The Best Sony PlayStation 5 Games for 2023

Astro’s Playroom may be a free PlayStation 5 pack-in title, but it’s still one of the best games on the system. Building upon Team Asobi’s great work on past Astro Bot games, this 3D platformer takes you through PlayStation’s rich history, from a museum dedicated to the PS1 to a demonstration of all the innovative, immersive haptic features you’ll enjoy with the PS5 DualSense controller.

Virtual reality may still be a somewhat niche category, but PlayStation 5 owners have access to pretty phenomenal VR experiences thanks to the PlayStation VR 2 headset. If you’re looking for a PS VR2 game to really stimulate your senses, check out C-Smash VRS. This reimagining of a niche Japanese Dreamcast game turns the simple game of squash into a mind-bending journey through space and time, thanks to hypnotic visuals and music. So dive in and get your racket ready.

Back in 2009, the PS3-exclusive Demon’s Souls birthed an entirely new genre of inscrutable, brutally difficult action-RPGs. Without it, we wouldn’t have Dark Souls, Bloodborne, or the recently released Elden Ring. Now, Bluepoint Games has remade FromSoftware’s original nightmare. Enjoy the same great punishment with a shiny, new coat of PS5 paint.

After severing ties with Konami, Metal Gear mastermind Hideo Kojima let his freak flag truly fly with Death Stranding. This is a game where Norman Reedus carries a baby in a jar to rebuild America by delivering packages and defeating time ghosts. The PS5 Director’s Cut spruces up the graphics, tweaks a few mechanics, and adds new story missions. But we’re really just here for more Mads Mikkelsen.

You know what you’re getting into when you play an Arkane game. Titles like Dishonored and Prey give you fascinating powers that let you creatively approach and disrupt their intricately designed clockwork worlds. Deathloop takes this to the next level. Trapped on an island caught in a time loop, you play as an assassin who must figure out how to murder all your targets in one day. Through repeated runs, you gain the skills and knowledge necessary to make time itself bend to your will.

Devil May Cry invented the “stylish action” genre by letting you slash and shoot your way through hordes of monsters, while looking as cool as possible. This next-gen Devil May Cry 5 upgrade shows why no franchise (except for maybe Bayonetta) does the genre better. Swap between different characters (Dante, Nero, and V), each with their own unique demon-slaying powers. The underworld doesn’t stand a chance.

Square Enix’s beloved role-playing franchise radically reinvents itself once again with Final Fantasy XVI. With its dark medieval story and action-packed combat, this game takes more inspiration from Game of Thrones and Devil May Cry than past entries. But there’s nothing wrong with change, and FF16’s tremendous sense of scale makes it worth checking out, no matter your prior Final Fantasy history.

Sony returns to its Japanese roots with Ghost of Tsushima, a majestic open-world action-adventure set during the Mongol invasions of the 13th century. Travel through windswept fields pulled straight out of Kurosawa movies. Engage in precise sword duels and stealthy takedowns. This PS5 upgrade even adds an entirely new region, Iki Island, to explore.

Kratos may be an iconic game hero, but the 2018 God of War reboot miraculously turned the wrathful god into an actual character instead of just an avatar of divine destruction. God of War Ragnarok delivers more of the same as Kratos and his son Atreus face fend off more Norse gods as the end of days approaches. The already stellar combat system gains new depth and creativity, while the vast levels look even more stunning as they’re presented as a single take.

Microsoft’s Forza series is a great driving franchise, but the original king of “racing sim you’d swear is real” remains Sony’s Gran Turismo. After Gran Turismo Sport disappointed on PS4, Gran Turismo 7 brings us back to Polyphony Digital’s traditional racing roots with the GT Simulation Mode campaign. Vehicles, tracks, and weather effects look more gorgeous than ever on next-gen hardware. Just start practicing before the AI drivers beat us to the finish line.

With Horizon Zero Dawn, developer Guerilla Games proved it could do more than just pump out boring Killzone sequels. Horizon Forbidden West, the next-gen sequel, takes us back to this fascinating sci-fi world where human tribes live alongside robot dinosaurs. Explore the lush environment with revamped movement mechanics, and take out foes with a variety of combat options. If you wanted more Horizon, but with a bigger scope and better gameplay, this is it.

Despite its beautiful, next-gen visuals, Kena: Bridge of Spirits harkens back to action-adventure games of an earlier era. Journey across the world as Kena, a spirit guide who partners with magical critters called Rot to cleanse a corrupted land. A healthy mix of combat, platforming, puzzle-solving, and Pixar-quality graphics make this an adventure anyone can get into.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse showed the world that Miles Morales is the future when it comes to web-slinging. Now you can play as Miles in this standalone follow-up to Insomniac’s acclaimed PS4 Spider-Man game. Swing through Harlem, fight bad guys with your electricity and invisibility powers, and just look dope. 

After years of working closely with Insomniac, Sony recently bought the developer. The latest Ratchet and Clank game shows why this was a smart investment. Like previous entries, you’ll still zip around sci-fi worlds shooting wacky weapons. But thanks to the PS5’s SSD, you can warp between entire dimensions in a matter of milliseconds. The living cartoon is an absolute visual feast.

Returnal combines indie, roguelike sensibilities with gorgeous, AAA production quality. This unforgiving third-person shooter almost turns into a bullet hell as you bob and weave to survive alien onslaughts. Tight controls mean that every death is your fault, but each failure also brings you closer to sweet victory. 

We could argue about whether or not The Last of Us needed another full-priced release, but if you haven’t played Naughty Dog’s seminal survival-shooter, you might as well start with this PS5 remake. Ellie and Joel’s trek through the post-apocalypse remains a somber meditation on loss and brutal human nature. Plus, it’ll get you up to speed before the HBO show drops.

The Pathless is the perfect palette cleanser for the huge AAA games that increasingly dominate gaming with each passing generation. In this artsy indie game, use fluid movement mechanics to propel yourself through the abstract environments. Hunt bosses with your bow and arrow, and solve puzzles to lift the curse on the land.