The latest AAA titles will always cost the most for the longest, and it's just a matter of life that to play those as they arrive you'll have to dig deeper. But there's a lot of great games out there that won't run away with your wallet.
Thanks partly to the inevitable price drops on physical copies of games as well as a thriving independent developer community coming through the ID@Xbox program, there's a lot to choose from. A great game doesn't stop being a great game because it wasn't released two weeks ago.
So, here we've rounded up some of the best you can buy in the UK right now for £20 or less. We'll keep refreshing this list over time, so be sure to bookmark to keep tabs on the latest.
Updated for September 2016 with three new additions to the list
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Halo is one of the titles that put the Xbox on the map and now on the Xbox One you can have this remarkable collection. You get Halo and Halo 2 remastered, along with Halo 3 and Halo 4, all at 60FPS and looking gorgeous on the new-generation console. As if that weren't enough you get Halo: Nightfall, the live-action TV series thrown in and a whole heck of a lot of multiplayer.
Halo: MCC is probably the best value package you can get right now for the Xbox One.
Rare Replay
If you've been playing games for any amount of time you'll most likely have come across something made by Rare. The now-Microsoft-owned studio has been responsible for some truly legendary titles throughout the years, and Rare Replay gets 30 of them together in one place.
From the old, old days through Battletoads and into Perfect Dark, Rare Replay is an incredible collection of classic games, all playable on the Xbox One.
The value of this package is almost unrivalled. A must buy.
Read more in our full Rare Replay review
Gears of War: Ultimate Edition
The legend is back. Gears of War was an immense success when it first launched a decade ago on the Xbox 360 and Microsoft celebrated with a remastered version for the Xbox One. Newer, hotter visuals and the same intense gameplay. Gears is an iconic third-person shooter that's challenging and exhilarating to play.
Part of the added bonus to this one was that all of the original titles were added to backwards compatibility, meaning that there's plenty of action until Gears 4 lands in late 2016.
Find out more in our full Gears of War: Ultimate Edition review
Minecraft: Xbox One edition
Minecraft is one of the most platform-agnostic games you can play today. Even though there are countless different versions, you can get a taste of blocky fun on pretty much anything you can play games on.
The Xbox One edition is but one of those, and has a full complement of achievements to grab while you're out punching trees and building huts. Minecraft is a favorite of kids and adults alike, and it's a great value game to boot.
Ori and the Blind Forest
Simply put, this is one of the most beautiful games you will ever play. The visuals, the sound, the story, the gameplay, there's no other word to describe it than stunning. The forest of Nibel is dying, and you — the titular Ori — must embark upon a journey to save it from darkness.
Calling Ori and the Blind Forest a mere platformer does it disservice, but once you've experienced it for yourselves you'll know why so many love it so much.
Quantum Break
Part sci-fi action thriller, part real-life TV show, Quantum Break from Remedy is a walk on the wild side of time travel. Telling a great story is one of Remedy's strong points and this tale of time travel and bending the rules of physics and everything we think we understand about the world is no exception. You play as Jack Joyce, portrayed by Shawn Ashmore, as you go up against Monarch to save the universe's very existence.
It's pretty crazy that you can now get a copy of this under £20, but you can, and it's an absolute must play.
Rocket League
Rocket League is one of those titles that you really can't appreciate the magnificence of until you play it. It looks and sounds simple — it's essentially car-based football — but it's insanely easy to pick up and very addictive. There's also now a brand new, basketball-based "hoops" mode that gives a whole new life to this already-excellent game.
The physics-based action takes skill to master, but we called it our first "must play" of 2016 in our review. With good reason, too.
Check out our full Rocket League review
Dishonored: Definitive Edition
A sequel to the classic Dishonored is coming in late 2016, but in the meantime there's little reason not to explore this Definitive Edition. You get the game, with a light visual spruce up, and all the DLC content for a very reasonable price.
It follows the story of Corvo as he escapes prison and embarks upon a mission of revenge, discovering his powers as he goes. It's an engaging tale and will set you up nicely for the sequel.
Battlefield 4
If you want one of the finest multiplayer shooter experiences on the Xbox One, you want Battlefield 4 (at least until Battlefield 1 comes out). It's not the newest title, but it looks great, it's super slick and fast paced, and is still as good as it ever was.
There's also a pretty engaging single player campaign to power through, if you're so inclined. But with plenty of DLC available, too, there's plenty of life in this one.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain
The latest chapter in the tale of stealth master, Solid Snake (sounding here like Jack Bauer, thanks to a celebrity voiceover from Kiefer Sutherland), picks up from the end of Ground Zeroes to finish the fight. MGS has gone open world this time round, with realistic changing weather and passage of time.
It does feel a little rushed in latter parts of the game, but now it's come right down in price there's plenty of reason to pick it up.
See more in our full MGSV: The Phantom Pain review
This is by no means a comprehensive list as there are many, many games around at this price point. If you've got a particular favorite be sure to jump into the comments below and give us all the details.
