The best PS5 game to play right now in 2026 is Astro Bot — it won multiple Game of the Year awards in 2024 and is the most purely joyful game on the platform. If you prefer open-world action, Elden Ring with its Shadow of the Erdtree expansion is the most content-rich experience you can buy. And if you want to see what the PS5 Pro does at its best, Silent Hill 2 and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth are both spectacular.
This is a fully updated 2026 list. We’ve replaced the outdated 2023 picks (FIFA 21 and the launch lineup) with the games that actually define the PS5’s library right now — covering exclusives, multiplatform standouts, indie gems, and titles that use the DualSense controller in ways you won’t forget.
Best PS5 Games 2026 — Quick Reference
| Game | Best For | Genre | Approx. Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astro Bot | Best overall / best platformer | 3D Platformer | 15–20 hrs |
| Elden Ring + Shadow of the Erdtree | Best RPG / most content | Action RPG | 100+ hrs |
| Silent Hill 2 (2024) | Best horror | Survival Horror | 8–12 hrs |
| Final Fantasy VII Rebirth | Best JRPG | JRPG | 80–100 hrs |
| God of War Ragnarök | Best story / action | Action Adventure | 25–40 hrs |
| Stellar Blade | Best action combat | Action RPG | 25–30 hrs |
| Spider-Man 2 | Best superhero game | Action Adventure | 20–25 hrs |
| Death Stranding 2 | Most unique experience | Action Adventure | 50–60 hrs |
| Balatro | Best indie / most addictive | Roguelike Card | Endless |
| Demon’s Souls Remake | Best Soulslike showcase | Action RPG | 30–50 hrs |
The Best PS5 Games Right Now — Full Reviews
1. Astro Bot — Best PS5 Game Overall
Astro Bot won Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024 and deserved every vote. Team Asobi built an entire 3D platformer around celebrating PlayStation history — dozens of robot characters based on iconic PlayStation characters fill the worlds, and every level uses the DualSense in creative, tactile ways that feel like genuine magic. The haptic feedback when crawling through mud feels different from rain, which feels different from striking metal — it’s the best demonstration of what the DualSense can actually do.
Even without the nostalgia, Astro Bot is the most inventive 3D platformer since Super Mario Odyssey. It’s joyful, endlessly creative, and genuinely challenging in its later levels. A must-play whether you’ve owned every PlayStation console or this is your first.
Genre: 3D Platformer | Length: 15–20 hrs | PS5 Exclusive
2. Elden Ring + Shadow of the Erdtree — Best RPG
Elden Ring is the most celebrated game of the modern era — FromSoftware’s open-world action RPG sold over 25 million copies and redefined what the genre could be. The Shadow of the Erdtree expansion (released June 2024) adds a completely new region the size of the base game’s mid-section with new bosses, weapons, abilities, and story content. Together they represent over 100 hours of some of the best combat design, world-building, and exploration in gaming history.
If you’ve been intimidated by the difficulty reputation: the PS5 version runs at locked 60fps with fast load times, making deaths feel like learning moments rather than frustrating interruptions. You can also summon NPC allies and other players to help with difficult bosses.
Genre: Action RPG | Length: 60–100+ hrs | Multiplatform
3. Silent Hill 2 (2024 Remake) — Best Horror Game
Bloober Team’s remake of Silent Hill 2 exceeded every expectation. Taking the most beloved survival horror game ever made and rebuilding it with modern graphics and over-the-shoulder combat, the remake preserves everything that made the original terrifying — the fog, the symbolism, the psychological horror of James Sunderland’s journey — while making it accessible to players who couldn’t get past the original’s dated controls. The new combat system adds meaningful interaction without undermining the tension.
On PS5 Pro, the game runs at 4K with ray-traced reflections that make the fog and wet surfaces genuinely unsettling in a way earlier hardware couldn’t achieve. The definitive version of a legendary game.
Genre: Survival Horror | Length: 8–12 hrs | PS5 Console Exclusive at launch
4. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth — Best JRPG
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second part of Square Enix’s three-part remake of Final Fantasy VII, and it’s one of the most ambitious games ever made. Starting immediately after Remake’s events, Rebirth opens the world dramatically — you explore iconic locations from the original game (Junon, Costa del Sol, Cosmo Canyon, the Gold Saucer) in a massive open world with Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, Barrett, Red XIII, Yuffie, and Cait Sith as a full party. The combat blends real-time action with strategic ATB command inputs in a hybrid system that works brilliantly.
At 80–100 hours for a thorough playthrough, it’s the longest first-party PlayStation experience this generation. The ending is genuinely surprising even for fans of the original.
Genre: JRPG | Length: 80–100 hrs | PS5 Console Exclusive
5. God of War Ragnarök — Best Story and Action
God of War Ragnarök is the sequel to 2018’s God of War and continues Kratos and Atreus’s story through the Norse apocalypse. Nine realms to explore, masterclass combat that expands on the original with the Draupnir spear and improved shield mechanics, and a narrative that deals with themes of legacy, trauma, and chosen destiny in ways that genuinely land emotionally. The father-son dynamic between Kratos and Atreus reaches a satisfying conclusion across approximately 25 hours of main story.
The Valhalla DLC (free, released 2023) adds a roguelike mode with excellent new story content and is highly recommended alongside the base game.
Genre: Action Adventure | Length: 25–40 hrs | PS5 / PS4
6. Stellar Blade — Best Pure Action Combat
Stellar Blade is Shift Up’s action game starring Eve, a warrior fighting through a post-apocalyptic Earth. The combat system is the highlight — a deep parry/dodge/combo framework with tight timing windows and a large arsenal of abilities that reward mastery without punishing learning. The boss fights are consistently excellent, and the world design draws from anime aesthetics in a way that makes the environments memorable. It became one of PS5’s best-selling exclusives in 2024 and has received substantial free content updates since launch.
Genre: Action RPG | Length: 25–30 hrs | PS5 Exclusive
7. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 — Best Superhero Game
Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2 lets you play as both Peter Parker and Miles Morales, switching between them seamlessly. Peter’s Symbiote abilities add aggression and power to his traditionally acrobatic combat style; Miles’s bio-electric powers remain satisfying and unique. The open-world traversal — swinging through expanded New York with the new Web Wings for gliding across long distances — is the best-feeling open-world movement in any game. The story deals with the Venom symbiote in a way that respects both the source material and Insomniac’s established continuity.
Genre: Action Adventure | Length: 20–25 hrs | PS5 Exclusive
8. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach — Most Unique Experience
Death Stranding 2 (released 2025) is Hideo Kojima’s most ambitious game — a post-apocalyptic delivery simulator with more action than the original, deeper social infrastructure mechanics, and a cast that includes Norman Reedus, Léa Seydoux, and Elle Fanning. Like the original, it defies genre categorization: part hiking simulator, part third-person shooter, part community-building game where structures you build help other players’ worlds. If you find the first game’s deliberate pace engaging, the sequel delivers more of everything that made it special.
Genre: Action Adventure | Length: 50–60 hrs | PS5 Exclusive (initially)
9. Balatro — Best Indie Game
Balatro is a poker-based roguelike card game that became one of the most successful indie games ever made. You build a deck of poker hands and joker cards to hit chip-score targets that escalate with each round — the combinations between joker effects create exponentially satisfying power escalation. The simple rules mask extraordinary depth; most players see their first hour as a tutorial and their fiftieth hour as just getting started. It’s genuinely hard to stop playing, to the point where Balatro was discussed alongside GOTY candidates in a year of massive releases.
Genre: Roguelike Card Game | Length: Endless (roguelike) | Multiplatform | Price: ~$14.99
10. Demon’s Souls Remake — Best PS5 Technical Showcase
The Demon’s Souls Remake by Bluepoint Games remains one of the most technically impressive games on PS5. Running at 4K/60fps with ray-traced lighting, it transforms the notoriously dark 2009 original into one of the best-looking games on the platform. The gameplay — precursor to Dark Souls, with five distinct worlds, demanding boss encounters, and the unique World Tendency system — is as engaging as when it first released. For players who want to experience where FromSoftware’s design philosophy began, this is the best entry point.
Genre: Action RPG | Length: 30–50 hrs | PS5 Exclusive
Honorable Mentions Worth Playing
Hogwarts Legacy — The best open-world Harry Potter game imaginable. The Wizarding World exploration and spell combat are excellent; the RPG systems are thin but serviceable. 40–60 hours of content for fans. Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut — Still one of the best-looking and most atmospheric open-world games on PS5. The Iki Island expansion adds another 10–15 hours. Returnal — The most innovative PS5-exclusive design: a bullet-hell roguelike with third-person shooter mechanics, demanding but deeply rewarding. Hades II — The sequel to the acclaimed original is in early access and already longer and more complex. One of the best roguelikes ever made.
Frequently Asked Questions About PS5 Games
What is the best PS5 exclusive game in 2026?
Astro Bot is the best PS5 exclusive in 2026 — it won multiple Game of the Year awards in 2024 and makes better use of the DualSense controller than any other game. For players who prefer longer experiences, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Spider-Man 2 are the other standout exclusives. All three are must-plays for PS5 owners.
Is the PS5 Pro worth buying in 2026?
Yes, if you have a 4K TV and regularly play PS5 exclusives. The PS5 Pro’s PSSR upscaling technology delivers noticeably better image quality and frame rates in supported games. Silent Hill 2, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and God of War Ragnarök all look and run significantly better on the Pro. If you game on a 1080p TV or primarily play multiplatform titles, the standard PS5 is sufficient.
What PS5 games use the DualSense features best?
Astro Bot is the definitive DualSense showcase — the haptic feedback and adaptive trigger effects are used more creatively than in any other game. Returnal uses the adaptive triggers for different weapon states intelligently. Spider-Man 2 uses trigger resistance for web-slinging tension. The DualSense effects in these games aren’t gimmicks — they add genuine information about what’s happening in the game world.
What are the best PS5 games for someone new to PlayStation?
Start with Astro Bot — it’s accessible, joyful, and introduces PlayStation history in a fun way. Then God of War Ragnarök for the best story experience on the platform. Then Elden Ring if you want a challenge, or Spider-Man 2 if you prefer something more action-oriented and immediately accessible. All four games represent the best of what PS5 offers to new players.
Are there free PS5 games worth playing?
Yes. Fortnite, Warzone, and Apex Legends are all free-to-play on PS5 and have active player bases. God of War Ragnarök’s Valhalla DLC is free to owners of the base game and is genuinely excellent. PlayStation Plus subscribers get monthly free games including PS5 titles — the catalog has included major releases like Returnal and Demons Souls at various points.
