If you’ve just gotten your hands on Sony’s latest gaming system, these are the eight games you’ve got to play right away.
While the PlayStation 5, Sony’s latest and greatest gaming console, is still a little difficult to get your hands on, there have been plenty of great games already released for it. No matter what kind of experiences you’re looking to have, there’s no doubt the PS5 can provide them, from racing games to platformers to shooters and beyond. In fact, narrowing down your options can be pretty overwhelming!
Fortunately, we’re here to help. Although we’re not even a year into the system’s life, we’ve rounded up eight of the PS5’s best games for you to check out. From lush environments full of detail to brutal sword fights, Viking raids, and even web-swinging, these are the best PS5 games you’ve got to play right now.
Created and developed by Insomniac Games, the one-two-punch of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Remastered are both must-plays on the PlayStation 5. Universally acclaimed as one of the best superhero games of all time, the game lets you step into the shoes of both Peter Parker and Miles Morales as you web-swing your way through NYC with incredible combo-based fighting. Purchasing the UItimate Launch Edition we’ve linked here gets you both the Miles Morales expansion pack that takes full advantage of the PS5’s power and gives you a PS5 remastered edition of the original Spider-Man game.
Buy: Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales / Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered $69.00
The great thing about Astro’s Playroom is that the game is actually included with the purchase of a PlayStation 5, which means you’ll immediately have something to play upon purchasing your new console. While Astro’s Playroom is short and sweet, it’s a fantastic showcase for not only the graphical fidelity of the unit but for the powers of the brand new DualSense controller. See, the DualSense includes haptic feedback, which means you’ll actually feel what it’s like to walk across different surfaces in the palm of your hand. It’s something that must be played to be believed.
Exclusive to PlayStation 5, Demon’s Souls is a PS5 remaster of the 2009 PlayStation 3 game, which boasts some of the hardest gameplay ever committed to video gaming. If you can summon the strength to learn the game’s incredible combat (and are also okay with dying a lot), you’ll experience some of the most rewarding experiences you’ve ever had. Just be prepared to have your patience thoroughly tested over and over again as you face off against brutal monsters in stunning environment after stunning environment.
Have you ever watched a Pixar movie and wished you could play it? If so, you absolutely must play Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. With its incredible graphics that let you see the individual hairs on Ratchet’s furry face, the game is a ruckus third-person shooter/platformer full of character, charm, humor, and addicting gameplay. Rift Apart also serves as a fantastic showcase for the DualSense controller, as many of the weapons in the game make great use of the controller’s adaptive triggers to add an even more robust gameplay experience.
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Buy: Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart $63.75
Similar to Demon’s Souls in terms of its punishing (yet rewarding) combat, Returnal is a roguelike game, which means if you die, you’ll have to start the level progression all over again. However, as you continue along, your powers will grow, making you more prepared to handle the challenges of the game’s third-person shooting combat. The thing about Returnal is that it has an impressively immersive story, which focuses on an explorer who crashes on an alien planet and must do everything and anything possible to survive.
Another PS4-to-PS5 upgrade, the director’s cut edition of Ghost of Tsushima renders its lush and beautiful samurai world with incredible fidelity, making it one of the best-looking games on the PS5. With haptic feedback and 3D spatial audio, you’ll feel the clang of your sword as you face off against foes in a silky-smooth 60 frames per second. Plus, the director’s cut edition of the game includes the new expansion for no extra charge.
Buy: Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut $68.99
The reboot of the Hitman franchise comes to its explosive conclusion in a globe-trotting finale that allows you absolute freedom to take on a variety of assassinations in any way you see fit. The sandbox environments are beautifully rendered, and there are new twists and turns on the (already) well-tuned gameplay mechanics. Oh, and the payoff to the story is well worth it.
The latest edition of the highly popular Assassin’s Creed franchise places you in control of a deadly Viking named Eivor in one of the franchise’s best games. As you explore the lush landscapes of the ancient English countryside, you’ll lead your crew on raids, engaging in captivating combat, and dive into a deep and engaging story of power, betrayal, and more—all while leveraging the incredible power of the PS5 to bring this incredible world to life.
Buy: Assassin's Creed Valhalla $24.99
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