In this handy guide of all the best PS5 games you can play right now we have something for every taste. From open-world blockbusters like Elden Ring and Dying Light 2: Stay Human to unmissable indie hits Hades and Disco Elysium, the PS5 has lots to offer.
The PS5 has its fair share of exclusives already, but plenty of the best PS4 games have also received PS5 upgrades, making them look more beautiful and run more smoothly than ever before. Thanks to optional services like PlayStation Plus, you can build your library of games in no time. Still, with so many games to choose from, it can be difficult to find the best PlayStation 5 games immediately.
With our guide of the best PS5 games, you have a handy list of the best of the best right here at your fingertips, together with options to buy them immediately.
Whether you might want to jump into Final Fantasy 14 or join Miles Morales in his adventures as Spider-Man, here you can find out why they are among the best PS5 games. We’ll also list reasons why a few of these games may not be for you.
We regularly update this guide, so if upcoming releases such as Callisto Protocol or God of War Ragnarök turn out to be as good as they appear, in time you will find them in this guide, too. Once you find a game you like, don’t forget to head over to our roundup of the best PS5 game deals to see if you could make some big savings.
Best PS5 games
Whether you're sailing onto the shore or ransacking a village, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla recreates the Viking age with aplomb. If you’re a fan of Nordic folklore or simply enjoy plunging an axe into the chest of another man, Valhalla promises to deliver.
The game targets 60fps on PS5, and promises significantly improved load times over the PS4 version. If that wasn't enough, there are drinking competitions where you try to drink your opponent under the table. Skål!
- Check out our full Assassin's Creed Valhalla review
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 new 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.
Another year, another Call of Duty. But what makes Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War worth buying? Well, the PS5 version takes full advantage of the DualSense controller’s adaptive triggers, recreating the recoil of each individual gun. That means that when you fire off a machine gun, the triggers will feed back appropriately.
Of course, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War wouldn’t be complete without the walking dead, so you’ll be pleased to hear zombies return. You can also play Call of Duty at 120fps for the first time on a console, which should make things even more competitive online.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War may not be the most recent entry in the CoD series; that title belongs to Call of Duty: Vanguard. But it's certainly our favorite Call of Duty game on Sony's latest console.
- Check out our full Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War review
Another family-friendly PS5 offering, Chicory: A Colorful Tale is a perfect game for creatives of all ages (though even non-creatives will love this charming adventure). Chicory's world is laid out like a big coloring book, but following the disappearance of the hero who keeps the world in color (Chicory), you come across her magical paintbrush and set about recoloring the now black-and-white world by solving puzzles.
Chicory lets you relive the joy of coloring books (even if you're not very good at it) but offers layers beyond simply being a charming top-down adventure game. There's plenty to explore, a heartfelt story to unravel and an abundance of painting mechanics and abilities to unlock. If you're looking for a top PS5 game to put a smile on your face, this indie gem will certainly do that.
The dark horse of 2019, Remedy Entertainment's Control is an action-adventure with a difference. If you thought it was good on PS4, wait till you try it on PS5.
Control sees you stepping into the shoes of Jesse Faden, the newest director of the clandestine Federal Bureau of Control (FBC) – a Government agency that researches, and ultimately aims to control paranormal activity. But Jesse’s new role has a few issues not exactly laid out in the job description, including the uprising of a paranormal force known only as the Hiss.
The confidence with which Remedy has courted multiple difficult genres both in film and in games with Control, and still managed to deliver a mind-bending story evocative of True Detective and Twin Peaks, is absolutely remarkable.
The Control Ultimate Edition contains the main base game and both expansions, AWE and The Foundation. What's more, this is the only edition that provides the free PS5 upgrade, which allows you to play in one of two modes: Graphics or Performance. Performance mode keeps Control at a steady 60fps with lower-resolution visuals, while Graphics mode drops performance down to 30fps but massively ups the graphics, allowing for features such as ray-tracing.
- Check out our full Control review
Deathloop offers an engaging blend of shooting and stealth in one endlessly looping day. You play as Colt, who wakes up on Blackreef island and finds himself stuck in a time loop. To break the loop, Colt must kill eight 'Visionaries' in the same day before midnight. While that may sound like a straightforward task, it's far from it – and that's where the fun begins.
It's up to you to find new information, weapons and abilities to help you with your murderous task, making Deathloop a mix between a detective game and a first-person shooter – with some stealth thrown in. The gunplay feels immersive and fun (particularly as it utilizes DualSense features), making for a game that may not necessarily be for everyone, but certainly offers something a bit different.
- Check out our full Deathloop review
A true PS5 exclusive, Demon’s Souls is arguably the best-looking launch game on PlayStation 5. From the spectacular lighting and hulking bosses to its phenomenal texture detail, it’s a gorgeous sight to behold. Load times are also practically non-existent, too, with level transitions taking around three seconds at most.
A remake of the 2009 PlayStation 3 game, Demon’s Souls will test your gaming chops with its punishing difficulty. However, if you have the strength to persevere, the elation that awaits is frankly unsurpassed. Just be prepared to die hundreds of times before you emerge victoriously. It will certainly test your patience, but Demon's Souls is one of the best PS5 exclusives around.
- Check out our full Demon's Souls review
Destiny 2 has reached the pinnacle of what Bungie set out to accomplish with its looter shooter and Witch Queen only emphasizes that.
The Witch Queen is the definitive Destiny 2 campaign, boasting a fantastic narrative with plenty of story quests, new gear, and clever systems. Long-time Destiny fans will find that the story pulls together threads that have been weaved through the series' narrative for years, adding even more to the game's rich lore.
What's more, while Destiny can seem somewhat daunting for new players, the Witch Queen expansion offers a great starting point for those who do want to jump into the series for the first time. There's plenty of things to do as you get to grips with the game.
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen is the game at its best, easily making it one of the best PS5 games to play right now. Make sure to check out our guide to buying Destiny 2, for everything you need to know about jumping into The Witch Queen.
- Check out our Destiny 2: The Witch Queen review in progress
Devil May Cry 5 is a magnificently over-the-top action game, one that serves as a good reminder of just how important showing off is.
Each fight is a genuine joy to get stuck into, where seeing your rank climb and hearing the music swell never gets old. It does absolutely everything right for long-time fans when it comes to the story. Yet, the self-contained plot is easy enough to follow for newcomers. The gameplay is the best it has ever been by a long shot too.
The PS5 Special Edition includes new playable character Vergil, the Legendary Dark Knight mode and Turbo mode, as well as ray-tracing support and a high framerate mode. It's definitely one of the best PlayStation 5 games out now.
- Check out our full Devil May Cry 5 review
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 games on PS5 right now.
Without a doubt, Dying Light 2 is one of the most ambitious zombie games ever made – a full-blown action RPG that marries a decent storyline with irresistible parkour and melee action, plus an open world stuffed with zombie-dicing delights.
Set 20 years after the first game, Dying Light 2 sees you playing as Aiden Caldwell, an infected survivor, as he tries to unearth the secrets of his past and locate his sister amidst a ruthless, decaying world. Aiden’s search leads him to The City (the last remaining human settlement), where it’s then up to the player whether our protagonist focuses on his own goal or decides to help remaining survivors by rebuilding the settlement. There's a focus on choice and consequence, with your decisions affecting the environment around you – as well as the story itself.
The original Dying Light took the parkour of Mirror’s Edge, blended it with a zombie shoot-‘em-up, and added a day-and-night variation system to boot. Dying Light 2 turns this up to 11, with a larger emphasis on stealth, parkour, and tweaked equipment to traverse the environment (like gliders, pulleys, and new swinging hooks). With a map four times as big as the first, littered with NPCs, side quests and challenges, Dying Light 2 is perfect for those who love open-world survival horrors.
- Check out our full Dying Light 2 review
Developer FromSoftware continues its run of notoriously difficult action RPGs – or Souls-likes, as ubiquitous as the term is now – with Elden Ring. Set in the fantasy realm of The Lands Between, Elden Ring has players hack, slash, dodge, and perfectly time their way through the open world with the hopes of becoming the Elden Lord.
If that sounds like dull and standard fantasy fare, fear not. George R.R. Martin, the modern-day bard himself, has co-written the story. The collaboration between FromSoftware and Martin results in a rich, vast open world that's dripping in mysteries to unravel – a world that begs to be explored.
Veterans of FromSoftware will find themselves at home in Elden Ring quickly. The combat fundamentals are as strong as ever. There is a wealth of options for specializing your character, with many weapons and spells to support your play style.
However, a word of warning for those who are perhaps less seasoned gamers: Elden Ring isn’t easy. FromSoftware’s titles are notoriously challenging and, for some, that simply isn’t to their tastes – and that’s OK. But that challenge means that every enemy you do take down, and every inch that you progress, is exceptionally rewarding (perhaps more so than in any other game).
- Check out our full Elden Ring review
The latest entry in the long-running soccer sim series, FIFA 22 on PS5 breathes new life into once-familiar gameplay with the addition of HyperMotion technology. That's while making well-intentioned strides to refresh its most dated modes, including Career mode.
Thanks to some genuinely welcome improvements to both visuals and gameplay, FIFA 22 feels like a decidedly different offering from its predecessor. It’s not without the same issues that have plagued the franchise for several years, and a few of its supposed enhancements feel like superficial additions. Still, FIFA 22 is the first soccer simulator that truly looks and plays like a next-generation experience.
- Check out our full FIFA 22 review
Final Fantasy 7 Remake completely recreates the opening portion of the original game, expanding a five to eight-hour section into a full 40-hour RPG. Every single minute is a delight, featuring some of the best gameplay and storytelling we've seen in a Final Fantasy game in almost 20 years.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake was already one of the best games on the PS4, lovingly crafted with some new twists for the classic game. But with Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, the classic RPG gets expanded on PS5, taking full advantage of the PlayStation 5’s next-generation hardware. It looks incredible, and the 10-hour added campaign focused on Yuffie is incredibly charming and fun. At 60 fps, her fast-paced fighting style feels totally natural.
With Final Fantasy 14 now available on PS5, there's never been a better time to jump into this MMORPG to see what all the fuss is about. While the game's near-decade-long amount of content since its relaunch might seem overwhelming, on the flip side, you have a metric ton of content to immerse yourself in. And that includes the game's best-in-class storytelling across the base game and its substantial expansions.
Final Fantasy 14 has only gone from strength to strength since its 2013 A Realm Reborn relaunch. 2019's Shadowbringers expansion left a hugely positive impression on the MMO landscape with its incredibly deep and heartfelt story, as did the developers' openness and honesty during its struggles with the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the game's fourth expansion, Endwalker, now out in the wild, there's never been a better time to jump into Final Fantasy 14. This critically acclaimed MMORPG has one of the most generous free trials we've seen, including the entirety of the base game, A Realm Reborn. In addition, the free trial also includes Heavensward, FF14's first expansion, letting you play until level 60 with no restrictions.
Ghost of Tsushima is comfortably one of the best-looking games on PS4, but on PS5, it's even better. Thanks to the PS5's extra graphical horsepower and a recent Director's Cut re-release, Ghost of Tsushima is now playable at a silky-smooth 60fps – even when running on the game's higher resolution mode.
It makes a massive difference to the game's responsiveness when in combat, and the framerate boost brings the spectacular scenery and stunning in-game cinematics to life. The Director's Cut edition for PS5 also introduces haptic feedback through the DualSense controller and 3D spatial audio.
The biggest improvement may be to the framerate then (something which owners of the PS4 version of the game can still benefit from on PS5), but the Director's Cut version is worth the extra cash for the generous DLC expansion it adds, bringing a whole new island to the game. It's about 12 or so hours of great samurai combat and beautiful exploration on top of an already gigantic game, and well worth the additional expense.
Ghost of Tsushima recently received an excellent new multiplayer mode called Legends, too, which gives the game even more replay value and appeal than before. Oh, and if you've purchased a 4K HDR TV and want a game that really benefits, Ghost of Tsushima shows what high dynamic range can do.
- Check out our full Ghost of Tsushima review, and our thoughts on the Iki Island expansion
God of War was already one of the best PS4 games, but a PS5 update has made it better than ever before – which is hard to believe. God of War looked pretty good to begin with, and originally was locked at 60fps on PS5 when using performance mode. However using this mode meant that the game's resolution dropped to 1080p, taking some of the shine off its gorgeous graphics.
By contrast, the God of War PS5 update utilized the PS5's true power, allowing the game to run at 60fps and a checkerboard 4K resolution (2160p). It looks absolutely stunning and means it's the perfect time to try of the series' 2018 reboot if you haven't already. If you have, this is a great excuse to replay it – before the release of the sequel, God of War: Ragnarok.
- Check out our full God of War review
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 manoeuvre 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're rarely waiting longer than a few seconds to dive into – or retry – a racing activity. GT7 is a glorious return to form for the series and we hope developer Polyphony Digital will support the game for a long time to come.
- Check out our full Gran Turismo 7 review
From the makers of Bastion and Transistor, Hades isn't just one of the best PS5 games out there. It's a genuine contender to rank among the best games of all time.
Hades is a roguelike, meaning all of its mythology-inspired levels are procedurally generated, and no single area is the same each time you enter it. That keeps the map fresh and exciting, and enemies a surprising challenge.
With a killer soundtrack, hack-n-slash combat, interesting story and stellar RPG systems, Hades is extremely fun to play and will stave off any pangs of boredom.
Suffice it to say, if you have an interest in Greek mythology, you'll be pleasantly surprised by how much research Supergiant has put into this one, offering a truly exceptional experience for those wanting to see the soap-opera-like drama of the ancient gods play out.
Sometimes there's far too much going on while you're playing which does make it all a bit hectic, but if you can get past the chaos you'll have hours of fun playing this game, as it's easily one of the best roguelikes around.
Hitman 3 is the dramatic conclusion to the acclaimed stealth series – and what a conclusion it is. While the third entry in the Hitman trilogy doesn't stray too far from what made the 2016 reboot (and its sequel) great, it adds some brilliant little twists to the formula to keep you on your toes.
While the way you assassinate your targets hasn't changed much, the new locations – such as Dubai, China and Argentina – are some of the most memorable of the series. Add to that more experimental objectives and a gripping story, and Hitman 3 rightly deserves its place on our best PS5 games list.
- Check out our full Hitman 3 review
We all expected Horizon Forbidden West, sequel to 2017's excellent Horizon Zero Dawn, to be a gorgeous technical showcase for the PS5, and developer Guerrilla Games has delivered just that. Players have the choice of either a 4K-targeting resolution mode or a smoother 60fps performance mode.
But for all of the game's breathtaking locations, incredible character animations and astonishing robotic creature designs, it's really Horizon Forbidden West's human story that hits the hardest.
Since we last saw Aloy, the "saviour of Meridian" has retreated from those closest to her, pushing people away in order to focus on a new mission, which is to save Earth from a mysterious plague.
We don't want to spoil the story, suffice to say that Aloy's latest journey will see the withdrawn warrior reconnect with humanity while making choices which could have big consequences to those around her.
- Check out our full Horizon Forbidden West review
Many of the best PS5 games have brilliant writing, but Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy manages the balancing act between the glib fun Marvel films are known for and genuinely emotional moments.
Not only that – together with Spider-Man: Miles Morales the game proves that the age of terrible adaptations is at an end. The characters look like their counterparts from the comics rather than their MCU actors, which may take a moment to get used to, but you don't need to be a comics expert to enjoy the game.
While the combat is meant to appeal to many players and can thus feel a little too easy sometimes, in Guardians of the Galaxy, team work between characters makes the dream work, both in combat and the plot.
Lose money in the neon-soaked streets of an alien planet or take on enemies in environments made entirely of goo – with these varied environments, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy looks great on PS5. Any friend of a good story looking for a good time shouldn't miss this game, which truly hits it out of the park in terms of looks and laughs.
- Read our full Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy review
