The 19 Best PS5 Games, From Sci-Fi Horror to Kitty-Cat Adventures
If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
One of the nice things about living in a world where console exclusives are less common than ever before is that just about every new game comes out for every platform. The only downside is you never get a reprieve! Every year there's a torrential downpour of great games, and now that we're deep into the PS5's lifecycle, you don't have to hunt to find great games that take advantage of its next-gen hardware. These are some of our favorites.
Be sure to read our Best PS5 Accessories and Best Gifts for PS5 and PS4 Owners guides, as well as our how-tos on customizing your PS5’s home screen, how to increase its storage, and other tips you'll want to explore. If you have a PlayStation Plus subscription, read our Best Games on PlayStation Plus guide.
Updated March 2024: We've added Alan Wake II, Spider-Man 2, Baldur's Gate 3, and Death Stranding: Director's Cut.
Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you'd like). Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.
- Courtesy of Remedy Games
Horror Metafiction Done Right
Alan Wake IIAlan Wake II is as much a horror experience as it is a game. It's a sequel to the classic 2010 Alan Wake and an expansion of the Remedy Connected Universe of games with ties to the developer's other supernatural action game, Control. Not only is the titular Alan Wake back, but players can alternate between the man himself and FBI agent Saga as they unravel the mystery of what's happening at Cauldron Lake. Its visual design, excellent atmosphere, and unique set pieces make it one of our must-play games, and it earned numerous awards in 2023.
- Courtesy of Larian Studios
An Instant Fantasy RPG Classic
Baldur's Gate 3Baldur's Gate 3 was such a surprise hit that even Microsoft slept on it before it dropped. Once it did, Larian Studios' Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game proved that narrative-focused games that give players choice and agency over their world still have their place. Just don't be surprised if half the characters are a little too eager to sleep with you. It's a known bug.
- Photograph: Insomniac Gams
Two Web-Slingers for the Price of One
Marvel's Spider-Man 2Marvel's Spider-Man 2—somewhat confusingly, the third Spider-Man game in this series following Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales—takes everything excellent about the previous two entries and refines them down to an absolute science. Combat is more fluid, with fewer extraneous gadgets, but there's a much more straightforward method of invoking the many powers that both Peter Parker and Miles Morales have throughout the game. And yes, for the first time, you get to play as both. (Not simultaneously!) The story follows Kraven the Hunter's arrival in New York City, but if Sony's cinematic tie-ins aren't enough to tempt you, don't worry. There are far more interesting villains on the way, and Spider-Man 2 does them justice in ways other media have only been able to dream of so far.
- Courtesy of EA
The Empire Strikes Back (Again)
Star Wars Jedi: SurvivorIn Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, you'll find yourself rejoining Cal Kestis five years after the events of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Just like our boy, Survivor has done some growing up. It's a much bigger game than its predecessor, packed with side quests, environments to explore, and a whole host of new skills and lightsaber stances.
One of the coolest parts is that Cal keeps all the major skills you have at the end of Fallen Order. That progression makes it feel like you're growing as a Jedi, moving from your apprentice years into your time as a powerful and capable Jedi Knight.
- Courtesy of Blizzard
Let's Go to Hell
Diablo IVDiablo IV is a lot of fun on the PS5. WIRED reviewer Boone Ashworth called it a "mind-melting bloodbath" and it's hard to come up with a better description. It's familiar and new at the same time, and every environment, from the tiniest dungeon to the most breathtaking vista, is packed full of intricate details. The game looks incredible on the PS5, and this version includes couch co-op, which is always a huge plus.
- Courtesy of EA
Let's Go to Space Hell
Dead SpaceDead Space was a groundbreaking game when it first came out. The combat system was built around non-standard weapons, and it was a third-person action game set in a dark sci-fi horror setting. The 2023 version of Dead Space rebuilds the game from the inside out, and achieves things the original couldn't do due to hardware constraints. Zero gravity sequences have you floating through microgravity instead of sailing from one surface to another.
The ill-fated starship, the Ishimura, is more detailed than ever and includes all-new areas to explore. Plus, our hero Isaac Clarke has a voice! He is a fully-voiced character in this story instead of the silent protagonist in the original.
- Courtesy of Ubisoft
Raid, Pillage, and Settle
Assassin's Creed: ValhallaAmong the first titles to truly take advantage of the PS5’s impressive hardware, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla is one of the best entries in the series to date. The sprawling map and engrossing story are beautifully realized with next-gen graphics and high-quality voice acting. Taking on the role of (a male or female) Eivor Wolf-Kissed, you'll sink dozens of hours into exploring (and pillaging) your way from the fjords of Norway to the rivers and sun-dappled meadows of ancient England.
- Courtesy of Sony Interactive Entertainment
Web-Slinging Savior
Spider-Man: Miles MoralesA new Spider-Man for a new console, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales was the follow-up to the groundbreaking Marvel's Spider-Man game from the prior console generation. The silky smooth frame rate and next-gen ray tracing create an incredibly immersive visual experience. It's like playing a movie from Marvel's cinematic universe, and the soundtrack absolutely slaps.
- Courtesy of BlueTwelve Studio
Being a Cat Isn’t Easy
StrayStray is the kind of game you'll know you'll enjoy if you watch the trailer. In the game, you take on the role of a stray cat (with a backpack), lost in a futuristic cyberpunk cityscape populated entirely by humanoid robots. You can cause chaos (knock things off tables), explore a dense and vibrant world, and nap in memorable places. Essentially it's everything you'd want to do as a cat, plus some added mystery and intrigue.
- Courtesy of 2K
Star in a Classic Horror Story
The QuarryLike Until Dawn on the PS4, The Quarry isn't your average game. It's more an adventure game than an action game, and that's part of the charm. With its cast of well-known actors from iconic horror movies, you'll get to star in your own horror story. Following in the ominous, unstoppable footsteps of Friday the 13th and Halloween, The Quarry is a lovingly crafted send-up of classic slasher films, and it packs some real scares just when you'd least expect them. Plus, your actions affect the story, so plan on playing through more than once to see all the possible endings.
- Courtesy of Capcom
A Revamped Classic
Resident Evil 4 RemakeOne of the most acclaimed games of all time has finally gotten the full-on Capcom remake treatment, and now it's even better than the original. Not only does the Resident Evil 4 remake feature improved graphics, but the gameplay and even the story have seen some welcome changes and additions—Leon is less sexist toward Ashley, for instance, and you can move while you aim. If you enjoyed the original, this new version will impress. It's as much a love letter to the original game as it is a modern re-imagining.
- Courtesy of Remedy Entertainment
Mind-Bending Metroidvania
Control Ultimate EditionThere's something so haunting about the stark and entirely too mundane corridors of the Oldest House, the ancient, infinite building you'll explore in Control, and that is never more true than on next-gen hardware. Particles fly through the air as you rip chunks of concrete out of the walls with your mind and hurl them at snarling enemies rippling with eldritch energies. It's super fun.
- Courtesy of Square Enix
Looter-Shooter Mayhem
OutridersImagine if Destiny 2 merged with Gears of War and you'll have some idea of what to expect from Outriders. The third-person looter-shooter from Square Enix is as fun to play as it is to look at. Exploring an alien world with fellow stranded colonists is a sight to behold. The view is worth it, even if you get shot to death by aliens as soon as you stop to take it in.
- Courtesy of Sony
Deadly Dungeon Delving
Demon's SoulsYou'll die a lot in Demon's Souls. The spiritual predecessor of Dark Souls and the games like it that we all love to hate, this remake features a lavishly rebuilt game world filled to the brim with crackling spells and clanging swords. It's every bit as spooky as the original entry, but the aesthetic is cleaner and gives off a modern Dark Souls vibe.
- Courtesy of Sony
An Addictive Sci-Fi Roguelike
ReturnalIn Returnal, you take on the role of space explorer Selene as she explores and fights her way through a dangerous and inhospitable alien landscape, only to tragically die. Then come back to life. And then die again. And again. The combat is a high-octane hybrid of bullet-hell dodging and weaving, along with third-person action RPG elements—like Mass Effect meets Enter the Gungeon. Unraveling the mystery at the heart of Returnal will take persistence, perseverance, and a whole bunch of bullets.
- Courtesy of Kojima Productions
Package Delivery (With Ennui)
Death Stranding: Director’s CutDeath Stranding may be a PS4 game, but the Director's Cut has given it plenty to make it worth another playthrough. In addition to performance and graphics upgrades, several new features change up the gameplay, like the ability to bring floating carriers with you on ziplines, more highway options, and my personal favorite: The PS5 triggers now resist your fingers the more weight you're carrying. It's a small thing, but Death Stranding is a game whose main theme is about acceptance and connecting with the people and the world around you, and it even honors the difficulty of building those connections.
- Courtesy of Bethesda
Loop-the-Loop
DeathloopIn Deathloop, you will live the same day over and over again, each time learning more and more about the loop you find yourself stuck in. Unlike many roguelikes, Deathloop plays more like a super-violent Groundhog Day. Each time you die, the loop will restart and you'll have to fight your way through the same enemies in the same places, but this time you'll know their tricks and where all the good weapons are. It's a pulse-pounding shooter with an excellent voice cast, a great soundtrack, and a fully fleshed-out setting that I found myself wanting to spend more time in with every reset.
- Courtesy of BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment
Dark Fantasy Dungeon-Delving
Elden RingElden Ring is an action RPG that comes from the twisted minds behind Dark Souls and Bloodborne, with considerable input from the one and only George R. R. Martin. This creative team has put together one of the best open-world games in recent memory and one of the most addictively punishing gameplay experiences ever to grace the soulslike subgenre. The world of Elden Ring is as beautiful as it is gruesome, as inspiring as it is tragic and melancholy. It's a world defined by its mysteries, which you'll slowly unravel with every hour spent exploring haunted forests, with every dungeon you delve into, and with every surprise death at the hands of a giant shrimp sniper.
- Courtesy of CD Projekt Red
Cyberpunk 2077 is Good Now
Cyberpunk 2077Like a fine wine that was once actually just poison, Cyberpunk 2077 has finally matured into the game it was meant to be. Exploring the vast tapestry of Night City has never felt better. The gameplay has been tightened up, the story smoothed out, and the graphics pumped to the max.
You take on the role of an enterprising mercenary working your way to fame and glory in the dark and seedy underbelly of Night City. With dozens of skills to choose from, you can customize your character's playstyle every bit as much as you can customize their appearance (yes you get to choose what kind of genitals you want), and the game is so much richer for it. I've dumped hundreds of hours into the streets of Night City and never approached the same challenge the same way twice.
Originally released in 2020, it hit store shelves infested with bugs and broken gameplay. Cyberpunk 2077's launch was so bad it was even pulled from the PlayStation Store for a while. But it has improved so much that the game has managed to win awards three years after its release.
Wired Coupons
10% Off Wayfair Promo Code with sign-up
20% off Dyson Promo Code
$50 Off In-Person Tax Prep When You Switch From Your Tax Current Provider
Up to $500 off cameras at Canon
Save extra 10% Off TurboTax
Exclusive: Up To 50% Off 6 Boxes With Factor Promo Code