Top 10 PlayStation 5 Games for 2024

So, you’ve landed a PlayStation 5 for the holidays. That’s great news! The PS5 is quicker and more powerful than the PS4 and PS4 Pro, and the DualSense Controller’s haptic feedback and dynamic adaptive triggers makes the gaming experience more immersive than ever before.

Whether you’re new to PlayStation or upgrading from a PS4, there are plenty of PS5 games to get excited about. PlayStation released dozens of new PS5 games at the November launch, with plenty of upcoming PS5 games to be added in the coming year. The PS5 is also backward compatible with more than 99% of PS4’s 4,000+ game library.

You probably can’t wait to try out the top games on your new console. To help you get started, here’s our list of the 10 best PS5 games in {year}.

1. Demon's Souls

Despite competing with lots of original titles, this upgrade of a 2009 cult classic ranks at the top of our PS5 games list. PlayStation Studios and BluePoint Games rebuilt this game from the ground up, introducing the horrors of this brutal fantasy land to a new generation of gamers.

Demon’s Souls takes you to the northern kingdom of Boletaria, a once prosperous land of knights now inhabited by bloodthirsty demons and other nightmarish characters. You can fight as a lone warrior in PvP combat, defend against online invasions, or gather allies in an online multiplayer game to fight together against the demons.

Top PS5 features:

• 2 graphics modes: 4K mode and High Frame Rate Mode
• Haptic feedback: Allows you to feel the energy as you cast spells
• Immersive 3D Audio on compatible headphones

2. Astro's Playroom

Astro’s Playroom is the best free game on PS5, with critics already labelling it one of the top pack-in games of all time. The main purpose of bundling games in with a console is to show off the console’s features. In the case of PS5 and Astro’s Playroom, this game does a superb job of showing off the DualSense controller and adaptive triggers.

With endearing characters, lots of magic, and plenty of humorous scenes, Astro’s Playroom is designed to be enjoyed by the whole family. When you take control of the main character (named Astro), you get to feel every move thanks to the DualSense’s new vibration technology. This game is full of hidden references and artifacts commemorating PlayStation console history.

Top PS5 features:

• Haptic feedback: Allows you to feel Astro’s world through immersive haptic feedback
• Adaptive triggers: Works with motion sensors and touchpad to deliver a new gameplay experience
• Fast loading: This game demonstrates the best of the PS5’s super-fast loading capabilities

3. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales

We don’t know how they’ve done it, but developer Insomniac Games has somehow produced a sequel of Marvel’s Spider-Man that’s even better than the original created for PS4 in 2018. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales can be purchased on its own with the Launch Edition or bundled with a PS5 upgrade of the original Marvel’s Spider-Man with the Ultimate Edition.

Following his father’s death, Miles is introduced to Peter Parker, who becomes his mentor. When Miles is bitten by his own genetically modified Oscorp spider, he develops unique powers – and convinces Peter to train him. What follows is the most realistic version of Marvel’s Spider-Man yet, with Marvel’s New York setting shown in incredible detail.

Top PS5 features:

• 4K and HDR visuals: Improved lighting, shadow, and character detail
• Fast-loading, ultrahigh-speed SSD: For seamless movement across Marvel’s New York
• 3D AudioTech on compatible headphones: Brings the sounds of Marvel’s New York to life

4. The Pathless

The Pathless was released for PS5 and PS4 simultaneously. The two versions cost the same, but only the PS5 game boasts PlayStation’s new DualSense Controller technology. If you own a PS5 and PS4, the good news is you can purchase both versions for the price of one.

This game is the story of an archer and an eagle trying to dispel a curse of darkness that’s been cast over the world. As Hunter, the archer, you’ll get to perform acrobatics and trick shots while moving at super-fast speeds. The island’s forests, meadows, and tundras hide puzzles that you must solve in order to restore the world back to its normal state.

Top PS5 features:

• Haptic vibrations: Feel Hunter’s bow pull back, helping you register when to release the arrow
• Choice of performance options: 4K with 60 FPS at a lower resolution (default) or 4K with 30 FPS

5. Sackboy: A Big Adventure

Sackboy, one of the most popular PlayStation characters of all time, returns in this spin-off of the LittleBigPlanet series. Released simultaneously on PS5 and PS4, this 3D platform adventure is the most immersive Sackboy game yet.

In Sackboy: A Big Adventure, the mythical Vex kidnaps Sackboy’s friends and forces them to build his Topsy Turver. As Sackboy, you must journey through mountains, jungles, underwater realms, and space colonies to take down Vex and save the day. You can play alone or with friends as part of an online multiplayer game with PS Plus.

Top PS5 features:

• Ultra-high-speed SSD: Fast loading between and into levels
• 3D Audio on compatible headphones brings Craftworld to life all around you
• Haptic feedback: Feel the change in platform under Sackboy’s feet

6. Assassin's Creed: Valhalla

Developer Ubisoft has restored this history-themed action-adventure series to its former glory with a new version based on the Viking invasion of Britain. The Ultimate Edition includes a season pass for PS5 as well as a bonus mission entitled The Legend of Beowulf.

In Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, you control Eivor, a Viking raider who fights with axes, swords, and shields as he finds himself embroiled in the long-running conflict between the Brotherhood of Assassins and the Templar Order. The game takes you from the beautiful shores of Norway to epic raids along the English coast where every choice you make–from political alliances and combat strategy to dialogue and gear progression–brings you a step closer to glory.

Top PS5 features:

• Plays at 60 frames per second for a smoother experience than previous editions in the series
• Enhanced visuals bring the scenery of Dark Ages England to life
• Reduced number of bugs and glitches compared to PS4 version

7. Bugsnax

From independent game studio Young Horses, Bugsnax is the second completely original game to appear on our list (after The Pathless). This is a light-hearted first-person adventure game in which players journey around Snaktooth Island in search of more than 100 Bugsnax species.

In this game, you will explore the diverse biomes of Snaktooth Island to track down and reunite the inhabitants of Snaxburg; stuff your new friends with Bugsnax (i.e., bugs) to customize them with new looks; and follow hints to reveal the mysteries of Snaktooth Island.

Top PS5 features:

• Controller sounds: When you catch a Bugsnak, the controller says its name
• Extra content for PS Plus subscribers
• Activity Cards: Instructions each time you resume the game to help you pick up where you left off

8. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War

The 18th title in the Call of Duty series drops players into the critical Cold War years of the early 1980s. Perfect for fans of the historical fiction gaming genre, your job is to unveil a global conspiracy being led by a shadowy figure on a mission to destabilize the global balance of power and alter history.

The game comes with dedicated Warzone Season Bundles. Season One, released upon the game’s launch, takes players through various multiplayer maps–from The Pines shopping mall in New Jersey all the way to a festival Nuketown ’84 Holiday map. Season One features new free weapons including the super-high fire rate Mac 10 SMG and the versatile Groza Assault Rifle. Gunfight Mode features a 2v2 battle to the death in four brand new Gunfight maps.

Top PS5 features:

• Zombies Surge Mode: One-year exclusive access to this take on classic Zombies gameplay, complete with limited time events, leaderboards, and dedicated trophies
• Battle Pass Bonus: PlayStation players that purchase the $20 Battle Pass Bundle receive an additional 5 tier skips
• PlayStation Party Bonus: Play together in parties to receive +25% bonus weapon XP

9. Godfall

Godfall has received mixed reviews but earns a spot on our list as the best of the new looter-shooter PS5 games in 2021. In this fantasy action role-playing game game, you face missions that reward you with loot when you vanquish the armies standing in your way.

The best thing about Godfall is that you can play it alone or with up to two other players. Bosses and enemies have been designed with co-op in mind, equipped with special abilities that counter multiple players attacking from different angles.

Top PS5 features:

• Full HDR brings the fantasy world of Godfall to light
• Haptic feedback: Feel the terrain shift beneath your feet as you attack and dodge the enemies around you
• Adaptive triggers: Feel the impact of warhammers and swords clashing with each other

10. NBA 2K21

We never fail to be blown away by how realistic the NBA 2K series keeps getting since the original release in 1999. This next-gen version pays homage to the late Kobe Bryant, with a ‘Mamba Forever’ limited edition featuring extra tokens, MyTEAM Promo Packs, MyTEAM Cards, and a special digital collection devoted to the Lakers legend.

With improvements to its graphics and gameplay, competitive and community online features, and varied game modes, NBA 2K21 takes you as close to the action as you can get.

Top PS5 features:

• Range of modes: Limited, Unlimited, Triple Threat, Domination, and more
• MyTEAM mode: Build your own team of current and former NBA players to compete across game modes
• Enhanced vibration function and trigger effects

Enhanced Visuals, Feedback, and Triggers

The best new PS5 games prove what the critics have been saying: that PlayStation has closed the gap with the best gaming PCs. With enhanced visuals, feedback, and triggers, the top PS5 games in {year} deliver a more immersive PlayStation experience than ever before. As usual, a PS Plus subscription enhances your experience and lets you join multiplayer games.