The Best Games To Play On PS5 Right Now

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the latest in the Assassin’s Creed saga, and it was released alongside the PS5 and runs in dynamic 4K resolution at 60fps. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla sends players to the ninth century to step into the shoes of a Viking named Eivor. As expected, Valhalla has a truly massive open world that’s littered with activities. The world-building is a step above what we’ve seen in recent entries, and combat encourages experimentation, allowing you to tackle situations as you see fit. Where Valhalla really shines is in its characterization of both Eivor and Layla, the present-day protagonist. Each character is wonderfully written, and the time-jumping storylines gel more so than in recent memory. Valhalla ties together a bunch of loose threads that were left hanging in the overarching story, making it one of the strongest entries in the series from both a narrative and gameplay perspective.

See our Assassin's Creed Valhalla review.

Astro’s Playroom may be preloaded on every PS5 console, but it’s also genuinely one of the best platformers in recent years. It’s one of the rare 3D platformers that captures a distinct charm and sense of magic as much as Super Mario. Astro’s Playroom brilliantly introduces PS5 owners to the DualSense and its myriad of new features. Throughout its more than 20 vibrant and colorful levels scattered across six worlds, Astro’s Playroom makes great use of the DualSense’s haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, which truly immerse you further into the game. It's also an ode to PlayStation history, with Easter Eggs from the games (and tech) that've made the platform iconic through the years. Astro’s Playroom is a simply delightful platformer that would be worth the full price of admission, and it’s certainly the game you should play first on PS5 to marvel at the innovation.

See our Astro's Playroom review.

While Control was a great game when it launched in 2019, it had some issues with performance on PS4, especially on base models. With the power of the PS5, Control runs amazingly well. The particle physics really pop in 4K, and the performance is silky smooth. The Ultimate edition comes with both of Control’s expansions, which expand on a story that’s full of surprises and gripping performances. In Control, you play as Jesse Faden, the new director of the Federal Bureau of Control, a secretive agency that investigates supernatural events. Control’s combat is thrilling, with a great mix of standard third-person gunplay and abilities that ooze with style. The story is thought-provoking and, at times, mind-bending. It’s also elevated by a foreboding atmosphere and beautiful art style. If you missed out on Control the first time around, you can now play it in its ideal form on PS5.

See our Control review.

Demon’s Souls kicked off this generation in style by showing what the PS5 can do. Bluepoint Games’ remake of the 2009 action-RPG that ushered in the iconic Souls series runs like a dream. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise considering Bluepoint also developed the gorgeous Shadow of the Colossus remake. That said, remaking a game with such a devoted following is risky, but thankfully, Bluepoint remained faithful to the original while drastically overhauling the visuals and overall presentation. The result is a great game made even better. Demon’s Souls’ haunting environment and dangers that lurk within are all the more present with the absurd level of detail on display here.

See our Demon's Souls review.

With Bungie planning to support sci-fi epic Destiny 2 until at least 2022, it’s not too late to jump into the online shooter. Destiny 2 looks incredible in 4K on PS5, and thankfully, loading times are greatly reduced. Plus, Destiny 2 is free to download, allowing you to play the main campaign, first two expansions, and other Year 1 content without spending a dime. Destiny 2 offers a staggering amount of variety whether you want to play solo or alongside friends, and the Crucible offers a fun competitive multiplayer experience when you’re looking to take a break from the space exploration grind. If you like what you play, you’ll want to check out the three subsequent expansions--including last year’s Beyond Light---which add a bunch of new missions and lore to the Destiny universe.

See our Destiny 2 review.

A fast-paced action game with stylish combat is the perfect candidate for a PS5 upgrade. Enter Devil May Cry 5 Special edition, the definitive console version of Capcom’s 2019 action game. DMC 5 Special edition is impressive from a technical perspective and offers three different graphics and performance settings that offer different combinations of improvements such as ray-tracing, 4K resolution, or even gameplay at up to 120fps. It also comes with the Vergil DLC, which lets you play through the game as Dante’s twin brother. Two new modes are included as well: Turbo and Legendary Dark Knight. Turbo speeds the game up, while Legendary Dark Knight adds more enemies to the fight. Overall, the technical improvements and new content make DMC 5 Special Edition worth playing even if you already beat the original on PS4. It’s one of the best action games in recent years and includes one of the deepest combo systems ever in the genre.

See our Devil May Cry 5 review.

Ghost of Tsushima was the last major exclusive to release on PS4 and made the most of the hardware since it already looked incredible and ran extremely well. The free PS5 upgrade makes the details of Tsushima’s lush open world even more rich and expressive. If you missed out on Ghost of Tsushima at the end of the PS4’s lifecycle, the upgrade, which supports gameplay at 60fps and 4K resolution, makes it look and feel like a native PS5 game. You play as Jin Sakai, a samurai who barely staves off a violent death and sets off on an adventure to thwart the first Mongol invasion of Japan. Ghost of Tsushima has great, fluid combat and well-integrated stealth mechanics. The open-world quest structure does feel fairly familiar, but all of the other aspects make it worth the occasional repetition. Outside of the campaign, there’s a surprisingly awesome co-op multiplayer mode dubbed Legends that adds numerous new layers to an already-great game.

See our Ghost of Tsushima review.

One of the most stunning PS4 games is even prettier on PS5. The recently released PS5 update adds a performance mode with 4K resolution that runs at 60fps. While God of War didn’t necessarily need an update--it’s an awesome game regardless--the higher resolution and framerate make the environments more gorgeous and the combat more fluid. God of War is one of the best PlayStation exclusives in a long time already, so it’s definitely worth revisiting or playing for the first time on PS5. God of War elevates the series to new heights thanks to a more cohesive, personal story about fathers and sons and methodical combat that still retains all the style the franchise is known for. Action game aficionados shouldn’t miss out on God of War.

See our God of War review.

IO Interactive’s Hitman reboot trilogy has proven to be one of the most inventive and interesting stealth-action series ever made. Hitman 3 caps off the World of Assassination trilogy on an all-time high note for the franchise as a whole. The hallmark of the trilogy has been player choice in intricate sandbox-style levels, and that is readily on display in Hitman 3, giving players a dizzying number of ways to tackle objectives as Agent 47. Brilliant level design is complemented by lively characters who draw you into this mesmerizing and often absurd world. Hitman 3 also places a greater emphasis on its story, which trickles down to the atmosphere to create a campaign that feels more consequential. If you haven’t played the previous two games, we’d recommend picking those up, too. Every level from the first two games can be imported into Hitman 3 with visual and gameplay enhancements.

See our Hitman 3 review.

The Ultimate Launch edition of Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales comes with the remaster of one of the best PS4 games and its impressive follow-up. The remastered version of Marvel’s Spider-Man runs wonderfully on PS5 and makes use of the powerful hardware to offer several modes that boost frame rate and visual quality. Marvel’s Spider-Man also tells a heartwarming and grounded story filled with adept characterization and superb pacing. Even if you already played the original on PS4, the remastered version is worth running through again.

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a more compact experience (think: Uncharted: Lost Legacy), but it uses the strong foundation of its predecessor well. Miles’ coming-of-age story is a joy to watch unfold, and the story has plenty of twists of turns. Together, these two games make quite the duo and should be in every PS5 library.

Though we’re still very early in the PS5’s lifecycle, Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate currently takes the crown as the best fighting game that offers a next-gen console experience. Upgraded to 4K resolution with visual enhancements and decreased load times, this really is the “ultimate” way to play NetherRealm's latest fighter. All PS4 versions of MK11 come with a free upgrade to PS5, but we’re shouting out the Ultimate edition here. It comes with both Kombat packs, adding 12 DLC fighters to an already expansive roster, and the Aftermath expansion, which features new story content. Mortal Kombat 11 is a great fighting game to play whether you’re a casual fan or know every fatality by heart. It has a wide variety of game modes and online content that will help keep the game ticking until the next NetherRealm fighting game arrives.

See our Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate review.

No game had a better comeback story last generation than No Man’s Sky, the ambitious space-exploration sim from Hello Games that originally launched in 2016. Over the past four-plus years, Hello Games has changed the narrative from unfulfilled promises to exceeding expectations. From adding a bevy of new features like base-building and space fleet management to introducing entirely new ways to play thanks to multiplayer, No Man’s Sky has become a wonderful experience. On PS5, No Man’s Sky runs in 4K at 60fps, has more detailed planets, and features better lighting and shadows. For a game that focuses on exploration and discovery, No Man’s Sky’s visual and technical improvements make it an even worthier voyage across space.

See our No Man's Sky Next review.

Few first-person shooters remain relevant for even a year after its release, but Rainbow Six Siege has managed to steadily build its popularity for nearly seven years. Siege is one of the best tactical shooters ever made thanks to brilliantly designed maps, distinct operators, superb gunplay, and heaps of depth that helps it feel fresh even after all this time. On PS5, Rainbow Six Siege has a performance mode (120fps and dynamic 4K) and resolution mode (60fps and native 4K). Siege looks better than ever on console, and the PS5’s DualSense controller also adds to impactful gunplay with its haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.

See our Rainbow Six Siege review.

Team Ninja’s Nioh series may have flown under the radar since its debut in 2017, but Dark Souls fans and those who like tough challenges in general shouldn’t miss out. Team Ninja remastered Nioh and its 2019 sequel for PS5 and compiled them in The Nioh Collection, a package with more than 100 hours of thrilling action-RPG combat and world-building. Both games are set during the Sengoku period in Japan, but they have different protagonists. Filled with demanding combat, daunting bosses, and a wide mix of weapons with unique traits, the Nioh franchise is quietly a powerhouse within the genre. Both games look great on PS5, and the collection comes with every piece of DLC, which only adds even more solid content to the already lengthy mainline adventures.

See our Nioh review and Nioh 2 review.