The Best PS5 Games In 2024

These are the very best PS5 games. The PlayStation 5 library is large and growing, so we've rounded up a selection of our absolute favorites, ranging from new PS5 games to modern classics, big-budget AAA releases to indie gems, and everything in-between. This list gets our mark of approval as the very best the platform has to offer.

In the early days of the PlayStation 5, we frequently saw cross-generation games that also appeared on the PS4. True early exclusives like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart were rare exceptions. That has shifted somewhat more recently with releases like Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and even the Burning Shores expansion for the cross-gen Horizon Forbidden West was PS5-only.

There's no shortage of third-party support as well. Games like Diablo 4, Dragon's Dogma 2, Street Fighter 6, and the first two in the new trilogy of Final Fantasy VII games have earned their own well-deserved spots on this list of favorites. And Baldur's Gate 3, our Game of the Year for 2023, plays great on PS5. Though the rest of 2024 looks light on first-party releases from Sony, there's still plenty of new games to play from third-parties with much more on the way.

The PlayStation 5 is leading the market at 40 million units sold--which means it's selling slightly slower than the PS4 but ahead of the Xbox Series X|S. The console has also gotten a facelift with the PS5 Slim model, and a portable peripheral (of sorts) with the streaming PlayStation Portal.

For even more recommendations to get the most out of your PS5, be sure to check out our best PS5 controllers and best PS5 headsets. While you're at it, check out some of our selections for the best games on other platforms, like our best PS4 games, best Xbox Series X games, best Xbox One games, and best Nintendo Switch games.

The long-awaited sequel to the psychological thriller Alan Wake was worth the wait. The game follows Alan Wake as he seeks to escape from the Dark Place, while a concurrent campaign follows FBI agent Saga Anderson. The twisting (and very meta) story lets both characters inform and illuminate one another, delivering a visually striking and eerie experience full of moments like you've never seen in a game.

Read our Alan Wake 2 review.

A rare example of a metroidvania that goes light on combat mechanics and heavy on puzzle-solving, Animal Well is a brain-scratching indie debut. The world is dense with secrets to uncover and tiny nooks to discover, as your little egg-like protagonist avoids confrontations with large animalistic predators. The game unfolds in surprising ways, as each layer becomes more intricate and engaging than the last. And the dark, low-fi aesthetic looks notably distinct while remaining perfectly readable for the tightly designed platforming. The PS5 is a great place to play because the haunting glow of Animal Well's world looks nice on a big screen.

Astro’s Playroom may be preloaded on every PS5 console, but it’s also genuinely one of the best platformers in recent years. It’s one of the rare 3D platformers that captures a distinct charm and sense of magic as much as Super Mario. Astro’s Playroom brilliantly introduces PS5 owners to the DualSense and its myriad of new features. Throughout its more than 20 vibrant and colorful levels scattered across six worlds, Astro’s Playroom makes great use of the DualSense’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, which truly immerse you further into the game. It's also an ode to PlayStation history, with Easter Eggs from the games (and tech) that've made the platform iconic through the years. Astro’s Playroom is a simply delightful platformer that would be worth the full price of admission, and it’s certainly the game you should play first on PS5 to marvel at the innovation. The game has recently updated with special puzzles and cameos to tease the full-sized sequel, Astro Bot.

See our Astro's Playroom review.

Larian's masterpiece RPG is an incredible display of player agency and choice. The game replicates the Dungeons & Dragons experience like no other, giving you the freedom to approach scenarios in almost any way you can imagine, truly crafting your own tale as you engage with a multitude of memorable characters. It's mechanically complex but approachable, often beautiful to watch, and always gripping.

Read our Baldur's Gate 3 review.

While Control was a great game when it launched in 2019, it had some issues with performance on PS4, especially on base models. With the power of the PS5, Control runs amazingly well. The particle physics really pop in 4K, and the performance is silky smooth. The Ultimate edition comes with both of Control’s expansions, which expand on a story that’s full of surprises and gripping performances. In Control, you play as Jesse Faden, the new director of the Federal Bureau of Control, a secretive agency that investigates supernatural events. Control’s combat is thrilling, with a great mix of standard third-person gunplay and abilities that ooze with style. The story is thought-provoking and, at times, mind-bending. It’s also elevated by a foreboding atmosphere and beautiful art style. If you missed out on Control the first time around, you can now play it in its ideal form on PS5.

See our Control review.

A retro-styled isometric horror game in the vein of classic Resident Evil, Crow Country manages to evoke the feeling of those tense games without relying too much on sheer imitation. The game mixes its nostalgic touches with modernized updates and techniques to make it appealing to modern audiences, and the world is full of smart puzzles and secrets to discover. It also boasts an engaging story with a memorable ending, which along with its moody setting and rich world, are more than enough to make up for its less-than-stellar combat.

Deathloop is set on Blackreef island, a strange place where the party never stops and everyone wants to kill our protagonist, Colt. The island is stuck in a time loop, and the only way to break it is by hunting down and killing a list of targets. Colt retains his memories from each loop but so do all of his targets. They know he's coming. Deathloop is an absolutely enthralling shooter that deftly weaves into systems into the loop in a coherent manner that gradually builds over time. It also tells a gripping tale and features some incredible acting. It earned a rare 10/10 in our review.

See our Deathloop review.

There's a reason the long-running Destiny 2 is the standard-bearer for live-service games. With rock-solid shooting mechanics, tons of customization options in both gameplay and cosmetics, and years of post-launch content with more on the way, the game has attracted and retained a large and devoted audience of Guardians. Plus, Destiny 2 is free to download, allowing you to play a decent chunk of story content as well as competitive multiplayer without spending a dime. Destiny 2 also happens to look incredible in 4K on PS5.

See our Destiny 2: Lightfall review.

A fast-paced action game with stylish combat is the perfect candidate for a PS5 upgrade. Enter Devil May Cry 5 Special edition, the definitive console version of Capcom’s 2019 action game. DMC 5 Special edition is impressive from a technical perspective and offers three different graphics and performance settings that offer different combinations of improvements such as ray-tracing, 4K resolution, or even gameplay at up to 120fps. It also comes with the Vergil DLC, which lets you play through the game as Dante’s twin brother. Two new modes are included as well: Turbo and Legendary Dark Knight. Turbo speeds the game up, while Legendary Dark Knight adds more enemies to the fight. Overall, the technical improvements and new content make DMC 5 Special Edition worth playing even if you already beat the original on PS4. It’s one of the best action games in recent years and includes one of the deepest combo systems ever in the genre.

See our Devil May Cry 5 review.

Blizzard's dungeon-crawler presents a massive world to explore, loot to find, and most importantly, a foundation for endless adventuring. After Diablo 3's rocky launch, it enjoyed a second life with tons of post-launch updates and two new classes. Diablo 4 at launch is relatively modest compared to how robust Diablo 3 eventually became, but the fundamentals are rock solid. With a new build system that puts more emphasis on carefully selecting your archetypes and five classes that feel nicely differentiated, Diablo 4 is another excellent visit into Sanctuary. On top of those qualities, it also expands the lore and story of Diablo with an emphasis on Lillith, the unholy Mother demon. With a presentation that gives you a front-row seat to the gruesome spectacle, this is the most cinematic Diablo has ever been, and it delivers with a more personal story. The new Vessel of Hatred expansion is coming in October, introducing a new Spiritborn class.

See our Diablo 4 review.

After more than a decade as a somewhat obscure cult hit, Dragon's Dogma finally received its long-awaited sequel. Dragon's Dogma 2 delivers on everything that made the first game so memorable and builds upon it with a grander scope and more complex atmosphere and pawn behaviors. On top of that it excels in moments of epic scale, including one of the best boss fights we've ever seen in an RPG. This all combines to make the world remarkably immersive, full of small moments that create a living world and chock full of anecdotes that you create yourself.

Read our Dragon's Dogma 2 review.

Elden Ring was the runaway hit of 2022 and our Game of the Year. We've been patiently awaiting the promised Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, and this year From Soft delivered in a big way. The DLC provides a massive new area to explore, dense with secrets to uncover and new challenges to overcome. The smart balancing system lets you experience the feeling of progression even with your most overpowered build, and it deepens and expands upon the beloved Elden Ring lore in rich, sometimes shocking ways.

Read our Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree review.

Final Fantasy VII Remake earned a rare 10/10 from GameSpot for its exhilarating and strategic combat, charming characters, stunning depiction of Midgar, and the ways it stands on its own apart from the original. Its PS5 version, sold as Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade, majorly upgrades the game's graphics and performance with next-gen power, offering two modes: one that lets you play the game in 4K with a lower frame rate, while the other prioritizes running the game in 60fps with sacrificing some graphical improvements. Notably, Intergrade also includes the Intermission DLC, which features a new story starring the lovable ninja Yuffie, adds new side missions and the Fort Condor minigame, and helps flesh out the wider FF7 universe. Whether you already own and played FF7 Remake on PS4 (in which case you can upgrade your game to the PS5 version for free) or are jumping in for the first time, Intergrade is the definitive version of a must-play adventure.

See our Final Fantasy VII Remake: Intergrade review.

Final Fantasy VII Remake impressed us with how it rethought the very structure of what a classic game remake could be. The second in the planned trilogy, Rebirth, expands its scope outside the steampunk city of Midgar and into a lush open world, giving you no shortage of activities and minigames to occupy your time as you pursue the deadly Sephiroth. While this middle chapter loses some of the focus of its predecessor, it makes up for it by further polishing the already tightly designed combat, introducing a wide cast of new and familiar faces, and deepening the mysteries at the heart of the remake trilogy. Plus, we just can't get enough Queen's Blood, the new card game that's so good it could stand on its own as a separate release.

See our Final Fantasy VII Rebirth review.

Ghost of Tsushima was the last major exclusive to release on PS4 and made the most of the hardware since it already looked incredible and ran extremely well. The free PS5 upgrade makes the details of Tsushima’s lush open world even more rich and expressive. If you missed out on Ghost of Tsushima at the end of the PS4’s lifecycle, the upgrade, which supports gameplay at 60fps and 4K resolution, makes it look and feel like a native PS5 game. You play as Jin Sakai, a samurai who barely staves off a violent death and sets off on an adventure to thwart the first Mongol invasion of Japan. Ghost of Tsushima has great, fluid combat and well-integrated stealth mechanics. The open-world quest structure does feel fairly familiar, but all of the other aspects make it worth the occasional repetition.

Outside of the campaign, there’s a surprisingly awesome co-op multiplayer mode dubbed Legends that adds numerous new layers to an already-great game. You can also opt for the Director's Cut, which includes a brand-new story expansion that adds to the overall narrative.

See our Ghost of Tsushima review.

God of War is one of the most stunning PS4 games, and it is even prettier on PS5. The PS5 update adds a performance mode with 4K resolution that runs at 60fps. God of War is one of the best PlayStation exclusives in a long time already, so it’s definitely worth revisiting or playing for the first time on PS5 if you haven't yet. Its sequel, God of War Ragnarok, is a massive expansion of the concept and a continuation of the story. It's just as visually outstanding, while refining the already stellar combat and giving you new tools and RPG-like features to help you make the combat your own. It also continues, and possibly concludes, the apocalyptic story that the first game began, making these two a perfect duology to experience on your PS5.

See our God of War Ragnarok review.

Though it doesn't have much competition, Gran Turismo 7 is the best racing game on PlayStation 5 so far. That's probably not much of surprise considering the franchise's pedigree, but it's wonderful to experience a return to form for the iconic Gran Turismo brand. As hard as it is to believe, it's been more than eight years since the release of Gran Turismo 6. GT 7 ushers the series into a new, stunning era thanks to the PS5's powerful hardware. Gran Turismo 7 has top-notch car handling, a wide variety of single-player content, and heaps of customization that will undoubtedly make car enthusiasts happy. With more than 30 tracks and 400 cars, Gran Turismo 7 has a lot to offer at launch. If you get one racing game on PS5, it should be Gran Turismo 7.

See our Gran Turismo 7 review.

Hades is a roguelike that could make you fall in love with the genre. In Hades, you play as Zagreus, the god of rebirth. Your goal is to escape from the underworld, but it won't be easy. Played from an isometric perspective, Hades has fast-paced and challenging combat that relies both on nimble fingers and strategic forethought. Between each run through the enemy-laden rooms, Hades compelling tale filled with interesting gods and goddesses unfolds. With plenty of room for experimentation and a structure that rewards you for sticking with it, Hades is an immensely satisfying action game.

See our Hades review.

IO Interactive’s Hitman reboot trilogy has proven to be one of the most inventive and interesting stealth-action series ever made. Hitman 3 caps off the World of Assassination trilogy on an all-time high note for the franchise as a whole. The hallmark of the trilogy has been player choice in intricate sandbox-style levels, and that is readily on display in Hitman 3, giving players a dizzying number of ways to tackle objectives as Agent 47. Brilliant level design is complemented by lively characters who draw you into this mesmerizing and often absurd world. Hitman 3 also places a greater emphasis on its story, which trickles down to the atmosphere to create a campaign that feels more consequential. With the "World of Assassination" update, you can play through all three games of content along with the engaging roguelike Freelancer mode.

See our Hitman 3 review.

Horizon Forbidden West is an excellent demonstration of the power of the PS5. Arguably the most beautiful open-world game ever made, Horizon Forbidden West is a visual triumph whether you're playing in performance or graphics modes. Aloy's second adventure takes place after the events of Zero Dawn, with the heroine on a new quest to unearth answers to the past in order to save the future of the world. Horizon Forbidden West has a nice mix of stealth and action-oriented combat when it comes to the signature machines (robot dinosaurs). If you're looking for a gorgeous open-world game with near endless activities, Horizon Forbidden West is bursting at the seams with content. The main quests are the stars of the show, but there are a bunch of compelling sidequests that encourage players to explore. While there might actually be too many systems in Forbidden West, those who like these sorts of open-world games will undoubtedly appreciate how much there is to see and do.

See our Horizon Forbidden West review.

The second cooperative-only game from Hazelight--the studio behind A Way Out--It Takes Two is a much more successful effort because actually controlling the characters doesn't feel like an afterthought. It's a delightful and experimental platformer set in a fantastical world imagined by a girl during her parents' heartbreaking divorce, and both Mom and Dad are forced to work together as they rekindle their love--via puzzles and jumping challenges, of course. Frequently hilarious and with inventive ideas in nearly every area, It Takes Two is the work of a studio that truly understands its strengths and where its previous games could have been better, and despite director Josef Fares' outspoken, often vulgar statements making him more of a meme than a man, he is also a true creative force.

See our It Takes Two review.

Following the blockbuster success of the first Spider-Man game from Insomniac and its interstitial sequel Miles Morales, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 lets the two Spider-Men join forces in a sprawling and gorgeously rendered New York City. The two are come face to face with Kraven the Hunter, who has come to New York targeting Spidey's rogues gallery. The dual protagonists lets you play with two sets of powers, while the cinematic story is a treat for long-time web-heads.

Read our Spider-Man 2 review.

The Ultimate edition of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales comes with the remaster of one of the best PS4 games and its impressive follow-up. The remastered version of Marvel’s Spider-Man runs wonderfully on PS5 and makes use of the powerful hardware to offer several modes that boost frame rate and visual quality. Marvel’s Spider-Man also tells a heartwarming and grounded story filled with adept characterization and superb pacing. Even if you already played the original on PS4, the remastered version is worth running through again.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a more compact experience (think: Uncharted: Lost Legacy), but it uses the strong foundation of its predecessor well. Miles’ coming-of-age story is a joy to watch unfold, and the story has plenty of twists of turns. Together, these two games make quite the duo and should be in every PS5 library.

See our Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales review.

No game had a better comeback story last generation than No Man’s Sky, the ambitious space-exploration sim from Hello Games that originally launched to mixed reception in 2016. In the years since, Hello Games has changed the narrative from unfulfilled promises to exceeding expectations. From adding a bevy of new features like base-building and space fleet management to introducing entirely new ways to play thanks to multiplayer, No Man’s Sky has become a wonderful experience. On PS5, No Man’s Sky runs in 4K at 60fps, has more detailed planets, and features better lighting and shadows. For a game that focuses on exploration and discovery, No Man’s Sky’s visual and technical improvements make it an even worthier voyage across space.

See our No Man's Sky Next review.

2024 opened with a pleasant surprise, as the classic and influential platforming series Prince of Persia returned as a metroidvania. The mysterious Mount Qaf is a perfect setting for an exploration-focused adventure, with biomes ranging from a royal library to a dank catacombs. Combat is tight and focused, with enough depth and nuance in its parry and counter system to provide a satisfying challenge, and flexible difficulty options to let players of almost any skill level feel appropriately tested.

What stands out most about The Lost Crown, though, is its array of thoughtful metroidvania choices. Subtle visual cues and smart map options make it clear that this was a labor of love from fans of the genre, and the result is a new leader in the space. Expect to see other metroidvanias following the Prince's lead.

Read our Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown review.

A PS5 exclusive, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a thrilling adventure in the action-platforming series, and it looks and feels incredible on next-gen hardware. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart introduces a lovable new character, Rivet, who teams up with the iconic duo after they're thrust into an alternate dimension. With gorgeous visuals, immersive DualSense functionality, and new traversal tools that refine platforming and combat, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart was one of the first games that felt truly "next-gen" and is a must-play for any PS5 owners.

See our Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart review.

Resident Evil 4 is one of the most revered third-person action games of all time, and one that helped set the standard for years to come. Capcom's decision to remake the classic couldn't have come lightly, but the studio pulled off the feat with aplomb and met the understandably high expectations. The remake of Resident Evil 4 is not just a significant visual improvement over the original. It's a thoughtful reimagining of the best parts of RE4, and a reinvention of the pieces that were less successful. The result is a game that is both recognizable and fresh, paying homage to a fantastic game and making it feel utterly modern in the process.

See our Resident Evil 4 review.

Returnal is not a game for everyone--it's extremely difficult and its roguelite structure can feel overwhelming at first--but those who keep playing will be rewarded with one of Housemarque's best games. Essentially a AAA-level third-person shooter with arcade sensibilities, it retains the essence of Housemarque's older, smaller games like Nex Machina and Resogun, with dodging through enemy projectiles and memorizing their attacks playing a huge role. But on top of this is a surprisingly deep story focused on an astronaut named Selene and a planet that she just can't seem to escape, even in death. Shortcuts and a little bit of luck can make the run between the game's six different biomes much less daunting, and little tidbits of exposition and world-building make even your failed runs feel worthwhile. And that's good, because you're likely going to have a lot of them before you see the ending.

See our Returnal review.

After debuting on Nintendo Switch, Shin Megami Tensei V has come to other platforms as SMT V: Vengeance. This enhanced port addresses feedback from the original release with new features, like better navigation tools. But the real draw of any Shin Megami Tensei game is its story and characters, which have gotten a major update with loads of new story content to enhance your relationships with human and demons alike, including some real surprises for returning players.

See our Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance review.

Street Fighter 5 was a divisive part of the long-running fighting franchise, and clearly Capcom intended Street Fighter 6 to be a reset. It appears to be mission accomplished, as the latest game is getting praise across the board for being an excellent entry for fighting game veterans as well as a great entry point for those who have had trouble penetrating the scene. A newly refined combo system also helps novices learn not just how to pull off complicated moves, but also the strategy behind when and why to do it. Perhaps the wildest revision is a new World Tour mode, which has you create a custom fighter with their own blend of moves that you learn from several masters--famous Street Fighter characters like Ken and Chun-Li. And the fighters themselves are a diverse set of strange and inventive new characters alongside classic faces like Blanka and Dhalsim. It all comes together to be the best Street Fighter package in years.

See our Street Fighter 6 review.

The philosophical first-person puzzler The Talos Principle demanded a sequel as ambitious and heady as it was, and the second game delivers. Talos Principle 2 is once again a contemplative experience that raises big questions even as you stay occupied with a series of clever puzzles. You'll explore deep existential questions and unravel the nature of the world. The first game was an unexpected treat but The Talos Principle 2 shows that developer Croteam can still create a delightful puzzle box even when we think we know what to expect.

Read our The Talos Principle 2 review.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon's PS5 version supports native 4K resolution or 60fps with a slight dip in resolution. Like a Dragon is the most experimental entry in the beloved Sega series. With a charming new protagonist, Ichiban Kasuga, and an inspired turn-based battle system, Yakuza: Like a Dragon takes the series in a whole new direction. Still, it retains all of the endearing quirks that Yakuza is known for, which makes Like a Dragon a great experience for longtime fans and newcomers alike. Along with its incredible mainline story, Like a Dragon has a ton of awesome side content that makes seeing and doing everything in its beautiful world a worthwhile endeavor. It's worth noting that while the PS4 version has a free upgrade to PS5, save data doesn't transfer.

See our Yakuza: Like a Dragon review.