The PlayStation 5 has slowly gathered a collection of exclusive games that consistently push the medium forward. The experience of playing any PS5 game, be it a first-party exclusive or a third-party title, is bolstered by the console's excellent controller. While the PS5 is almost halfway into its life cycle, PlayStation Studios and other developers continue to push the console to new territories.
The PS5 can also play games from the PS4 generation, and enhance the experience with improved frame rates and resolutions. Most PS5 games also utilize its SSD for near instant loading, so you never have to check your phone after failing a boss fight. If you've got your hands on a PS5 Pro, you can expect these games to look and run even better thanks to the console's game boost feature. Games designed exclusively for the PS5 always bring something new to the table, and here are the best ones – according to us and review score aggregators like Metacritic – you should play if you've bought the console.
Astro Bot
Astro's Playroom is included for free with every PS5, and it's still the best game to show off the console's capabilities, or at least it was until now. Astro Bot, the full-fledged sequel to Astro's Playroom, pushes the console's immersive features further. The eponymous PlayStation mascot has already charmed its way into our hearts, and it helps that it is also one of the best 3D platformers of the generation. Don't pass on this 10-30 hour adventure. It won the game of the year award in 2024, and that's commendable given how packed the year was for top tier video games.
Demons' Souls
Demon's Souls is technically a PS3 game that got a nice coat of paint for the PS5 remake, but that doesn't stop it from being one of the best on the console. While it was a launch title for the PS5, it still smokes most modern triple-A games with its pretty graphics and fast loading. That latter part comes in handy in a game where you'll die a lot, but at least you'll do so at a silky smooth 60fps.
Returnal
Returnal expertly balances Housemarque's arcade bullet hell shooter legacy with a premium third-person story-driven experience. If you're a fan of time loops and alien worlds, then Returnal is made for you. It uses the Dualsense controller's haptics and adaptive triggers better than most PlayStation games, and its roguelike gameplay loop will keep you hooked for hours.
Silent Hill 2
Bloober Team's remake of Silent Hill 2 pays homage to the original while expanding on its themes and gameplay mechanics. The new third-person camera lets players view its ambiguous narrative from a new, more personal angle. Being a PS5 console exclusive that utilizes its hardware and controller to the fullest effect, Silent Hill 2 immerses players deeper than ever in its fog-filled purgatory.
Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2 is the type of live service game that one can't help but respect. Its monetization scheme is the last thing you'll think of when shooting at giant bugs while an aerial missile strike obliterates the map. It's the perfect homage to Starship Troopers. Its biting satire is complimented by engaging mechanics like the stratagems. The community-focused narrative ensures players always have their sights on the main objective, like defeating the Automatons or alien zombies.
Spider-Man 2
In Spider-Man 2, you don't just swing across the skyscrapers of New York, but you can glide between them. The game uses the PS5's blazing-fast SSD to add extra momentum to Spidey's moves, making it the closest analog to a Flash or Superman game. You also get to control two Spider-Men, and while the symbiote storyline isn't inventive, it pays homage to classic Spider-Man stories with a bombastic finale.
God of War Ragnarok
God of War: Ragnarok builds upon the foundation of the 2018 reboot by offering a larger variety of enemies and deeper combat options. It looks and plays well at 60fps, and includes a few twists in its gameplay mechanics that we haven't seen before in the franchise. The RPG-inspired customization systems have also been overhauled, so you're always incentivized to change your offensive and defensive weapons. It's a grand Norse epic that resolves the reboot's narrative threads and deserves your full attention.
Horizon Forbidden West
Horizon: Forbidden West may be the best-looking PS5 game out there. Sure, it's technically also available on PS4, but Guerrilla Games pushes the PS5 by offering extra detail on every character, weapon, costume, foliage, robot, and everything else. It also has a more interesting story that explores the history of advanced humans who fled the planet before the robot dinosaurs took over, with a cool twist that we won't spoil here. Forbidden West features more diversity in its biomes, though the open-world design is a little tiresome.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
Insomniac's Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart was another early PS5 exclusive that utilized the Dualsense controller well. It has a simple, but charming story with an equally colorful cast of characters, and it's a total stunner. Many have equated Rift Apart to being a playable Pixar movie, but its gameplay is also rewarding. There are plenty of gadgets to use that have different, cartoonish effects on enemies, and jumping through portals to instantaneously travel across the levels never gets old.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth makes the first game look like a tech demo. It includes a vast, but not overwhelming open world with plenty of quests to tackle without losing sight of the central story. While it's a retelling, it's also a meta-sequel that will keep you guessing about the fate of its cast. The addition of Zack to the world of FF7 is delightful, though it leaves you wanting more. Rebirth's best moments are between its characters during side quests, and it's one you can't skip if you're an OG FF7 fan.
Final Fantasy 16
Final Fantasy 16 takes a different path from previous entries. Its story is grand and harkens back to the days of medieval fantasy entries, but its gameplay is frenetic resulting in some stunning combat encounters. Its only issue is the mediocre side quests, but the fantastic boss encounters more than make up for it. You only get to control Clive in this one, and the absence of proper party members detracts from the experience for older Final Fantasy fans.
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