2026 So Far
We are nearing the halfway point of 2026, so for Forza Horizon 6 to be the #1 rated game of the year is noteworthy. And when you look at the rest of the year, there aren’t many marquee releases with the potential to score higher. Of course, if GTA 6 doesn’t get delayed, it will almost certainly eclipse this by several points. There’s not a ton else that looks positioned to score above a 92. All of this is to say, Forza Horizon 6 may very well be in the Game of the Year conversation come December.
Those who want to find out at launch and play it at launch via Steam Deck will need to either fork over $70 and purchase the game or subscribe to PC Game Pass, where, as an Xbox Game Studios release, it is going to be a permanent addition.
All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment or two letting us know what you think, or join the video game conversations happening over on the ComicBook Forum.
