While the launch of Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 marks the start of a fresh console generation, the PC can also ring in a new era of framerate and hi-res milestones with a slew of hardware lineups from Nvidia and AMD. Though there is a new generation of RTX cards with the new 4000 series, the 3000 series are still an excellent bang for your buck, offering high-fidelity graphics and smooth gameplay in most modern titles.

RELATED: The Best Games With RTX Graphics

Whether you're looking to drink from the legendary chalice of 4K at 60fp, max out a 144hz display, or bask in the glorious beams of ray-tracing, here are twenty games to revisit once you've procured your pass to the world of next-gen PC gaming, and want to move beyond the limitations of consoles - even if those limitations are surprisingly low this time around.

Updated November 28, 2022, by Seth Parmer: Even with the new 4000 series from Nvidia out, huge discounts were made to the preceding 3000 series, making it the perfect opportunity to pick up and experience the capabilities of PC gaming without breaking the bank. The 3000 series is still more than enough in most cases to provide excellent visuals and smooth framerates on modern games, making this the best time to provide you with even more titles to give a shot on your new GPU!

20 Microsoft Flight Simulator

Via Microsoft

The 2020 release of Microsoft Flight Simulator allowed players to witness the peak of video game graphics for themselves. The visuals of this title are downright photorealistic and make the act of flying around the world extremely enjoyable.

Of course, the game itself is surprisingly relaxing, and an aficionado of planes and other forms of air travel will feel right at home with this title. The realistic gameplay and mind-blowing graphics make for one of the greatest simulation games of all time.

19 Shadow Of The Tomb Raider

The reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise was much welcomed by fans of the series, who were frustrated that the franchise was in limbo for a while. The latest title in the series might not have made waves in the video game landscape, but it's still a great title that any fan of the series should check out.

It helps that the graphics of Shadow of the Tomb Raider are in a class of their own. The RTX 3000 line of graphics cards will help this game shine even brighter from a visual perspective, making for a sublime video gaming experience.

18 Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition

The Metro series was a great FPS franchise that was absolutely dripping with atmosphere. The first two games were released to somewhat muted fanfare, but the third game in the series exploded in popularity, making their first jump into the wasteland a gorgeously terrifying one that they will remember for quite some time.

RELATED: The Most Graphically Demanding Android And Mobile Games

Now, with the release of Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition, players can finally enjoy this brilliant title with the highest level of graphical fidelity. Running this game on an RTX 3000 will be nothing short of a visual treat and one that runs like a dream, capitalizing on uncapped framerates, which is a must for FPS titles.

17 Elden Ring

FromSoftware is known for its impeccable art direction, challenging boss encounters, and lore-rich worlds that make everything feel like it has a purpose. And unsurprisingly, Elden Ring has all that but amplified tenfold, making it FromSoft's most ambitious project yet, and one that they delivered on from the moment you begin your journey in the Lands Between to the bitter end.

Elden Ring is a stunning game with tons of areas that will make your jaw hit the floor in pure amazement at what they crafted. While Elden Ring looks phenomenal on current-gen consoles, experiencing it on a powerful PC places it in a league of its own. The draw distance, amount of foliage, and ultra-detailed textures make everything pop. If you can, you should experience Elden Ring on PC.

16 Resident Evil Village

The latest entry in the Resident Evil series was widely celebrated by many as another stellar title that contributed to the resurgence of this classic franchise. The hype for this game was through the roof, with its graphics being one of its many selling points.

So, it's only a given that any owner of an RTX 3000 graphic card who wants to push their system to the limit should play Resident Evil Village. It helps that the game is an absolute blast to play through, combining its action and horror into one enjoyable package. This may be the most immersive the series has ever been, and playing it on PC only furthers that notion.

15 Horizon Zero Dawn

Horizon Zero Dawn is considered by many to be one of the most brilliant and imaginative new IPs released in recent times. It was clear that Sony had uncovered an absolute gold mine in the form of a post-apocalyptic world overrun by mechanical dinosaurs.

RELATED: Great Indie Games With Impressive Graphics

Players were absolutely overjoyed at the fact that this game would be ported to the PC... but this port was poorly optimized. While patches have been released to improve the state of this title, only a robust system — preferably with an RTX 3000 graphic card — will be able to run this game with no issues.

14 Control

Remedy's powerhouse third-person shooter seemed to come from nowhere in 2019. Along with a chilling sci-fi story of psychological hijacking and government conspiracies, Control wowed both critics and the public with stunning visuals, courtesy of bombastic telekinetic superpowers and ray-tracing support.

The game was one of the first triple-A titles to support the new lighting technology. For early adopters of the RTX 2000 series, the result was an astounding spectacle of god rays, particle effects, and light reflections. A graphical tour de force with a complex story, Control is the perfect contender for showcasing your $500 - $1,500 ticket to the next-gen party.

13 Minecraft

There's an irony to buying a powerful, expensive graphics card at the turn of a generation to test it out on the most popular low-fidelity game of our time. But Mojang's recent updates to the standard FCK version of Minecraft warrant a re-download of the game.

Microsoft launched a beta version of Minecraft on Windows 10 with RTX compatibility, and despite the game's pixelated art style, it benefits significantly from ray-tracing. The flattened textures of those iconic bricks pop into tangible, breathing reality with small details like soft sun rays through a window or how your screen adjusts to the light as you step into the daylight. Minecraft has long held the potential for beauty, and ray-tracing adds to its practical, minimalist style.

12 Ghostwire: Tokyo

Ghostwire: Tokyo is one of this year's most underrated titles and one of the most prettiest and drop-dead gorgeous games of the year that seemed to have gotten buried when the heavy hitters hit the scene. Nonetheless, playing this action-adventure game with light horror elements set in an abandoned Tokyo will be a visual treat unlike anything else you have experienced.

RELATED: Best Horror Games With Pixel Graphics

While it pops without it, Ghostwire: Tokyo also supports RTX ray tracing, making the empty streets of Tokyo come to life, with the street lights cascading off puddles left from the rain and red lanterns illuminating the sidewalks that contrast nicely with the cold and lonesome streets and buildings. You should give this a shot if you have a 3000 series card or greater. You won't regret it.

11 Ghostrunner

If you look up cyberpunk games that launched in 2020, you're likely to come across a couple of dozen articles about CD Projekt Red's controversial Cyberpunk 2077. You may also come across Ghostrunner, a speedrunner's dream of stage-based platforming action and neon-lined skyscrapers.

The game supports RTX ray tracing, but it's best played with a super high framerate, so earlier graphics cards might not be the most optimal way to experience this reflex-reliant cyber-samurai sim. The new Nvidia cards, however, let this game run smoothly with ray tracing turned on.