- The PlayStation 5 is Sony's latest home console, with its SSD and DualSense controller standing out as noticeable leaps in technology over the prior generation.
- PlayStation has long been known for its first-party games, and many of the PS5's best offerings are platform exclusives.
- Multi-platform games can't be discounted when considering the PS5's best, however, as recent years have seen some all-time great games released.
Sony's PlayStation 5 console was initially released in November 2020, and has accrued an impressive catalog of games since. The two launch models – one with a built-in disc drive, and one without – have given way to a new iteration of the PS5, with a slightly smaller form factor and a detachable disc drive. The ninth console generation has ushered in the use of solid-state drives, rather than the hard disk drives that came before, nixing lengthy load times for even the most demanding games. Many of the PS5's best games put the SSD to good use, while simultaneously providing unprecedented tactile feedback via the DualSense controller.
The PS5's biggest selling point is PlayStation's penchant for first-party exclusives of a typically high caliber. While this latest console has seen plenty of brand-new experiences for players, PlayStation's legacy is also noticeably present in many of the PS5's best games, with notable entries in series that began on the PlayStation 2. The PS5 is a major platform in the gaming industry at large, however, and plays host to some of the greatest multi-platform games released in recent years as well. From unique experiences, to games that may go down as all-time classics, below are the 15 best games to play on the PS5 right now.
PlayStation 5 Review: Very Big and A Little Bold
Better performance and an amazing new controller highlight what's otherwise a rather iterative upgrade with the PlayStation 5 console.Astro's Playroom (2020)
Team Asobi
Astro's Playroom may be the PlayStation 5's pack-in game, but it remains one of the console's stand-out experiences. In essence, it's a glorified tech demo for the capabilities of the DualSense, but that shouldn't discount its merits as a platformer. Astro Bot has become something of a PlayStation mascot, even if he's not as recognizable as some other exclusive protagonists, and Astro's Playroom doubles as a love letter to the brand's past. Players make their way through levels chock-full of PlayStation Easter eggs and find PlayStation collectibles, celebrating everything from the Vita to the PS2's EyeToy peripheral. Although it's a short game, Astro's Playroom was awarded 4/5 stars in Screen Rant's review, and earned itself a Metacritic score of 83.
Returnal (2021)
Housemarque
Returnal
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5
Released 2021-04-30
Developer(s) Housemarque
Publisher(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre(s) Shooter, Roguelike, Horror
ESRB T
Upon its release in April 2021, Returnal felt like one of the few truly next-gen games, with innovative DualSense support and encounters which filled the screen with an uncountable number of particle effects. Returnal is among the games responsible for the recent resurgence of roguelikes, sending players through a brutally difficult time loop on an inhospitable alien planet. Screen Rant's Returnal review gave it a 4/5, and its Metacritic aggregate is 86. Housemarque was well known for its bullet hell games prior, but Returnal makes a huge step up in production value without sacrificing the studio's crisp gameplay.
Death Stranding: Director's Cut (2021)
Kojima Productions (Originally 2019)
Death Stranding
Franchise Death Stranding
Platform(s) PlayStation 4, PC
Released 2019-11-08
Developer(s) Kojima Productions
Publisher(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre(s) Adventure
ESRB M
Death Stranding was Screen Rant's 2019 Game of the Year, and our Director's Cut review upholds the original release's perfect 5/5 score. Hideo Kojima's latest has proved divisive, but still maintains an impressive 85 on Metacritic. The moment-to-moment gameplay is essentially a hiking simulator, but this discounts the wide range of vehicles and gadgets at players' disposal, and is also an injustice to the wonderfully bizarre story. Death Stranding is truly unique, and the PS5-enhanced Director's Cut, complete with new content, is one of the best implementations of the DualSense's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers to date.
A sequel to Death Stranding has been announced with the working title DS2. Kojima Productions has yet to give the project a release window.
Ghost Of Tsushima: Director's Cut (2021)
Sucker Punch Productions (Originally 2020)
Ghost of Tsushima
Platform(s) PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Released 2020-07-17
Developer(s) sucker punch productions
Publisher(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre(s) Open-World, Action, Adventure
Multiplayer Online Co-Op
ESRB M
Much like Death Stranding, Ghost of Tsushima was originally released as a PS4 exclusive, but received an upgraded version for the PS5, shipping alongside its Iki Island DLC expansion. Screen Rant's Director's Cut review and the original Ghost of Tsushima review gave the game a 4.5/5 and a 5/5 respectively, while the Metacritic aggregate for the Director's Cut is an impressive 87. The game's gorgeously rendered world and exacting katana combat are certainly highlights, but Jin Sakai's story is among the PS5's best. The enthralling open-world game is set during the first Mongol invasion of Japan, with a number of intertwined storylines that force Jin to reckon with the price of honor amid the horrors of war.
Horizon Forbidden West (2022)
Guerrilla Games
Horizon Forbidden West
Franchise Horizon Zero Dawn
Platform(s) PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Released 2022-02-18
Developer(s) Guerrilla Games
Publisher(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre(s) Action, RPG, Adventure
Engine Decima
ESRB T
Following 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West sees Aloy traveling to the eponymous region, which stretches across the southwest United States to the Pacific coast and is under the territorial control of a number of warring factions. Horizon Forbidden West has perhaps the best graphics of any game to date, but it's not just eye candy. Its combat, which focuses on dismantling massive, animalistic machines piece by piece, earned it 4.5/5 stars in Screen Rant's review of HFW and a Metacritic total of 88. With a third game expected to round out a trilogy, Aloy's story isn't yet complete, but the two entries thus far have skyrocketed her to the upper echelons of PlayStation exclusive characters.
Horizon Forbidden West: Burning Shores Review - Unprecedented Machine Mayhem
Burning Shores is a monumental chapter in Aloys journey and an incredible follow-up to Horizon Forbidden West, even if its story is a bit rushed.Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart (2021)
Insomniac Games
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
Franchise ratchet and clank
Platform(s) PlayStation 5
Released 2021-06-11
Developer(s) Insomniac Games
Publisher(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre(s) Shooter, Platformer, Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure
Rating E10+
The titular Ratchet and Clank hardly need an introduction, being PlayStation staples since the PS2 era. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, however, joins Returnal as one of the early PS5 games that showcased what the new hardware is capable of. Insomniac Games' technical prowess is on full display in Rift Apart, which frequently utilizes interdimensional portals to instantly teleport players to entirely new locations in-game, without any sort of load screen. The game is gorgeous to boot, and relishes its mixed bag of chaotic third-person shooter and platforming mechanics, which earned it 4.5/5 in its Screen Rant review and an 88 aggregate on Metacritic.
Demon's Souls (2020)
Bluepoint Games (Originally FromSoftware, 2009)
Demon's Souls
Platform(s) PlayStation 5
Released 2020-11-12
Developer(s) Bluepoint Games
Publisher(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre(s) Action RPG
Multiplayer Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
ESRB M
2020's Demon's Souls may be a remake, but it's still one of the best experiences on the PS5. The original game launched for the PS3 in early 2009, achieved a cult status that got it localized in North America later that year, and laid the groundwork for FromSoftware's rise to prominence with and following the release of Dark Souls. Bluepoint Games' remake – which earned a 4.5/5 from Screen Rant and an impressive Metacritic score of 92 – isn't entirely faithful, taking a few artistic liberties here and there, but the gameplay itself is directly transposed. When releasing alongside the PS5, Demon's Souls graphics were jaw-dropping, and Bluepoint's revitalization of FromSoftware's tightly focused RPG was an incredible start to the generation.
Final Fantasy 16 (2023)
Square Enix
Final Fantasy 16
Franchise Final Fantasy
Platform(s) PlayStation 5
Released 2023-06-22
Developer(s) Square Enix Creative Business Unit 3
Publisher(s) Square Enix
Genre(s) Hack and Slash, Action, RPG, Adventure
ESRB M
The iconic RPG series is practically synonymous with PlayStation, and its latest entry is a timed PS5 exclusive. Screen Rant's Final Fantasy 16 review called it a "modern masterpiece" and awarded a perfect score, celebrating its strive for innovation and its wonderfully realized world. With a Metacritic score of 87, FF16 is not only one of the best video games of 2023, but a triumphant new avenue for the long-running Final Fantasy franchise. Clive's journey across Valisthea is emotional and fascinating, buttressed by flashy, high-octane gameplay, which includes numerous boss fights of nearly inconceivable scale.
Final Fantasy 16 will receive a total of two DLC expansions, Echoes of the Fallen and The Rising Tide. Echoes of the Fallen was released on December 7, 2023.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade (2021)
Square Enix (Originally 2020)
Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Platform(s) PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Steam, PC, Epic Games Store
Released 2020-04-10
Developer(s) Square Enix Business Division 1
Publisher(s) Square Enix
Genre(s) Action RPG, Adventure
Engine Unreal Engine 4
ESRB T
Few games have reached the legendary status attained by the original Final Fantasy 7, but Final Fantasy 7 Remake begins a trilogy that might see that legacy repeated. Screen Rant's review of FF7 Remake Intergrade, an updated version released for the PS5 and PC, gave the game 5/5 stars, and the Metacritic aggregate is a similarly high 89. FF7 Remake doesn't just modernize the PS1 classic, it reexamines what a remake can entail entirely, retreading familiar story beats but in a seemingly parallel timeline, where Cloud and company set out to defy fate itself. The extent of Remake's changes to the original aren't entirely clear yet, but the February 2024 release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth should provide more answers.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Review: Midgar Like You've Never Seen Before
Square Enix's Final Fantasy 7 Remake is an amazing journey through Midgar that breathes life into the city - and its characters - like never before.Hades (2020)
Supergiant Games
Hades
Franchise Hades
Platform(s) PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One
Released 2020-09-17
Developer(s) Supergiant Games
Publisher(s) Supergiant Games
Genre(s) Roguelike, Action, RPG
ESRB T
Supergiant Games' Hades is perhaps the most prominent entry in the aforementioned resurgence of roguelikes. Its critical acclaim includes a 4.5/5 from Screen Rant's PS5 review, a whopping 93 aggregate on Metacritic, and many awards from 2020. Hades follows the son of the titular god, Zagreus, who's attempting to escape the Underworld. The gameplay is precise, and the meta-progression across runs is extremely satisfying. Zagreus' plight attracts the attention of the other Olympian gods and a number of lesser mythological figures, and Hades' narrative juggles a number of intertwined character arcs deftly.
God Of War Ragnarök (2022)
Santa Monica Studio
God of War Ragnarok
Franchise God of War
Platform(s) PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Released 2022-11-09
Developer(s) Santa Monica Studio
Publisher(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre(s) Action, Adventure
ESRB M
Since his debut on the PS2, Kratos has been the centerpiece of one of PlayStation's flagship exclusive series, and God of War Ragnarok is perhaps his best outing yet. It was 2018's soft reboot, simply titled God of War, which reinvented the series for the PS4, but Ragnarok carries the torch as a far more ambitious game. Screen Rant's God of War Ragnarok review awarded it 4.5/5 stars, and similar praise is mirrored in its 94 Metacritic score. God of War Ragnarok was released cross-generationally on both the PS4 and the PS5, but the latter is by far the definitive experience, boasting shorter load times, better graphical options, and DualSense support.
Ragnarok's story begins in the final days of Fimbulwinter, a prelude to the cataclysmic Ragnarok, which is prophesied to result in the deaths of multiple prominent Aesir gods, Odin the All-Father included. Kratos, joined by his son Atreus, journeys through all of Norse mythology's Nine Realms in Ragnarok, grappling with fate and attempting to find a way to oppose Odin in the coming war. Combined with its DLC expansion, Valhalla, Ragnarok brings Kratos' story full-circle, forcing him to reckon with his past so as not to put his future in jeopardy. Ragnarok's production value is incredible, and its gameplay is crisp, varied, and satisfying – earning its spot in the top five PS5 games.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (2023)
Insomniac Games
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Franchise Insomniac's Marvel Universe, Spider-Man
Platform(s) PlayStation 5
Released 2023-10-20
Developer(s) Insomniac Games
Publisher(s) Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre(s) Action, Adventure
ESRB T
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is the premier PlayStation 5 exclusive, boasting polished and varied gameplay, telling a sprawling and heartfelt story, and leveraging Sony's latest hardware to full effect. A Metacritic aggregate of 90 buoys its quality, and Screen Rant's 5/5 review expounds Spider-Man 2's virtues as a truly novel experience. From smaller details like near-instantaneous and intuitive fast travel, to impressive overtures that have one of the Spider-Men flung across half of New York City in a matter of seconds, the game truly feels built by Insomniac Games to take advantage of the PS5 and its capabilities.
The third game in the Marvel's Spider-Man series, following a spin-off focused solely on Miles Morales, Spider-Man 2 adds Queens and Brooklyn alongside the series' returning Manhattan. Web Wings for gliding are the major new traversal mechanic, but a host of new mini-games, two separate sets of new superpowers (one for each Spider-Man), and revamped sections featuring Mary Jane all contribute to a diverse experience. Both Venom and Kraven the Hunter chew the scenery as the main antagonists of a story with incredibly dire stakes, and the game as a whole sets an incredibly high bar for PS5 exclusives going forward.
Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales both feature enhancements on the PS5 as well.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition (2022)
CD Projekt Red (Originally 2015)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Franchise The Witcher
Platforms PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and Series S, Microsoft Windows
Released 2015-05-19
Developer(s) CD Projekt Red
Publisher(s) CD Projekt
Genre(s) Open-World, Action RPG
ESRB M
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has proven to be one of the most enduringly acclaimed RPGs of the last decade. It is by no means a recent game, but received new life via a next-gen patch released concurrently alongside the Complete Edition in 2022. On PlayStation 5, The Witcher 3 enjoys upgraded visuals, including ray tracing, better performance, a myriad of bug fixes, and a number of other additions, including a new quest based on the Netflix series and a tighter, more intimate camera angle setting. The Witcher 3's legacy continues to thrive with Screen Rant's Complete Edition review awarding it 5/5 stars, and a Metacritic aggregate of an astounding 94.
The Witcher 3 and its two predecessors are a continuation of a series of novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, but no prior knowledge of the franchise is necessary to enjoy the game. CD Projekt Red's breakout hit follows Geralt of Rivia, one of the few remaining Witchers – mutants trained from childhood to hunt monsters which stalk the Continent. With various kingdoms embroiled in conflict, The Witcher 3 takes players through war-torn lands filled with fantasy mystery and political intrigue during a search for Geralt's adopted daughter, Ciri. A sprawling adventure with nearly unmatched writing and characterization, The Witcher 3 has endured for years to remain one of the best games playable even on the PS5.
Baldur's Gate 3 (2023)
Larian Studios
Baldur's Gate 3
Franchise Baldur's Gate
Platform(s) Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 5, macOS
Released 2023-08-31
Developer(s) Larian Studios
Publisher(s) Larian Studios
Genre(s) RPG
ESRB M
Screen Rant's 2023 Game of the Year, winner of the same award at The Game Awards 2023, and an incredible aggregate score of 96 on Metacritic are just the beginning of the incredibly long list of accolades earned by Baldur's Gate 3. It took over two decades for a third mainline entry to the Baldur's Gate series, but developer Larian Studios delivered an all-time classic. The CRPG genre is typically considered quite niche – turn-based combat tends to be a barrier to entry, incredibly deep mechanics sometimes make the experience too daunting, and mountains of text can slow progress through the game world to a crawl. Baldur's Gate 3, however, is a revelation.
"An Iconic, Engaging Mess Of Brilliant Ideas": Baldur's Gate 3 Review
Baldur's Gate 3 is imposing in stature and its best moments are truly memorable, but some early issues with scale suggest an uneven experience.Based on Dungeons & Dragons' fifth edition rules, BG3 has a fully voiced, incredibly dynamic cast throughout, and submerges the adventuring party in many hilarious, heart-breaking, and compelling quests. Larian's depiction of the iconic Forgotten Realms setting is astoundingly reactive, with even the smallest choices made in conversation and combat reverberating in unforeseen ways. Baldur's Gate 3 is massive, sprawling, and intricate; it's completely laden with varied combat encounters, fully realized companion characters, and a wonderful main story bursting with intrigue. Baldur's Gate 3 was a smash hit on release, coming to the PS5 with two-player split-screen, and is likely to be celebrated for years to come.
Elden Ring (2022)
FromSoftware
Elden Ring
Platform(s) Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox One
Released 2022-02-25
Developer(s) FromSoftware
Publisher(s) Bandai Namco Entertainment
Genre(s) Action, RPG
ESRB M
FromSoftware's rise to prominence began with the previously mentioned Demon's Souls, and has thus far culminated in Elden Ring, which became a phenomenon upon its release in February 2022. Screen Rant's Elden Ring review awarded it a perfect score, it's Metacritic aggregate is a momentous 96, and it has a legitimate case for being considered among the best video game ever made. FromSoftware's signature tough-but-fair combat is grafted onto an open world of repeatedly astounding scale and filled with relentless discovery. The golden rays of the ever-looming Erdtree shine down on a decaying world where every nook is filled with dungeons, caves, grotesque monsters, intimidating boss fights, cryptic NPCs, and enough loot for a near-unlimited number of character builds.
An expansion, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, was announced in February 2023, but at the time of writing still had no set release date.
The player is mysteriously washed ashore in the Lands Between, and quickly given charge to become Elden Lord, the realm's new ruler. Elden Ring – when played online – employs both the asynchronous and concurrent multiplayer functionalities that have become FromSoftware staples, which, alongside the incredible variety in play styles, gives players a refreshing number of avenues for conquering the game's multitudes of daunting encounters. The PS5 version also boasts limited ray tracing, better performance, and quicker load times. Combined with precise gameplay and an endlessly interesting world, Elden Ring tops even the best PlayStation 5 games able to be played right now.
Source: Metacritic (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
