If you’ve just picked up (or been gifted) a PS5 (or PS5 Pro) console this holiday season, welcome to the club! You’re a little late to the PS5 party, but that’s actually a good thing. Over the past four years, Sony’s flagship console has built up a very strong library with the best PS5 games including picks suitable for just about every gaming taste so you've plenty to catch up on. And that’s before you consider that the PS5 is compatible with (almost) every PS4 title.
Once you’ve hooked up your PS5 console to your television and completed the initial startup process (a weirdly enjoyable experience, in this writer’s opinion), it’s time to decide which PS5 games to play first. However, knowing where to begin can be overwhelming with so many choices. That's why I’ve created this guide covering five essential PS5 games that make for an ideal starting point.
These are not the only PS5 games worth playing, but each one showcases the console’s capabilities in some way making them great introductions to the world of PS5 gaming. So, let’s dive into the five PS5 games you should play first on your new console…
Astro Bot
Every PS5 comes with a preinstalled copy of Astro’s Playroom. This two-hour experience is an effective taster showcasing the console’s performance power and the unique features of the DualSense controller. But if Astro’s Playroom is the appetizer, then Astro Bot is the full meal. This recent Game of the Year winner at The Game Awards 2024 is not just a celebration of all things PlayStation, but a phenomenal platformer that can rival even Mario's best.
You play as the pint-sized hero on a mission across the galaxy to recuse your robot pals (some dressed up as iconic gaming characters), and each diverse level is bursting with creative ideas and secret collectibles to find. Most exciting are the stages themed around a specific PlayStation title like God of War or Uncharted. Astro Bot’s colorful visuals also look stunning on PS5, and the DualSense controller is again used to great effect simulating various sensations from walking across sand to the rumble of an active volcano. Regardless of age, Astro Bot is a must-play PS5 game that serves as a reminder of how joyful gaming can be.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is a supremely confident sequel. Developer Insomniac Games crafted not just one of the best superhero games of all time, but one of the best pieces of Spidey media ever. Building upon the framework laid out by its PS4 predecessor, Spider-Man 2 lets you play as two Spider-Man — Peter Parker and Miles Morales — as they grapple with some of their toughest challenges yet including the appearance of a mysterious symbiote suit that offers destructive new powers, but at a serious personal cost for Parker.
The biggest draw in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is the highly cinematic campaign that packs a bit of everything from playful comedy to dramatic character moments. And when you’re not locked in a battle against Kraven the Hunter and Venom, you can explore a newly expanded New York City. Swinging through the skyscrapers of Manhattan remains exhilarating but you can now glide through Brooklyn and Queens with your trusty web-wings. If you’re new to PlayStation’s take on the webhead make sure to play Spider-Man Remastered and Spider-Man Miles Morales first.
The Last of Us Part 1
If you’ve upgraded to a PS5 from a PS4 (or even a PS3) then you’ve probably already played The Last of Us. This 2013 Naughty Dog-developed title is often listed among the greatest video games ever made and was already remastered for Sony’s fourth-generation console. But, The Last of Us Part 1 is the definitive way to experience Joel and Ellie’s cross-country journey, and trust me, it holds up on replay. A decade later it’s still a clear masterpiece.
The Last of Us Part 1 is a from-the-ground-up remake of the original. There are no narrative additions (though the excellent Left Behind DLC chapter is included), but nearly every visual aspect of the game has been improved. Plus, there are some minor gameplay changes to make combat encounters smoother than ever. I’d label this remake an essential experience even for veteran TLOU players, but it’s even more of a must-play for newcomers who haven’t had the chance to endure (and survive) The Last of Us before.
Returnal
Returnal is one of the PS5’s true console exclusives and a seriously underrated game in the system’s library. Players looking for a challenging experience (that isn’t Demon’s Souls) will want to pick up this sci-fi shooter that combines a rogue-lite structure with bullet-hell gameplay. And yes, that mixture is just as intoxicating in practice as it sounds on paper. But just be warned, Returnal puts up a fight and will punish players without quick reaction times.
In Returnal, you play an astronaut who has crash-landed on a mysterious hostile planet. If being stranded on an alien world full of nightmarish creatures wasn’t bad enough, you’re also stuck in a time loop. Every time you die, you reawaken at the crash site and must again set out to take on the planet’s many threats and get closer to the truth of the loop. The ambiguous story will frustrate some players, but even if the narrative doesn’t hook you, the fast-paced gameplay that involves dodging around leon-bright bullets will.
Helldivers 2
Helldivers 2 was one of the breakout hits of 2024, and the obvious choice for any PS5 owner looking to engage in some co-op action on their shiny new console. A sequel that is bigger and better than its small-scale predecessor in almost every way, Helldivers 2 sees you squad up with up to three other players and drop onto the surface of various sprawling planets to complete randomly generated objectives that contribute to a large-scale war effort.
Developer Arrowhead has nailed the third-person shooting fundamentals. Picking up a high-powered rifle and firing a volley of bullets feels satisfying. However, what makes Helldivers 2 so special is its propensity for chaos. Friendly fire is enabled by default, and you’ll often end up doing more damage to your allies than enemies when calling in an airstrike to decimate your foes. But rather than this becoming frustrating it’s all part of Helldiver 2’s immense charm. Plus, you’ll be compelled to play this one for dozens of hours as there are tons to unlock including weapons, outfits, base upgrades and more.
Do I need PlayStation Plus?
Booting up your PS5, one of the first questions you’ll be greeted with is whether you want to sign up for PlayStation Plus. There are three unique tiers, but the base level is PlayStation Essential for $10 per month (or $79 per year). Essential membership gives you access to online multiplayer (you can play offline without PlayStation Plus), cloud save features, exclusive PlayStation Store discounts and a rotating selection of monthly games.
The next tier up is Extra ($15 per month, $100 per year), this gives you all the above alongside access to a large catalog of more than 400 PS5 and PS4 games including The Last of Us Part 1 and Returnal. Finally, there’s Premium ($18 per month, $120 per year) which gives you all that alongside the “Classics Catalog” which includes select PS1, PS2, PS3 and PSP games all playable on the PS5 (though some only via cloud streaming).
PlayStation Plus Extra or Premium offers a great way to get access to hundreds of games for a single monthly cost but recently released games usually take a while to find their way into the subscription library (if at all). If you want a more comprehensive breakdown of the differences, see our full PlayStation Plus Essential vs. Extra vs. Preminium guide.
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