The 17 Best Multiplayer PS4 and PS5 Video Games to Play in 2024

PlayStation 5 for 29.97

Yeah. We were surprised too. Hot Wheels, those silly little cars we played with as kids, stormed into our adult lives with one of 2021's best multiplayer racing games. Microtransactions are intentionally unnecessary in Hot Wheels Unleashed, an admirable feature nowadays. Plus, the level design rivals anything you'd see in a modern-day Mario Kart romp. Take that, Wario. —B.L.

PlayStation 5 for $19.93

Do you miss the glory days of Left 4 Dead, where you'd kill about 150 zombies per five minutes of gameplay? (That's an exaggeration, but still.) You'll be happy to know that the makers of Left 4 Dead are back with another undead shoot-em-up: Back 4 Blood. Frankly—and in the best way—this feels like another Left 4 Dead entry, just released in 2021. You have the campy banter between characters. Zombies with bizarre mutations. And weapons. Lots and lots of weapons. Have at it, friends. —B.L.

So nice they made it twice. Then a third time. And then they brought it back and remade it again! By my count, this is Modern Warfare VII (that's seven)... Sure, COD has become hopelessly repetitive over its, I think, 23 installments, but they've got a winning formula. Modern Warfare III is as much fun as you'll have on a first-person shooter. Of course, Warzone is technically free, but by buying MWIII, you get access to regular multiplayer, as well as a revamped zombies mode. —L.G.

PlayStation 5 for $41.39

Gran Turismo is back, baby! For a while, console sim racing swung Xbox's way with Forza. But Gran Turismo 7 is setting that next bar really, really high. If it weren't for all the micro-transactions, we'd be looking at a perfect game. Still, for console racing sims, Sony is in the driver's seat after this one. —L.G.

It's a simple concept, but virtually no game has ever been able to replicate what Super Smash Bros does so well. But Multiversus seems to have cracked the code. It is, essentially, Smash. But it pulls from the entirety of the Warner Bros character catalog. Arya Stark, Wonder Woman, Tom and Jerry!! It's incredibly simple and addictively fun when playing with friends. —L.G.

Fall Guys is the most accessible battle royale. It’s just good, obnoxious fun, and adorable as all holy hell. Between the simple platforming, the lightening fast rounds, and the dumb luck, Mediatonic whipped up a drug of a game. Beyond all else, it's only 15 bucks, and it's completely free for PlayStation Plus members until the end of the month. Download the game, but don't get in my way. —C.S.

PlayStation 5 for $19.97

GTA V has lived on three generations of console. That is kind of insane. This game is a decade old, and with GTA VI somewhere in the distant future, this one is gonna be here for a while longer. Though on PlayStation you can't get any of the Real Life Mods that are giving the game an even greater lifespan on YouTube and Twitch, it's still as fun as ever. —L.G.

The only kart racer worth its weight besides Mario Kart, Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled is a melding of all the past CTR games with much more content and enough fan service to bring a tear to your eye. It’s no secret that we love that radical bandicoot, and this game just proves why. Plus, with Crash 4 on the way, I’m sure you're looking for anything to get in the bandicoot spirit. —C.S.

NBA 2K has been the GOAT hoops simulation for nearly a decade now—and for good reason. Get a couple drinks in you and you might just be convinced that 2K is a real NBA game. That's how good the graphics are. Gameplay-wise? Sure, 2K has always had its quirks, but it's the closest anyone under six feet will get to experiencing the NBA hardwood. That's more than worth the cost of admission. —B.L.

I’ll play it cool, as if I don't enjoy the hell out of this dumb baby game, and I won't admit that it's actually a blast, filled with insane crossovers and addictive gameplay. I don't love this game at all, I just play it ironically with my little brother. Obviously. But, I mean, see you on the battle bus, if you want. —C.S.

Until Gauntlet Dark Legacy comes back, this game will fill the void. Diablo—a pillar of gaming dating all the way back to 1997—is a class-based, hack-and-slash, dungeon-crawling looter, which back in the day was all the rage. It is also a remarkably necessary title for those who are looking for anything to play besides shooters. There’s a reason this dungeon crawler has been the one to stand the test of time, and with Diablo 4 on the horizon, you’ll want to get your inventories in order. —C.S.

PlayStation 5 for $39.99

I’ve never worked in a kitchen before, but Overcooked! has to be what it’s like, right? In it, you bump shoulders with a buddy in a kitchen, taking in, putting together, and serving food orders. One hour of Overcooked! will honestly wear you out. And make you hungry. Have a snack first. —B.L.

Few titles on this list are so popular that there’s an entire league where the game’s best players battle it out for IRL cash, but Overwatch is that big of a sensation. The second installment of Blizzard’s first-person shooter is just as fun as it is tough to master. You won’t see anyone from Esquire running and gunning on an arena stage with the pros anytime soon. —B.L.

PlayStation 5 for $29.99

If I shoot my team in this game one more time, I will never earn XP again. I don't mean to, I just have no trigger discipline. The game has three-person squads completing co-op missions against alien hordes. —C.S.

You know Skyrim. It's literally on everything, including your smart home device. Well, you can play that with your friends online, too. Granted, it’s not exactly Skyrim, but it's still a damn good MMO that takes place in that same universe. The days of MMORPGS have come and gone, but The Elder Scrolls Online encapsulates all that fun and gritty wonder that mesmerized us back in the early 2000s, only it's much better and more polished now. —C.S.

Now free if you buy on-platform

You’d be hard-pressed to find a game on this list stranger, more anxiety-inducing, and more addicting than Rocket League—which, if you’re unfamiliar, is soccer, with cars. That’s about it. But the combo is more than enough to kill three hours of calling LilJimmy232 a big baby because you just dropped five goals on his ass. —B.L.

Minecraft seems deceptively simple; it's about mining and crafting. But it's one of those games that sends you on a trip. All of the sudden, eight hours have passed, and you have no clue how. The game primarily focuses on survival and creative modes, where you craft what you can to survive or build a world free of rules. Minecraft at this point has also transcended gaming, playing host to graduation parties and getting used as an educational tool. So whether you and your friends want to build a replica of the Death Star, survive the long night, or I guess host a graduation ceremony, Minecraft’s the game to pick. —C.S.