Top 7 Best Games For Sony’s PlayStation 5

From Final Fantasy XVI to God of War Ragnarök, here are the best PS5 games

We are six months into the PlayStation 5’s third year, and it feels like this generation is officially picking up steam. Perhaps there are too many video games coming out in 2023? When is someone meant to catch their breath between all these big games? But if you’re new to the PlayStation 5, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best games available on the system and added a few new contenders that have come out this year.

First, know this: The vast majority of games playable on the PS4 are playable on the PS5 via backward compatibility. Then of course the revamped PS Plus means either system can get access to a wealth of PS1, PS2, and PS4 titles, as well as stream those from PS3. No matter what, you’ll rarely be short of terrific things to play on the PS5.

But if you’re looking for something suitably cutting-edge—something designed with the new console in mind—then read on. Many of these are still being released for the PS4, but they’re unquestionably better looking, and better running, on the more modern machine. Here, without further ado, are the best games for the PS5.

Final Fantasy XVI

The sixteenth Final Fantasy has been divisive since it launched last week. The game skews pretty hard into action, with almost none of its old RPG DNA to show for it. But it’s also a pretty sublime action game evocative of series like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta. Its story isn’t a series highlight, but there are some memorable character moments in the mix that make the brooding protagonist Clive and the charismatic Cid stand out alongside classic fan favorites. Time will tell where it falls in the pantheon of Square Enix’s blockbuster series, but for now, it’s got a spot on here as one of the games you should probably play on your PlayStation 5.

A Good Match For: Anyone who wants a tight character action game and to thirst over a bisexual roguish type who smokes

Not A Good Match For: Those looking for a robust RPG experience

Street Fighter 6

Capcom has pretty much rehabilitated the Street Fighter brand with the sixth entry. On top of it being a return to its world-class form after Street Fighter V’s stumbles, Street Fighter 6 is secretly a pretty okay RPG thanks to its World Tour Mode and a dense character creation suite that gives even the least skilled fighting game player something to sink their teeth into. The excellent core mechanics are elevated by Street Fighter 6’s expansive modes and ways to play. It’s one of the most full-bodied fighting games at launch in a long time, which stands in stark contrast to its predecessor. The future of Street Fighter looks bright once more.

A Good Match For: Anyone who wants to go real sicko mode in character creation or just wants a really solid fighter with a long life ahead of it

Not A Good Match For: Someone who doesn’t like being caught in a throw because players do be grabbing.

God of War Ragnarök

Kratos is back, in the sequel to the adored reboot of God of War, in which father and son once more explore the realms of the Norse gods. With third-person combat, a pile of puzzle solving, and plenty of downtime paddling their boat, the mini-family is this time concerned with eschatological issues—Thor and Odin are battling their way to the end of the world.

Like most of Sony’s current next-gen offerings, God of War Ragnarök saddles the over-extended generational gap, releasing both on PS4 and PS5. And the PS4 version is a great (if noisy) swan song for that console, sure. But Ragnarok on PS5 is a far superior experience, supporting higher resolutions and silky smooth framerates. It really is the best way to play the game and luckily, God of War Ragnarök is also a damn fine game that should be enjoyed on Sony’s next-gen hardware.

A Good Match For: Folks who love epic and (extremely) long single-player action-adventure games or people who love Norse mythology.

Not A Good Match For: People who didn’t like the first game, players who prefer shorter games, or folks who can’t stand door puzzles. (It has a lot of door puzzles…)

Horizon Forbidden West

Yes, yes, big shocker: The sequel to one of the best games of the PS4 generation is one of the best games of the PS5 generation. Though Horizon Forbidden West isn’t quite as groundbreaking as its predecessor, Horizon Zero Dawn, it captures everything that helped it stand out—the splendor, the bow-based combat, the unique take on post-apocalypse—and then some. Once again, you play as Aloy, a young woman who carries the burden of “saving the world” on her shoulders. You fight giant robot animals and explore derelict ruins of human civilization, not unlike the first game. But Forbidden West also builds on that foundation with a bunch of welcome additions, including a hang-glider, a better climbing system, and a remarkably engrossing tactics mini-game called “Machine Strike.”

A Good Match For: This may sound strange, but fans of turn-based strategy games: Seriously, “Machine Strike” is top-notch for the genre, practically a game unto itself. Oh, yeah, also a fan of open-world games.

Not A Good Match For: Anyone who bounced off the first one, or can’t stomach a truly bonkers third act.

Elden Ring

If you like getting your ass handed to you, you’ll love Elden Ring. It’s the latest game out of FromSoftware, a studio best known for establishing a relentlessly difficult live-die-repeat formula of action RPGs with its Souls series (which has spawned a gazillion, copycats). It’s also the first to apply that formula to an open-world framework. Unlike most similarly structured games, Elden Ring refuses to hold your hand, instead letting you roam free. Sometimes, that means meeting a boss who kills you 242 times. But more likely, you’re just…seeing what exists in the nooks and crannies of this carefully designed realm. Though Elden Ring can be frustrating at points, there’s truly no game like it (until, of course, it spawns another gazillion copycats).

A Good Match For: People who like dying in Demon’s Souls, exploring in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and watching the withering corpses of dead gods decay into dust.

Not A Good Match For: People who don’t like dying in Demon’s Souls, exploring in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, or watching the withering corpses of dead gods decay into dust.

Lost Judgment

Lost Judgment, the sequel to a spinoff of Sega’s immensely popular Yakuza series, is one of those rare games that’s both a throwback and a modern marvel. Unlike the prior entry, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, which featured a turn-based combat system, Lost Judgment revives the fast-paced, no-holds-barred brawling of previous Yakuza games. The characters are a hoot. The writing’s sharp and clever. Plus, you get to ride around town—the series’ stalwart location of Kamurocho makes a return—on a skateboard.

A Good Match For: Fans of levity, mini-games, and old-school brawlers.

Not A Good Match For: People who value free time. Those damn kids.

Returnal

Few games show off what the PS5 can do better than Returnal. Developed by Housemarque (the folks behind the PS4 launch title Resogun), Returnal is a cross between a roguelike and a third-person shooter. You play as Selene Vassos, an interstellar scout who crash-lands on the uncharted planet of Atropos. Your goal, which sounds simple, is to escape Atropos and crawl your way back to civilization. However, every time you die, you’re sent all the way back to where you started, with none of the items or weapons you acquired in your prior life. Yes, Returnal is a time loop game—and a relentlessly difficult one at that—but Returnal is much more than what you see on the screen. When it rains in-game, you’ll feel the cadence of a gentle rainstorm in your palms. When you shoot, you’ll feel the trigger tense up at the halfway point; pushing past the tension activates a secondary firing mode in a technical display you can’t experience on the PS4 or a simple DualShock. Plenty of games look like next-gen games. Returnal feels like one, too.

A Good Match For: Fans of time loops, particle effects, roguelikes, and time loops.

Not A Good Match For: Players who grapple with soul-crushingly challenging gameplay. Anyone who’s willing to lose everything (knowing that runs can easily last hours).