RS Recommends: The Best Sony PlayStation 5 Games To Play in 2024

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

At a Glance: The Best PlayStation 5 Games

The Sony PlayStation 5 had one of the most successful video game console launches of all time. The system has been sold out since the day it was released, and continues to sell out each time a store gets any stock. It’s easy to understand why. The PS5 is Sony’s first 4K-native video game console, blowing the PlayStation 4 away in terms of raw power.

If you’ve been lucky enough to get the system for yourself, or were given one as a gift, you’ll need some games to go with it. Below you’ll find the best PS5 titles you can get right now.

In This Article

What Are the Best PlayStation 5 Games?

Keep reading for our picks for the best PS5 video games to play in 2024. All picks are sold at reputable online retailers, have good reviews from game critics, and feature at least a 4/5-star rating from PS5 gamers.

1. ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man 2‘

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the follow-up to Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales — and is just as fun the first two games that came before it. You’ve got dozens of hours ahead of you as you work your way through an action-packed adventure in a hyper-realistic version of New York City.

Editor’s picks

Every Awful Thing Trump Has Promised to Do in a Second Term

The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time

The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

The 50 Worst Decisions in Movie History

This is the best PS5 game we’ve played so far. Its fast-paced combat and thoughtful story are linked to a progression system that encourages you to explore, complete side missions, and upgrade your abilities. Each new move or power expands your arsenal, offering the ability to deal with enemies and traverse the environment in a number of ways.

You’ll need a mix of stealth and combat to make your way through the game, but you get to set the balance between the two. This dynamic keeps the game fresh each time you pick up the controller.

2. ‘Elden Ring‘

Elden Ring is the newest spiritual successor of the Dark Souls series. The game is best defined as an action and adventure, role-playing game with an open-world design, similar to games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

The goal is simple: Fight your way till you achieve the Elden Lord title, a.k.a. you will die a lot. It’s not the most beginner-friendly game. Especially, if you’ve never played a Souls game before, so keep in mind you’ll need a little patience as you figure out combat moves and how to explore the map. 

The end result, however, is unbelievably rewarding as Elden Ring is an absolute masterpiece, with realistic graphics that will transport you right out of reality into a fantasy world that will have you gripping your controller with excitement for what comes next. 

3. ‘Horizon Forbidden West: Complete Edition‘

The much-anticipated sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn lived up to the hype during its initial release. Another open-world design (see the theme here?), Horizon Forbidden West combines breathtaking landscapes and an intriguing story in a nice little sci-fi package. 

Related

How to Watch 'House of the Dragon' Season 2 Online

How to Watch Gervonta "Tank" Davis vs. Frank Martin Fight Online Tonight

Your goal is to fight robotic monsters as you look for an artificial intelligence capable of terraforming — humanity’s only hope for survival. In short, your goal is to save the world, but Horizon Forbidden West is not really about the goal, it’s about your journey through a vast land filled with beaches, snow-capped mountains, lush forests, and of course, evolved robotic monsters that give earth’s most dangerous predators a run for their money.

4. ‘Sackboy: A Big Adventure‘

Sackboy: A Big Adventure is the latest entry in Sony’s popular LittleBigPlanet franchise. The kid-friendly platformer sees you navigating perilous worlds filled with long gaps, environmental hazards, and cute (but dangerous) enemies.

This title is a great introduction to video games for younger players, while providing a fair amount of challenge for veterans. If you’ve purchased the game on PlayStation 4, you’ll automatically have access to the PS5 version when you pick up the new console.

5. ‘MLB The Show ’24‘

MLB The Show ’24 is a baseball-simulation game that captures the romance of America’s Pastime. It also captures what it feels like to be a real Major League Baseball player with the roar of the crowd when you hit a single or a home run. The game also has an emphasis on defense this year with a new “bullet time” feature when there’s a chance for an impressive defensive impact play.

The game features all 30 teams with each team’s stadium and rosters, while MLB The Show ’24 serves as a history lesson of the Negro League before the color barrier was broken in 1946 in story mode.

6. ‘Helldivers 2‘

One of the best games of the year, Helldivers 2 has grown in massive popularity with steady and reliable online multiplayer — thanks to its fun pick-and-go and online multiplayer mechanics. While it server problems when it was first released back at the beginning of the year, Helldivers 2 has emerged as one of the best co-op (cooperative) games of the year.

Part-Starship Troopers and part-Terminator, Helldivers 2 serves up a “nice cup of Liber-Tea,” as an elite group of soldiers known as the Helldivers. You job is to kill gigantic alien bugs and kill robots with your squad of up to four players.

We like its pick-up-and-go gameplay, mechanics, and learning-curve, while joining a random group of other gamers is surprisingly pleasant and fun since everyone has one mission to “spread Managed Democracy throughout the galaxy” for the fascist Super Earth.

7. ‘Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut‘

Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut is an open-world combat-style samurai game is based (loosely) on the very real invasion of Japan by the Mongol Empire in 1274.

The visuals are the best part — imagine vast fields of flowers, lush forests and other forms of natural beauty at every corner you turn. As for the gameplay, explore the historically accurate land of Tsushima as you fight and overthrow enemies, solve quests and get stronger with the final goal of defeating the game’s cunning villain.

Plus, the Director’s Cut comes with the Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island expansion which give you an entire new island to explore on a 10-12 hour journey, making it well worth your money.

8. ‘The Last of Us, Part I & Part II‘

Trending

Chappell Roan Opens Up to Crowd: 'My Career Is Going Really Fast and It’s Hard to Keep Up'

Kate Middleton Makes First Public Appearance in Months at King's Birthday Parade

Lindsay Hubbard Says She Would Film Another Season of ‘Summer House’ With Ex Carl Radke

Black Keys' Patrick Carney Escalates Irving Azoff Feud to 'Sarcastic Tweet' Level

The Last of Us, Parts 1 & 2 elevates the post-apocalyptic zombie genre with nuance, pure emotion, and just a little subversion. In fact, the storytelling in the game is so expertly told that it’s now a successful TV adaptation with eight Emmy Awards on HBO.

The story starts at the beginning of a mysterious outbreak that finds Joel, his brother Tommy, and his daughter Sarah trying to escape Austin, Texas. However, during the frenzy, Sarah is shot by a soldier and dies. It picks up 20 years later and the world is overrun with zombie-like creatures, while the fate of humanity is with a little girl named Ellie. Joel must travel and protect Ellie at all cost, while the pair form a bond that will either keep them alive or dead.

We like the flow, mechanics, and combat of the game, which are designed for first-timers and advanced gamers, alike. But most of all, The Last of Us is a scary game to play, especially if you’re alone in the dark with a great gaming headset. It’s so immersive when the infected sneak up behind you.

Buying Guide; How to Pick the Best PlayStation 5 Game

There are many factors to think about when choosing the right PlayStation video games for you; below are the most important ones, which we considered while we were researching this list.

Backward Compatibility: Many PlayStation 4 games can be played natively on the PS5 thanks to a feature called backward compatibility. You can download digital versions of these games from the PlayStation store, or pop in your disc.

Genres: Different types of games appeal to different people, so we’ve made sure to include titles from the biggest genres: action-adventure, fighting, racing, and simulation.

ESRB Rating: The Electronic Software Rating Board determines which games are appropriate for which age group. It’s the equivalent of movie ratings like G, PG, PG-13, etc. Our guide contains games that span that spectrum but make sure to call out why each game has earned the rating it did.

Multiplayer vs. Single Player: We made sure to balance out the games in this guide so that single-player and multiplayer games are included. If you’re the only one in your household who plays games, the single-player titles we’ve chosen will last hundreds of hours but can be played in smaller chunks of time. If you want to play with friends and family, our multiplayer selections can be played over and over again without getting stale.

Online Play: Some games we chose require a subscription to PlayStation Plus, Sony’s subscription service. A PlayStation Plus membership allows you to play games online, and get exclusive discounts on certain titles. Sony also releases free, full PS4 and PS5 games for PlayStation Plus customers every month, which you can play for the duration of your subscription.