25 Best PS5 Games You Should Play in 2026
The PlayStation 5 library has reached the point where choosing what to play next is harder than finding something worth playing.
From enormous open-world RPGs and cinematic action adventures to psychological horror, demanding Soulslikes, inventive co-op games and platformers that genuinely take advantage of the DualSense controller, the best PS5 games now cover almost every kind of player.
And in 2026, this is no longer a list dominated by launch-window games.
Recent releases such as Ghost of Yōtei, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Split Fiction have joined established PS5 favorites including Astro Bot, Elden Ring, Baldur’s Gate 3, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
For this ranking, we considered gameplay quality, storytelling, visual design, replayability, critical reputation, PS5-specific features, originality, accessibility to different kinds of players and how well each game holds up in 2026.
Multiplatform games are eligible because this is a ranking of the best games to play on PS5, not simply PlayStation exclusives.
Here are the 25 best PS5 games you should play in 2026.
Best PS5 Games: Quick Ranking
| Rank | Game | Genre | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Astro Bot | Platformer | Pure PS5 fun |
| 2 | Elden Ring | Action RPG | Exploration and challenge |
| 3 | Baldur’s Gate 3 | RPG | Choice-driven role-playing |
| 4 | God of War Ragnarök | Action adventure | Story and combat |
| 5 | Final Fantasy VII Rebirth | Action RPG | Epic JRPG adventure |
| 6 | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | RPG | Modern turn-based combat |
| 7 | Ghost of Yōtei | Open-world action | Samurai adventure |
| 8 | Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | Action adventure | Superhero action |
| 9 | Death Stranding 2: On the Beach | Action adventure | Unique exploration |
| 10 | Resident Evil 4 | Survival horror | Action horror |
| 11 | Demon’s Souls | Action RPG | Soulslike challenge |
| 12 | Silent Hill 2 | Horror | Psychological horror |
| 13 | Returnal | Roguelike shooter | Fast, difficult action |
| 14 | Split Fiction | Co-op adventure | Two-player gaming |
| 15 | Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition | Open-world RPG | Sci-fi exploration |
| 16 | Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart | Platform/action | PS5 spectacle |
| 17 | Alan Wake 2 | Survival horror | Narrative horror |
| 18 | Gran Turismo 7 | Racing | Driving simulation |
| 19 | Helldivers 2 | Co-op shooter | Multiplayer chaos |
| 20 | Metaphor: ReFantazio | JRPG | Story-driven RPG fans |
| 21 | Street Fighter 6 | Fighting | Competitive play |
| 22 | Dead Space | Survival horror | Sci-fi horror |
| 23 | Horizon Forbidden West | Open-world action RPG | Exploration |
| 24 | It Takes Two | Co-op adventure | Couples and friends |
| 25 | The Last of Us Part I | Action adventure | Cinematic storytelling |
1. Astro Bot
Genre: 3D platformer
Platform: PS5
Players: Single-player
Best for: Anyone who wants a game that feels designed specifically around PS5
Astro Bot is our No. 1 PS5 game because few titles capture the personality of the console so completely.
Team Asobi takes what worked in Astro’s Playroom and expands it into a full-scale platforming adventure across more than 50 planets.
The fundamental controls are wonderfully simple.
Run.
Jump.
Punch.
Explore.
Then the game constantly finds new ways to remix those actions through creative abilities and level-specific ideas.
Why it ranks No. 1
Astro Bot understands something modern blockbusters sometimes forget:
Playing should feel joyful.
Levels introduce ideas, explore them and frequently move on before they become repetitive.
The game also makes excellent use of DualSense haptic feedback, adaptive triggers and the controller’s speaker.
Those features do not feel like technology demonstrations bolted onto the experience.
They contribute directly to how the world feels.
PlayStation history provides another layer of appeal, with more than 150 recognizable heroes represented throughout Astro’s adventure.
You do not need decades of PlayStation nostalgia to enjoy it.
But if you have that history, the references make an already excellent platformer even better.
Play it if: You own a PS5 and want something polished, imaginative and immediately fun.
Skip it if: You strongly dislike platformers.
Verdict: The game we would recommend first to a new PS5 owner.
2. Elden Ring
Genre: Open-world action RPG
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC
Best for: Exploration, difficult combat and discovery
Elden Ring changed the scale of FromSoftware’s action-RPG formula.
Instead of guiding players through tightly connected corridors and castles, the Lands Between invite you to choose a direction and discover what is there.
Sometimes you find treasure.
Sometimes a dungeon.
Sometimes an enormous underground region you had no idea existed.
Sometimes something kills you immediately.
That uncertainty is part of the appeal.
Why it remains essential in 2026
The open world rarely feels like a checklist.
Discovery feels meaningful because the game does not constantly explain what you should be doing.
Combat supports numerous character builds, from enormous melee weapons to magic, status effects and hybrid approaches.
Its Shadow of the Erdtree expansion further deepens an already enormous experience.
Play it if: You enjoy exploration and overcoming difficult encounters.
Skip it if: Repeated failure quickly frustrates you.
3. Baldur’s Gate 3
Genre: Role-playing game
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, Mac
Best for: Player choice and deep role-playing
Few modern RPGs react to player decisions as enthusiastically as Baldur’s Gate 3.
You create—or choose—a character, gather companions and enter a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired adventure where dialogue choices, combat decisions and even failed dice rolls can push the story in unexpected directions.
Why it belongs near the top
Freedom is the feature.
A locked door does not necessarily mean “find the key.”
You might pick the lock.
Break the door.
Find another route.
Use magic.
Talk your way somewhere else entirely.
That flexibility extends into conversations and combat.
The PS5 version also supports two-player local play and online multiplayer, making this an unusually flexible large-scale RPG.
Play it if: You want choices to genuinely change your adventure.
Skip it if: You strongly prefer real-time action combat.
4. God of War Ragnarök
Genre: Action adventure
Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC
Best for: Cinematic storytelling and melee combat
Kratos and Atreus continue their journey through the Nine Realms as Ragnarök approaches.
But the scale of the mythology is not what makes the game work.
The relationship between father and son does.
Santa Monica Studio combines blockbuster spectacle with intimate character drama and some of the strongest third-person combat on PlayStation.
Why you should play it
Combat builds on 2018’s God of War with more weapons, enemy variety and tactical possibilities.
Exploration rewards curiosity without turning every region into meaningless busywork.
The PS5 version also benefits from fast loading, DualSense features and strong visual presentation.
Play it if: You want story and combat in roughly equal measure.
5. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Genre: Action RPG
Platform: PS5, with additional platform releases elsewhere
Best for: JRPG fans and large cinematic adventures
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth takes Cloud and his companions beyond Midgar and opens their journey into a much larger world.
It is the second part of Square Enix’s three-game Final Fantasy VII remake project.
The combat remains one of the game’s greatest strengths.
Real-time movement and attacks combine with command-based tactical decisions, producing a system that feels modern without abandoning RPG strategy.
Why it ranks this high
The party matters.
Different characters genuinely play differently, and switching between them keeps battles dynamic.
The world also gives players far more freedom than the more linear Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Even players familiar with the 1997 original will find plenty of surprises in how familiar events, characters and locations are reinterpreted.
Play it if: You want an enormous character-driven RPG with excellent combat.
6. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Genre: Role-playing game
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Best for: Players who want turn-based RPGs to feel fresh
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 became one of the defining RPG releases of 2025.
Its most immediately interesting idea is combat.
The underlying structure is turn-based, but defensive timing, dodges, parries and other real-time elements mean players remain engaged even when enemies are attacking.
Why it matters
Turn-based RPGs sometimes struggle to attract players who associate the format with passive menu selection.
Expedition 33 demonstrates how much room remains for experimentation.
Its striking Belle Époque-inspired fantasy world and strong character focus make it more than a clever combat system.
Play it if: You enjoy RPG strategy but want active participation during battles.
7. Ghost of Yōtei
Genre: Open-world action adventure
Platform: PS5
Best for: Sword combat and atmospheric exploration
Sucker Punch’s follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima moves hundreds of years forward and introduces a new protagonist, Atsu.
The setting shifts to northern Japan around Mount Yōtei.
This is not simply Jin Sakai’s next chapter.
It is a new story built around a different protagonist and era.
Why it belongs among the best PS5 games in 2026
Ghost of Yōtei takes the visual elegance, exploration and cinematic sword fighting associated with Ghost of Tsushima and builds its own identity around Atsu’s journey.
The PS5 focus allows Sucker Punch to deliver a richer, more dynamic environment than a cross-generation release would permit.
For players who love wandering through dramatic landscapes between bursts of precise sword combat, it is one of the console’s major adventures.
Play it if: Ghost of Tsushima was one of your favorite PlayStation games.
Important: This is a PS5 title, not a PS4 release.
8. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Genre: Superhero action adventure
Platform: PS5, with PC version also available
Best for: Fast traversal and superhero spectacle
Insomniac gives players both Peter Parker and Miles Morales and makes moving around New York more enjoyable than ever.
Web Wings complement traditional swinging, allowing you to build momentum across enormous distances.
Fast character switching and PS5 loading also help the city feel unusually seamless.
Why you should play it
The game understands that traversal should be entertainment rather than the space between missions.
You may regularly ignore fast travel simply because moving through the city is fun.
Combat expands both Spider-Men’s abilities while preserving the acrobatic rhythm established by previous games.
Play it if: You want accessible blockbuster action.
9. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
Genre: Action adventure
Platform: PS5, with PC version also available
Best for: Players looking for something genuinely unusual
Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is difficult to reduce to a familiar genre label.
That is part of the appeal.
Traversal itself remains a meaningful gameplay system rather than a simple method of reaching the next mission marker.
You plan routes.
Manage equipment.
Read terrain.
Build infrastructure.
Connect isolated communities.
Why it makes the top 10
Very few blockbuster games are this comfortable being strange.
The sequel expands traversal, combat, environments and tools while preserving the original’s unusual focus on connection.
It is not designed for everyone.
That is a compliment.
Play it if: You value atmosphere, experimentation and unconventional game design.
10. Resident Evil 4
Genre: Survival horror/action
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Best for: Horror fans who also want excellent action
Capcom’s remake of Resident Evil 4 demonstrates how to modernize a classic without erasing what made it special.
Leon S. Kennedy travels to rural Europe to rescue the U.S. president’s daughter.
What follows is a carefully paced mixture of horror, action, resource management and increasingly ridiculous danger.
Why it remains essential
Combat feels responsive without making Leon invincible.
Ammunition matters.
Positioning matters.
Crowd control matters.
The famous knife now plays a more active defensive role, including parries that add another layer to encounters.
Play it if: You want horror without sacrificing satisfying action.
11. Demon’s Souls
Genre: Action RPG
Platform: PS5
Best for: Soulslike purists and visual showcase seekers
Bluepoint’s remake remains one of the most visually impressive ways to experience the roots of modern Soulslike design.
Boletaria is hostile.
Enemies punish careless movement.
Bosses demand observation.
Death is expected.
Why it still matters
Many PS5 games look excellent.
Few communicate texture and atmosphere as effectively as Demon’s Souls.
Armor feels heavy.
Magic feels powerful.
Environments feel oppressive.
Fast PS5 loading also makes repeated deaths less painful than they were in the original era.
Play it if: You want difficult, deliberate combat.
12. Silent Hill 2
Genre: Psychological survival horror
Platform: PS5, with additional platform availability
Best for: Horror built around atmosphere and emotion
Bloober Team’s remake brings Konami’s psychological horror classic to modern hardware while preserving the disturbing emotional core of James Sunderland’s journey.
James travels to Silent Hill after receiving a letter connected to his late wife.
The town is covered in fog.
What follows should be experienced with as little advance information as possible.
Why you should play it
This is horror built around mood rather than constant combat.
Sound design, darkness, environmental detail and psychological unease do most of the work.
The remake’s modern presentation makes one of horror gaming’s most famous stories much easier for contemporary players to experience.
Play it if: You prefer psychological horror to action-heavy horror.
13. Returnal
Genre: Roguelike third-person shooter
Platforms: PS5, PC
Best for: Players who love difficult, responsive action
Selene crashes on an alien planet.
She dies.
Then the cycle begins again.
Housemarque combines bullet-hell intensity with third-person shooting and roguelike progression.
Why Returnal remains special
Movement feels exceptional.
You dash through projectile patterns, reposition constantly and learn to read increasingly chaotic encounters.
The DualSense controller also contributes meaningfully through haptic feedback and trigger behavior.
The repeated-cycle structure will not appeal to everyone.
For the right player, it becomes addictive.
Play it if: You enjoy mastery through repetition.
14. Split Fiction
Genre: Cooperative action adventure
Platforms: PS5 and other current-generation platforms
Best for: Two-player co-op
Hazelight’s follow-up to It Takes Two sends writers Mio and Zoe into a simulation built from their science-fiction and fantasy ideas.
That gives the developers permission to change mechanics constantly.
One sequence might involve futuristic machinery.
The next may involve dragons.
Why it is the best PS5 co-op recommendation
Split Fiction is designed specifically for two players.
It supports local couch co-op and online cross-platform play.
The Friend’s Pass also allows a friend to join the full adventure without buying a second copy when playing with someone who owns the game.
Most importantly, cooperation is not an optional side feature.
It is the game.
Play it if: You have a reliable gaming partner.
Skip it if: You need a solo mode. There isn’t one.
15. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Genre: Open-world action RPG
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Best for: Sci-fi worlds and character-driven quests
The Cyberpunk 2077 available to PS5 players today is significantly more developed than the game associated with its troubled original launch.
Night City is the attraction.
Dense streets, neon advertisements, megacorporations, gangs and cybernetic technology create one of gaming’s most memorable science-fiction cities.
The Ultimate Edition combines the base game with the Phantom Liberty expansion.
Why it belongs here
Build variety gives players meaningful freedom.
You can focus on hacking.
Guns.
Stealth.
Cyberware.
Blades.
Or combinations of them.
The strongest quests also understand that the best cyberpunk stories are about people living under systems much larger than themselves.
Play it if: You want a huge mature sci-fi RPG.
16. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Genre: Action platformer
Platform: PS5, PC
Best for: Colorful PS5 spectacle
Rift Apart was one of the first games to make the PS5’s fast storage feel like more than a specification.
Dimensional rifts allow environments to change rapidly as characters jump between realities.
Years later, the effect still looks fantastic.
Why it remains worth playing
The weapons are wonderfully ridiculous.
The animation is beautiful.
The pacing is fast.
And unlike many long modern games, Rift Apart does not demand that you reorganize your life around completing it.
It is also an excellent entry point for players unfamiliar with the series.
Play it if: You want a polished, accessible adventure.
17. Alan Wake 2
Genre: Survival horror
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Best for: Experimental narrative horror
Remedy’s Alan Wake 2 is part detective story, part supernatural nightmare and part multimedia experiment.
Players alternate between FBI agent Saga Anderson and writer Alan Wake.
Their stories operate differently but gradually connect.
Why it matters
The game is confident enough to become strange.
Live action, music, environmental storytelling and conventional gameplay frequently collide.
The result feels unlike most large-budget releases.
Play it if: You like mysteries and unconventional storytelling.
18. Gran Turismo 7
Genre: Racing simulation
Platforms: PS5, PS4
Best for: Car enthusiasts
For players who care about cars as machines rather than merely vehicles for arcade racing, Gran Turismo 7 remains one of PS5’s essential experiences.
Handling, tuning, car collecting and track knowledge provide long-term depth.
Why it deserves a place
The PS5’s controller adds physical feedback to braking, traction and road surfaces.
For players with compatible equipment, the game can become an even deeper racing setup.
PS VR2 support adds another dimension for compatible users.
Play it if: You love cars, racing lines and shaving fractions of a second from lap times.
19. Helldivers 2
Genre: Cooperative third-person shooter
Platforms: PS5 and other supported platforms
Best for: Chaotic online co-op
Helldivers 2 turns friendly fire, overwhelming enemies and military satire into a wonderfully unpredictable multiplayer experience.
Teams deploy onto hostile planets to complete objectives while attempting not to accidentally destroy each other.
They often fail at the second part.
Why it works
Cooperation creates stories.
A perfectly coordinated extraction feels great.
A disastrous mission where someone calls an orbital strike onto the entire team can be just as memorable.
Play it if: You have friends who enjoy cooperative shooters.
20. Metaphor: ReFantazio
Genre: JRPG
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Best for: Persona fans looking for a fantasy RPG
Atlus takes many ideas familiar to Persona players—stylish menus, relationship building, calendar-driven progression and tactical combat—and places them inside a fantasy political adventure.
The result has a distinct identity despite the obvious creative lineage.
Why it deserves your time
The Archetype system creates meaningful character-building flexibility.
The story also tackles prejudice, leadership, social division and political power without abandoning the pleasures of a grand fantasy quest.
Play it if: You enjoy long, stylish JRPGs.
21. Street Fighter 6
Genre: Fighting
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, PC and other supported platforms
Best for: Beginners and competitive fighting-game players
Fighting games often face a difficult problem.
Veterans want depth.
Newcomers want to survive longer than 20 seconds.
Street Fighter 6 does an excellent job serving both.
Why it belongs here
Modern controls provide a more approachable entry point without eliminating traditional control options.
World Tour gives solo players a substantial environment for learning systems.
Competitive players can spend hundreds of hours mastering matchups, spacing and execution.
Play it if: You have always wanted to understand why fighting-game fans become obsessed.
22. Dead Space
Genre: Survival horror
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Best for: Sci-fi horror
Isaac Clarke boards the USG Ishimura and discovers that something has gone catastrophically wrong.
The remake preserves the industrial nightmare of the original while modernizing presentation, exploration and combat.
Why it works
The famous dismemberment system changes how you think about shooting.
Center-mass attacks are often inefficient.
You need to target limbs.
That single idea gives combat a distinctive tactical identity.
Play it if: You enjoyed Alien and want that atmosphere turned into a game.
23. Horizon Forbidden West
Genre: Open-world action RPG
Platforms: PS5, PS4, PC
Best for: Exploration and spectacular machine combat
Aloy’s second major adventure expands almost everything from Horizon Zero Dawn.
The world is larger.
Traversal is more flexible.
Machines are more elaborate.
Combat provides additional tools.
Why it remains worth playing
Few games make fighting enormous mechanical creatures this satisfying.
Learning weaknesses, removing components and choosing the right ammunition turns combat into a tactical hunt.
The PS5 version also provides a visually spectacular world of ruined civilization and reclaimed wilderness.
Play it if: You enjoy large open worlds and ranged combat.
24. It Takes Two
Genre: Cooperative adventure
Platforms: PS5, PS4, Xbox, PC and other supported platforms
Best for: Couples, friends and family co-op
Hazelight built It Takes Two around one principle:
Keep changing what the players are doing.
One chapter might feel like a platformer.
Another becomes a shooter.
Then a puzzle game.
Then something completely unexpected.
Why it still deserves a place
Like Split Fiction, this is mandatory co-op.
That allows almost every mechanic to be designed around communication between two people.
Split Fiction ranks higher because it represents Hazelight’s newer evolution of the concept, but It Takes Two remains one of the easiest co-op recommendations available.
Play it if: You want a game specifically designed for two people.
25. The Last of Us Part I
Genre: Action adventure
Platform: PS5, PC
Best for: Cinematic storytelling
Naughty Dog rebuilt the original The Last of Us for PS5 with modernized visuals, animation and expanded accessibility.
The underlying story remains focused on Joel and Ellie crossing a devastated United States.
Why it still belongs on a 2026 list
Plenty of games have emotional stories.
Few integrate character development, environmental storytelling, combat and quiet moments as confidently.
The remake is particularly useful for newcomers who discovered the franchise through television and want to experience where the story began.
Play it if: Narrative is one of your main reasons for playing games.
Best PS5 Games by Genre
If 25 choices still feel overwhelming, start with the genre you already enjoy.
Best PS5 RPG
Baldur’s Gate 3 for freedom and role-playing.
Elden Ring for action and exploration.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for modern turn-based combat.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for cinematic JRPG adventure.
Best PS5 Exclusive-Style Showcase
Start with Astro Bot.
Then play:
Ghost of Yōtei
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Demon’s Souls
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
These games are particularly good demonstrations of the PlayStation 5 experience.
Best PS5 Horror Games
Start with:
Silent Hill 2
Resident Evil 4
Alan Wake 2
Dead Space
Choose Silent Hill 2 for psychological horror.
Choose Resident Evil 4 for action.
Choose Dead Space for science-fiction horror.
Best PS5 Co-op Games
Split Fiction is our first choice.
Then try:
It Takes Two
Helldivers 2
Baldur’s Gate 3
These offer very different versions of cooperative play.
Best PS5 Open-World Games
Our top choices are:
Elden Ring
Ghost of Yōtei
Cyberpunk 2077
Horizon Forbidden West
Elden Ring rewards discovery.
Ghost of Yōtei emphasizes atmosphere and sword combat.
Cyberpunk 2077 provides dense urban science fiction.
Horizon Forbidden West combines wilderness exploration with machine hunting.
Best PS5 Games for Beginners
A new PS5 owner does not necessarily need to start with the hardest or longest game.
Try these first.
Astro Bot
The obvious recommendation.
Easy to understand, immediately fun and built around the PS5 controller.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Accessible combat, spectacular traversal and familiar characters.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Polished action without an intimidating learning curve.
The Last of Us Part I
Ideal for players primarily interested in storytelling.
Split Fiction
A fantastic choice if you are starting PS5 gaming with a partner.
Best PS5 Games for Experienced Players
If you want something more demanding, try:
Elden Ring
Demon’s Souls
Returnal
Baldur’s Gate 3
The difficulty comes from different places.
Elden Ring and Demon’s Souls test combat and observation.
Returnal tests reactions and consistency.
Baldur’s Gate 3 challenges you to understand systems and exploit possibilities.
Best PS5 Games to Show Off Your Console
Want to demonstrate why you bought a PS5?
Start with these.
Astro Bot
Excellent DualSense implementation.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Fast transitions and beautiful animation.
Demon’s Souls
Still visually spectacular.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Fast traversal through a dense city.
Ghost of Yōtei
A strong showcase for current-generation open-world presentation.
Gran Turismo 7
Particularly impressive on a high-quality 4K display—and even more immersive with PS VR2.
Which PS5 Game Should You Buy First?
If you only want one answer:
Buy Astro Bot.
It is accessible enough for casual players, polished enough for experienced ones and makes unusually good use of PS5 hardware.
But your preferred genre matters.
If you want an RPG:
Elden Ring or Baldur’s Gate 3
If you want a story:
God of War Ragnarök
If you want an open world:
Ghost of Yōtei
If you want horror:
Resident Evil 4 or Silent Hill 2
If you want co-op:
Split Fiction
If you want superheroes:
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
If you want something unusual:
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
If you want racing:
Gran Turismo 7
PS5 Exclusives vs Multiplatform Games
One common mistake when searching for the best PS5 games is assuming the list should contain only exclusives.
That answers a different question.
If you own a PS5 and want the best games to play on it, excluding Elden Ring, Baldur’s Gate 3, Resident Evil 4, Clair Obscur and Alan Wake 2 because they exist elsewhere would make the recommendations less useful.
Exclusives matter because they help define a console.
Great multiplatform games matter because they help define your library.
You want both.
PS5 vs PS5 Pro: Do You Need a Pro to Enjoy These Games?
No.
The standard PS5 remains the baseline console for the games on this list.
PS5 Pro-enhanced titles can offer combinations of higher visual quality, improved performance or enhanced rendering features, depending on the game.
That does not mean the standard PS5 versions suddenly became bad.
For most players, the important question is not:
“Do I need PS5 Pro?”
It is:
“Am I satisfied with how my games look and run on the hardware I already own?”
If yes, keep playing.
Are Older PS5 Games Still Worth Playing in 2026?
Absolutely.
Video games do not expire because a release calendar changes.
Demon’s Souls launched alongside the PS5 in 2020 and remains one of its strongest visual showcases.
Returnal remains mechanically distinctive.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is still one of the easiest demonstrations of fast current-generation storage.
A strong game does not become irrelevant simply because something newer arrived.
That is why this ranking balances new releases with established PS5 classics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best PS5 games in 2026?
Our top five are Astro Bot, Elden Ring, Baldur’s Gate 3, God of War Ragnarök and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
The right choice depends on whether you prefer platformers, RPGs, action adventures, horror, racing or multiplayer games.
What is the best PS5 game overall?
Astro Bot is our best overall recommendation.
It combines excellent platforming, creative level design and some of the strongest use of DualSense features on the console.
What are the best PS5 exclusive games?
For games strongly associated with the PS5 experience, start with Astro Bot, Ghost of Yōtei, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Demon’s Souls and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
Platform availability can expand over time, particularly as PlayStation releases more titles on PC.
What is the best open-world game on PS5?
Elden Ring is our top open-world recommendation.
Players looking for cinematic sword combat should try Ghost of Yōtei, while science-fiction fans should consider Cyberpunk 2077.
What is the best RPG on PS5?
It depends on your preferred combat style.
Choose Baldur’s Gate 3 for deep role-playing and turn-based tactics.
Choose Elden Ring for action combat and exploration.
Choose Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for turn-based combat with real-time mechanics.
Choose Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for a cinematic JRPG.
What is the best PS5 game for two players?
Split Fiction is our top recommendation for dedicated two-player gaming.
It supports couch co-op and online cross-platform co-op and is designed entirely around two-player collaboration.
It Takes Two remains another excellent choice.
What are the best horror games on PS5?
Start with Silent Hill 2, Resident Evil 4, Alan Wake 2 and Dead Space.
Silent Hill 2 is the strongest choice for psychological horror, while Resident Evil 4 provides more action.
What PS5 game has the best graphics?
There is no objective winner, but Demon’s Souls, Ghost of Yōtei, Death Stranding 2, Gran Turismo 7, Horizon Forbidden West and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart are excellent visual showcases.
Is Astro Bot only on PS5?
Yes. The full Astro Bot adventure is a PS5 title.
It should not be confused with Astro’s Playroom, which comes pre-installed on PS5 consoles.
Is Ghost of Yōtei available on PS5?
Yes.
Ghost of Yōtei launched for PS5 on October 2, 2025 and supports PS5 Pro enhancements.
It is set centuries after Ghost of Tsushima and follows a new protagonist, Atsu.
Is Death Stranding 2 available on PS5?
Yes.
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach launched on PS5 on June 26, 2025.
Can PS5 play PS4 games?
PS5 supports the overwhelming majority of PS4 games through backward compatibility.
However, this article prioritizes games with dedicated PS5 versions or experiences particularly relevant to the current console.
Do I need PlayStation Plus to play these games?
Not for ordinary offline single-player play.
PlayStation Plus is generally required for paid games’ online multiplayer features, while exact requirements differ by title and mode.
Some games on this list may also rotate into or out of PlayStation Plus catalogs over time.
Check the current PlayStation Store listing before purchasing a subscription specifically for one game.
Final Thoughts
The best PS5 games in 2026 show how diverse the console’s library has become.
Want pure fun?
Play Astro Bot.
Want to disappear into a world for weeks?
Choose Elden Ring or Baldur’s Gate 3.
Want an enormous cinematic adventure?
Try God of War Ragnarök, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth or Ghost of Yōtei.
Want something that feels unlike almost everything else?
Death Stranding 2 is waiting.
Want to be terrified?
Turn off the lights and start Silent Hill 2.
Want to spend the evening laughing with someone beside you?
Play Split Fiction.
The best thing about owning a PS5 in 2026 is no longer potential.
It is choice.
The console has enough excellent games that a new owner could start today and spend years catching up.
Start with the genre you love.
Then try something you normally would not play.
You may find your next favorite game.
