If you're looking for the best PS5 games to play right now, then you're in the right place. We've compiled all our top picks below to help break your boredom and enjoy a new experience.
The PS5 has been available for almost three years which means that its game library is now at its peak, as there's a wealth of new titles and exciting titles of all genres to indulge in on the platform. Whether you're into action games, shooters, racing titles, puzzlers, or something completely different, we've done the heavy lifting to give you this definitive overview of what the latest PlayStation console can offer.
So whether you're looking for a fast-paced shooter that pushes the console's technical capabilities, a family-friendly adventure that showcases the DualSense controller's innovative features, a simply stunning PS5 exclusive that will immerse you in its action, or something else entirely, you'll find it here.
As a quick note, these aren't games that are only on PS5 - you want our best PS5 exclusives list for those games and their brethren - but rather the best ones you can play on PS5 more broadly right now. Read on for our picks.
Best PS5 games 2023
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EA Sports FC 24's precision passes are sublime when you get the hang of them - they can unlock a defense in the blink of an eye and mastering them is satisfying as heck.
While it feels strange to not refer to the latest headline soccer game as 'FIFA' anymore, it turns out it doesn't really matter - EA Sports FC 24 picks up where the behemoth series stripped and takes the football action to new silky highs.
Despite that lack of FIFA license, EA has set the new benchmark (again) for what a current-gen soccer sim can do, look like, and play like. It's a superb game for newcomers and veterans alike, and those who are long-term loyal fans will be impressed and happy with the amount of genuine improvements the game brings to the most popular modes.
What really makes the game shine is the Frostbite-engine-powered HyperMotionV. Building on previous iterations of the motion capture tech, the V stands for volumetric data and offers the most realistic motion ever - even better than that of FIFA 23. What results are player movements that are so close to their real-life counterparts, individual strands of hair dancing in the wind, and realistic ball interactions in shots, passes, and more. Throw in some excellent finesse styles and plays, and new passing mechanics, and the best sports game on PS5 really shows you why it's exactly that.
The way Astro's Playroom deploys the DualSense's features and powers is unparalleled. From feeling different surfaces 'underfoot' to loading springy jumps with the triggers, it's superb.
Astro’s Playroom is the best pack-in game since Wii Sports, as it perfectly showcases what Sony’s new system can do. From the sumptuous, crystal clear 4K visuals, to the pleasing 3D audio, this is a gem of a platformer and it’s pre-installed on every PS5. It’s the way Astro’s Playroom shows off the DualSense controller, though, that really steals the show.
You’ll feel sensations that you didn’t know were possible before thanks to Sony’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers tech, such as what it feels like to walk along different surfaces or fire a Gatling gun. It’s a surreal, magical experience, and we recommend booting up Astro’s Playroom first before you play anything else. Better still, not only is it a genuinely top PS5 exclusive, it's completely free. This is a must-play for those who want to see what the DualSense controller is really capable of.
The writing in Disco Elysium is just so good and is some of the best you can experience in a PS5 game. It's rich, detailed, gives a great sense of place, and makes for some very memorable interactions.
Many RPG games claim to offer a spectrum of choice, but that usually boils down to doing a “good thing” or a “bad thing”. Washed-up cop simulator Disco Elysium doesn’t make things so simple. Amnesiac from drug and alcohol abuse, your cop explores all the shades of gray in between what constitutes a pure or dark morality in his quest to solve the murder of a hanged man.
The writing is exemplary throughout, pulling you into Disco Elysium’s vaguely European, vaguely post-communist city of Revachol, and the award-winning soundtrack is equally evocative. It’s not one for action fans – you’re primarily engaging in conversation-driven detective work here – but it’s roleplaying of the highest order, an RPG quite unlike any game you’ll have ever played. Disco Elysium: Final Cut is easily one of the best RPGs on PS5 right now.
The realism on offer in Gran Turismo 7 is something to behold. Such is the finish of the world, the cars, and the racing experience, you'll actually feel like GT7 has transported you to a series of great race track days.
Gran Turismo 7 restores the racing sim franchise to its former greatness, fixing the lack of content and slightly underwhelming visuals in both GT6 and GT Sport. GT7 gets back to what the charming racing sim does best: offering bags of content with sublime racing gameplay, all wrapped up in a wonderfully charming and inviting user experience that's remarkably moreish.
GT7 is also a stunning showcase of PS5 tech, making arguably the best use of the DualSense Wireless Controller's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. You'll feel every bump in the road, every screech around a corner, and every gear change as you maneuver around GT7's litany of tracks. Pair this with lightning-quick load times and you end up with a beautifully seamless racing experience in GT7. You rarely wait longer than a few seconds to dive into – or retry – a racing activity. GT7 is a glorious return to form for the series and easily the best racing game to showcase the PS5's capabilities.
The grim beauty and detail of Mortal Kombat 11's brutal finishers is a spectacular sight and keeps us coming back for more, always looking for new ways to finish off opponents in grisly style.
Mortal Kombat reigns as a king of the fighting game genre and Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate only cements that position. Combining Mortal Kombat 11, Kombat Pack 1, the Aftermath expansion, and Kombat Pack 2, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate is the quintessential Mortal Kombat 11 experience. With two cinematic stories to play through, 37 fighters to get to grips with, and a bunch of new fatalities, stages, and brutalities to try out, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate offers hours of gruesome fun.
What's more, on PS5, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate benefits from 4K dynamic resolution, enhanced visuals, and drastically improved loading times (compared to its PS4 counterpart), so you won't miss a second more of the action than you need to. This is the best fighting game on PS5 right now.
The execution of 3D Audio and incredible sound design in Village is a true stand-out feature of an excellent horror title, which only serves to heighten the tension and immersion further.
Taking place a few years after the events of Resident Evil 7, Village sees protagonist Ethan exploring an Eastern European village in hopes of finding his kidnapped daughter – but the village residents are.... less than welcoming.
More action-focused than its predecessor, this sequel is visibly closer to the classic Resident Evil 4 in its moment-to-moment gameplay – but blends this with the survival horror elements that we love about older entries. Factor in a slew of quality-of-life improvements, a roster of memorable characters, a well-paced, gripping story, and superb utilization of in-game audio, and Resident Evil Village is a fantastic horror game. We think it's definitely one of the best examples of how PS5 3D audio can enhance your gaming experience.
Even in the presence of Assassin's Creed Valhalla that came before it, Assassin's Creed Mirage is the best Assassin's Creed game on PS5.
Taking the series back to its stealth-action roots with a pared-back, streamlined experience, intriguing protagonist, and densely-filled city, Mirage is a wonderful blend of older stealth-action mechanics and modern tweaks. The game's focus on stealth and patience means you'll be rewarded for deliberating over your every move and murder, and the game gives you some of the best assassinations-come-detective cases in which to get your teeth stuck.
Each case is gripping and full of intrigue, building up to a climactic moment with the opportune moment to strike at one of Baghdad's members of the Order of the Ancients arises.
Following every investigation step, unearthing every single clue in restricted buildings and areas, and learning more about the shadowy truth behind Baghdad with each of Basim's investigations is truly gripping. You'll feel like a detective cracking cases as well as an assassin.
Trading in the large open-world settings of games in the series that came before it Mirage's focused single-city (and surroundings) setting pays off. The city of Baghdad is a superb setting and is brilliantly realized and beautiful, crammed with things to do and discover, and makes for a brilliant playground for parkour.
Basim is also one of the most interesting assassins we've had in a few games too, blending some of the best traits of some of the most beloved and underrated protagonists from the series. Assassin's Creed Mirage is the best game from the series you can play on PS5.
The environment changes in Returnal is one of our favorite things about the game as it maintains originality and freshness throughout whole game - ensuring that no run is exactly the same, and no encounter goes the same way
As one of Sony's biggest PS5 exclusives, Returnal is bound to draw in many gamers who maybe haven't played a roguelike before and therefore may find its punishing difficulty, ever-changing levels, and permadeath mechanic to be a real shock to the system. That said, after a few cycles within Returnal's harsh alien world, they may also find it difficult to stop playing.
Returnal brings developer Housemarque's signature 'bullet hell' approach to the roguelike genre, which means that you'll never know what to expect when you enter a room, only that you will have to start over again from the beginning when you die. However, thanks to a tantalizing story and immersive gameplay, which take full advantage of PS5 3D Audio and the DualSense's full range of features, you'll likely keep returning for "just one more run..." If you want to see what the PS5 is capable of, Returnal is an experience you don't want to miss.
The level design and playful worlds of Sackboy: A Big Adventure are some of the best on PS5 and the way you interact with them through rolling, grabbing, slapping and more is so much fun.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure is one of the most important exclusives here. This is a game that’s perfect for families thanks to its kid-friendly nature and four-player local co-op and manages to go toe-to-toe with the critically acclaimed Super Mario 3D World.
It helps that Sackboy: A Big Adventure is a truly wonderful platformer, one that manages to avoid the common pitfalls that many developers fall into when designing games for younger audiences. Don’t sleep on this one as it's one of the best PS5 platformers that you can play with friends and family.
Stalking, examining, and strategically dismantling and hunting each and everyone of Horizon Forbidden West's robot dinosaur creatures - the machines - is brilliant, satisfying and action-packed.
If you're on the hunt for an open-world, narrative-driven adventure in your search for the best PS5 game for you, then look no further than Horizon Forbidden West. Developing and expanding on all that was great about Horizon Zero Dawn on PS4, Aloy's next adventure is staggeringly beautiful, gripping, and filled with exciting rob-dinosaur action.
Many will say that it doesn't change a whole lot from Zero Dawn, or break ground that much, but Forbidden West absolutely is one of the best experiences you can get on PS5 right now. And absolutely do not skip the side quests, with some of the best we've played on PS5 (or any platform, for that matter) in recent years.
Swinging through New York as Peter or Miles is better than it's ever been in the PlayStation 4 and 5 Spider-Man series. The smooth, seamless, and combo-tastic way you can dance through the air, off buildings, and deploy the web wings for extra speed and coverage is breathtaking.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is the definitive PlayStation superhero experience. Building on the first two games in the saga beautifully, this PS5 blockbuster gives us both Peter and Miles as playable characters and lets us loose once again in New York City.
Fans of the series and the superhero are well served with the game's Venom story arc that throws in a few surprises along the way, and as a singe-player open-world action game, it doesn't get much more fun than this. From taking on lowly criminals breaking into shops, to scouring the city for the many collectibles and puzzles, and from gliding your way through the sky scrapers in wind tunnels, to exploring all the skills and tools available to Peter and Miles, the action is relentless, and fun is paramount.
As a Sony first-party title, you get to enjoy a host of DualSense features too which make everything from firing web bursts, swinging through the streets, and solving puzzles with differing trigger pressures immensely fun, and immersive. There's also a host of impressive accessibility features that means more folks than ever can join in the fun of being a fully-fledged Spider-Man.
