Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

The best PS5 exclusives

Astro Bot wears a dog backpack.
Sony Interactive Entertainment

The PlayStation 5 has finally established a respectable list of console-exclusive titles from first- and third-party developers. The best PS5 games are able to take full advantage of the PS5 hardware thanks to not needing to worry about developing for other platforms. If you want to play some of the most impressive games you can on your system, whether they’re the best multiplayer PS5 games or single-player experiences, these exclusives are the ones to check out.

In this guide, we’ll round up the very best exclusive games the system has to offer. The PS5’s exclusive library will undoubtedly grow with paid and free PS5 games throughout its life cycle, and we will update this article accordingly as more games come out.

Recommended Videos

The Last of Us Part I

The Last of Us Part I
4.5/5
M
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
Genre
Shooter, Adventure
Developer
Naughty Dog
Publisher
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release
September 02, 2022
Serving as a remake of the hit PS3 (and PS4) game, The Last of Us Part 1 is the definitive way to experience this story. Not only does it include enhanced visuals and gameplay improvements, but it also features numerous accessibility options, allowing more players to enjoy it. The Last of Us Part 1 also utilizes a handful of PS5 functionalities, such as the DualSense’s haptic feedback. Even if you’ve played the original, this enhanced edition has enough to make it worth experiencing again.
The Last of Us Part I - Announce Trailer

Marvel's Spider-Man 2

Marvel's Spider-Man 2
4.5/5
T
Platforms
PlayStation 5
Genre
Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure
Developer
Insomniac Games
Publisher
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release
October 20, 2023
The best Spider-Man game of all time was once the original Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS4. One could also make a strong argument for the shorter sequel game Miles Morales, but now that Spider-Man 2 is here and elevating everything from both games, there’s no contest. The city is bigger, the traversal far improved with the same amazing swinging plus a wingsuit, snappy combat, and an even more engrossing story. The game doesn’t overstay its welcome, and even fixes the minor complaints people had with some of the side activities for the first game. Whether you’re a Spidy fan or not, this game should not be missed.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - PlayStation Showcase 2021: Reveal Trailer | PS5

Astro Bot

Astro Bot
4.5/5
Platforms
PlayStation 5
Genre
Platform, Adventure
Developer
Team Asobi
Publisher
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release
September 06, 2024
We got a taste of things to come with Astro’s Playroom as a pack-in title on the PS5, but even that couldn’t fully prepare us for how delightful Asto Bot would be. This game hits the levels of the best Mario games with its creative levels, tight platforming, intuitive controls, charming personality, and hundreds of Bots referencing characters from the entire PlayStation library and beyond. It doesn’t overstay its welcome and only uses a new mechanic for as long as it has new ways to let you use it before moving on. The DualSense integration is also on full display here. It is simply impossible to play this game without a smile on your face and we pray to get more games like it.
Astro Bot - Announcement Trailer | PS5 Games

Demon's Souls

Demon's Souls
87%
M
Platforms
PlayStation 5
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Hack and slash/Beat 'em up
Developer
Bluepoint Games
Publisher
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release
November 12, 2020
Speaking of Demon’s Souls, this is one of the highlights of the PS5, showcasing absolutely stunning visuals made possible by Sony’s new system. This comes to us courtesy of Bluepoint Games, the team that developed the beloved Shadow of the Colossus remake, and from what we can tell, Demon’s Souls seems to be the company’s most ambitious project yet. While the level design, enemy placement, mechanics, and even movement cadence remain intact, the remake features 4K visuals built from the ground up, making it one of the most impressive-looking games ever to release on a console. It also comes with many quality-of-life improvements that make it easier to jump into, as well as slightly updated animations, and more customization options in its character creation mode. The main goal with Demon’s Souls on PS5 is to stay true to the original, while offering an experience that feels next-gen, and from what we’ve seen, it absolutely delivers on that front. Though, as with all Souls games, Demon’s Souls is tough and won’t be for everyone. Despite that, now is a great time to jump in, as it will be ripe with an online community to help you take down bosses, and is streamlined in many ways.

God of War Ragnarök

God of War Ragnarök
94%
4/5
M
Platforms
PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
Genre
Hack and slash/Beat 'em up, Adventure
Developer
SIE Santa Monica Studio
Publisher
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Release
November 09, 2022
God of War Ragnarök is everything we could have asked for from a sequel. Sure, following in the footsteps of 2018’s God of War was no easy task, but Santa Monica Studio knocked it out of the park with Ragnarök. The sequel continues the thrilling story, offering a wide range of characters, fantastic combat, and a slew of improvements over its predecessor. In many ways, Ragnarök is much larger in terms of scope, expanding upon what made the 2018 game so great. If you liked the 2018 game and want more, or if you’re a fan of action games with gripping stories, you must play God of War Ragnarök.
God Of War Ragnarok - PlayStation Showcase 2021 Reveal Trailer | PS5

All PS5 exclusives

Cloud and Sephiroth fighting.
Square Enix

These are all the current PS5 exclusives on the market, not including any of the upcoming PS5 games we will add in the future.

Jesse Lennox
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over four years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…
PowerWash Simulator’s latest seasonal update is here, and it’s festive
powerwash simulator seasonal update festive pws icerink 1920x1080 2 t37iflna

With all of the political turmoil right now, it can be hard to get in the festive spirit — but PowerWash Simulator wants to help with its latest free update, offering a Christmas-themed ice rink map to explore and clean up. You might think you've gotten your fill of that already, especially if you had to clean real-world decorations before bringing them in from the garage, but we promise that digital muck is a lot more fun to clean up than the real thing. And we'll take digital spiders over the real ones any day of the week. Grab a nice warm cup of hot chocolate, some comfortable shoes, and snuggle up for a night of the most fun cleaning you've ever done.

The update introduces a new, free DLC that comes with the ice rink area, as well as winter weather gear so that you can bundle up while on the job. The clothing includes a cleaning suit emblazoned with snowflakes, a candy cane theme for the sprayer, and more. If you've never played the game before, now's the perfect chance. The update also comes with a free demo so you can get a taste of what makes this game so relaxing to play. If you find you enjoy it, there's plenty more free DLC to check out yourself, as well as paid DLC for fans of Shrek and Warhammer: 40,000.

Read more
Sly Cooper, Jak and Daxter added to PS Plus as part of 30th anniversary
Jak and Daxter smirk at one another.

PlayStation Plus Premium is getting some new games for its Classics catalog for December, and as it's nearly time for the official PlayStation 30th anniversary, it's set to be big.

PlayStation announced the special additions to PlayStation Plus for December on Wednesday that includes three classic games: Sly 2: Band of Thieves, Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves, and Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. The company also stated in the announcement blog post that they'll have "more news on the full PlayStation Plus Game Catalog and Premium lineups later," which seems to indicate there will be even more games coming to the service.

Read more
PlayStation confirms new PS2 sales numbers to hold onto its record
A close-up of a PlayStation 2's buttons. The reset button is on top and the eject button is on the bottom.

Despite modern consoles like the Nintendo Switch continuing to rise in the charts, the PlayStation 2 is still the highest-selling video game console of all time, with new numbers confirmed Tuesday for the first time.

Sony published a console history on the PlayStation website in celebration of PlayStation's 30th anniversary, and it includes a new sales number for the PS2. This brings the total sales up to 160 million. While Nintendo always seems to be nipping at Sony's heels with the Nintendo DS and Switch, the DS still remains the second-highest-selling console at around 154 million followed immediately by the Switch at around 146 million, according to Nintendo's website.

Read more