5 PS5 Pro Enhanced games you need to play first

DualSense Controller and PS5 Pro in front of a TV screen
(Image credit: Future / Tom's Guide)

The PS5 Pro has arrived, offering the very best play experience possible across loads of the best PS5 games. In fact, Sony has confirmed more than 50 games that are PS5 Pro Enhanced from Day One (aka launch day, November 7). These PS5 titles have each been boosted by the Pro’s extra horsepower. That may be a framerate bump, a resolution boost or even new ray tracing features courtesy of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR).

With so many PS5 Pro Enhanced games already confirmed (and the list is rapidly growing), you might be struggling to decide which to play first on your shiny new PlayStation console. I was lucky enough to get access to the PS5 Pro a little early, and have been working my way through the list of PS5 Pro Enhanced titles. While I’ve been generally impressed with (almost) every game I’ve tried on the PS5 Pro, these are the five that wowed me the most.

Before diving into my picks, I will note that these are the games that I think best showcase the additional power of the PS5 Pro — not necessarily my favorite PS5 games that are Pro Enhanced. But, in a happy coincidence, all five are pretty fantastic experiences too.

5 Best PlayStation 5 Pro Games To Play First! | Setup Essentials - YouTube 5 Best PlayStation 5 Pro Games To Play First! | Setup Essentials - YouTube
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Demon’s Souls

Demon's Souls screenshot

(Image credit: PlayStation Store)

Bluepoint Games' stunning remake of FromSoftware’s cult classic Demon’s Souls was the best showcase of the base PS5’s power at launch, and four years later, it remains a technical marvel that is now even prettier on the PS5 Pro.

One of the key reasons to try Demon’s Souls first on the PS5 Pro is that you get the resolution bump of the PS5’s Fidelity mode but at 60fps rather than the previous cap of 30fps. In a challenging game like Demon’s Souls, where every frame matters, playing in Performance mode was a near requirement, so the new Pro mode which offers the best of both worlds, is a chance to see Boletaria at its most visually striking, but without having to pay the price of a reduced framerate.


Demon's Souls: was $69 now $43 @ Amazon

Demon's Souls: was $69 now $43 @ Amazon
Long before Elden Ring, Bloodborne and Dark Souls, From Software released Demon's Souls, the first Souls title to truly establish the core gameplay loop that has taken the gaming world by storm. For the current generation, Sony had Bluepoint develop this faithful, beautiful remaster, which improves on the original title and updates it with amazing overhauled graphics, new weapons, and items. 

Alan Wake 2

Alan Wake 2 screenshot

(Image credit: Remedy Entertainment)

Alan Wake 2 was already a highly cinematic experience with several sequences that looked darn near photorealistic, especially if you happened to play this game on an OLED television where the blacks could get really dark.

It’s fair to say that Alan Wake 2 didn’t exactly need an image quality bump, but it’s the perfect title to showcase the ray tracing capabilities of the PS5 Pro. Head to the Oh Deer Diner in Bright Falls town portion of the game, and you’ll find yourself losing several minutes just walking back and forth in front of the windows gawping at the lifelike reflections.


Alan Wake 2 (Deluxe Edition): $79 @ Amazon

Alan Wake 2 (Deluxe Edition): $79 @ Amazon
A sequel more than a decade in the making, Alan Wake 2 sees the eponymous novelist return following the cliffhanger ending of the previous game. This time you also play as a police detective, Saga Anderson, investigating a murder that spirals into a nightmare journey. This Deluxe Edition of Alan Wake 2 includes its two DLC expansions: Night Springs and The Lake House, alongside a digital copy of the also excellent Alan Wake Remastered.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Spider-Man 2 screenshot

(Image credit: Sony)

Speaking of the PS5 Pro’s ray tracing features, in swings Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. This superhero sequel is one of the very best PS5 exclusives, and the development wizards at Insomniac had already squeezed out seemingly every modicum of power from the base PS5. So they’ve taken the extra oomph of the PS5 Pro to make each reflective surface in the game’s New York City maps — and there’s a heck of a lot of skyscrapers wrapped in glass here — more accurately reflect the world around them. Plus, thanks to the PS5 Pro, we finally got the reflective puddles we were promised in 2017.

Spider-Man 2 was already a game I returned to often just to web-swing around NYC, and thanks to the PS5 Pro, virtual sightseeing as Spidey has never been more appealing.


Marvel's Spider-Man 2: was $69 now $62 @ Walmart

Marvel's Spider-Man 2: was $69 now $62 @ Walmart
The latest Spider-Man adventure on PS5 sees Peter Parker and Miles Morales web-swinging into action for another stellar superhero romp that plays across Marvel's New York. Swap between the Spider-Men and deploy their new powers as you take on new villains from Spidey's rogues' gallery in this excellent action game that looks truly stunning on PS5 Pro.

The Last of Us Part I

The Last of Us Part I screenshot

(Image credit: Sony)

The Last of Us Part I (or, alternatively, The Last of Us Part II Remastered) is a great game to choose to observe the image quality upgrade made possible by the PS5 Pro. During my initial testing session with the Pro, I selected the Bill’s Town section of the game and spent almost 30 minutes just aiming down the sights of my pistol and spotting all the places where textures had gone from slightly fuzzy on the standard PS5 to laser-sharp on the PS5 Pro. This was particularly notable on overgrown flora coming through cracks in the concrete sidewalks.

Of course, the only problem with dipping into The Last of Us Part I to check out the glorious upscaled 4K quality (a feat that comes courtesy of PSSR) is stepping back into this world will have you itching to replay the entire game again.


The Last of Us Part 1: was $69 now $45 @ Amazon

The Last of Us Part 1: was $69 now $45 @ Amazon
Completely rebuilt from the ground up to take full advantage of the PS5 console, The Last of Us Part 1 is a stunning remake of the PS3 original. It includes the full original game as well as its DLC chapter Left Behind. This is the idea pick for fans of the HBO show, or returning players looking to experience Joel and Ellie's first adventure all over again.

Horizon Zero Dawn: Remastered

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered screenshot

(Image credit: Guerrilla Games / Sony)

The recently released Horizon Zero Dawn: Remastered is an unexpectedly fantastic redux of one of the best PS4 games. Arguably bordering on a full remake (rather than merely a remaster), Horizon Zero Dawn has never looked this good, regardless of whether you play on PS5 Pro or a base PS5 model.

While I’ve only briefly returned to the game’s future earth that has been reclaimed by nature, and overrun with robotic creatures, it offers some stunning vantage points that allow you to see the PS5 Pro’s additional power being put to good use. It’s also got some of the very best lighting effects I’ve seen on PS5 Pro yet.


Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered: $49 @ Amazon

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered: $49 @ Amazon
Horizon Zero Dawn has been freshly remastered for the PS5 and PS5 Pro to bring it up to the visual standards of its next-gen sequel, Horizon Forbidden West. This is not cheap coat of paint either. Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered looks fantastic with a significant graphical upgrade to an already very pretty original game. In Horizon you play a hunter named Aloy surviving on a future earth that has been overrun with colossal robotic machines.

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Rory Mellon
Entertainment Editor (UK)

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team.