Best PS5 Exclusive Games Guide 1
Image: Push Square

What are the best PS5 exclusive games? For enthusiasts and the hardcore, exclusive titles are one of the main reasons for buying a console. These experiences generally make the most of the hardware you are purchasing, and so many are considered best in class when stacked up against third-party titles.

PlayStation Studios frequently produces some of the best games in the business, and alongside publishing partnerships with external teams, PS5 is home to a variety of great console exclusives. As such, putting together a list of the best PS5 exclusive games is no easy task. However, the Push Square community has come together to rate their favourites and form the ranking you see below. This list has been rated and ranked entirely by you.

However, before we get to the list, we need to do a bit of housekeeping. The term "exclusive" has become muddied over the past generation or so. Therefore, we've expanded what games qualify for this list. If a game appears on a platform beyond PS5, it must work to these parameters in order to make it into the rankings:

Available on a Microsoft or Nintendo console
No
Available on PC
Yes
Available on PS4
Yes

With that out of the way, it's time to get to your list of the best PS5 exclusive games. If you think there's a game missing, use the search bar below to find it and then hand it your own rating. Your score might be enough to push it onto the list!

Note: Any game will need at least 50 ratings before it arrives on this page. If there's a game you feel is missing from this list, it's possible the title just hasn't been rated enough times.

Here it is, then: your list of the best PS5 exclusive games available right now.

20. Rise of the Ronin (PS5)

Rise of the Ronin is another challenging action game from Team Ninja, the makers of Nioh and Ninja Gaiden, only this time it's fully open world. The game combines cutthroat sword-fighting action with a huge chunk of historical Japan to explore, giving you various ways to get around and make the most of the setting. With some novel gameplay elements alongside numerous real faces from Japanese history, Rise of the Ronin is a unique open world experience on PS5.

19. Sackboy: A Big Adventure (PS5)

With creator Media Molecule focusing its attention elsewhere, LittleBigPlanet’s whimsical weaved hero deserved his Super Mario 3D World moment. Sackboy: A Big Adventure doesn’t pull up any trees like its predecessors, but is instead a robust co-operative platformer with some memorable musical moments. With a cutesy DIY aesthetic and some surprisingly tight action, it excels in an area that Sony has often been accused of overlooking: fun for the whole family.

18. The Nioh Collection (PS5)

Team Ninja's answer to the popular Dark Souls series is Nioh, a punishing but satisfying action RPG based on Japanese history and folklore. The Nioh Collection on PS5 brings the two titles together in one package. Fortunately, both games are excellent — fairly linear but featuring fast, deadly melee combat that has you swapping between stances to gain the upper hand. The pair of games are remastered for the up-to-date hardware, running at up to 120 frames-per-second on the right display, and support DualSense's haptics and adaptive triggers. Two cracking action titles for the price of one, and looking and playing better than ever on PS5? A no-brainer.

17. Horizon Call of the Mountain (PS5)

The headline PSVR2 launch title, Horizon Call of the Mountain is a completely new entry in Guerrilla’s imaginative post-apocalyptic universe. While the story can be difficult to follow, the gameplay – which revolves around high-rise platforming – is expertly executed, making you feel like an elite climber in an often hostile world. Beautiful, sprawling vistas and a genuinely jaw-dropping sense of scale combine for an action packed thrill ride that explores the rich potential of Sony’s new headset.

16. Stellar Blade (PS5)

Console debuts simply don’t get much stronger than Stellar Blade, a throwback combat-centric adventure that channels retro PS2 energy in all the best ways. This sturdy single player campaign has a strong visual identity, a stunning soundtrack, and some outstanding art direction. It’s also bursting with unlockable, off-the-beaten-path content, like a bunch of outfits and accessories you can unlock.

15. Helldivers 2 (PS5)

Live service executed effortlessly, Helldivers 2’s success can be attributed to Arrowhead putting gameplay ahead of business models. The game’s systemic approach means cinematic moments unfold emergently, as part of the co-operative action and physics at play. Doing your part has never felt quite so good.

14. Returnal (PS5)

Not that it needed to, but with Returnal, Housemarque has proven itself an incredibly capable studio. This PS5 exclusive is a frantic, ultra-tight third person shooter dressed up with some rogue-like elements to add variety and unpredictability to the mix, and the result is wonderful.

Trapped in a loop on a hostile alien world, Selene is forced to relive her fateful crash landing each time she dies. There's an amazing sense of accomplishment as you slowly progress through challenging boss encounters and explore six diverse environments full of randomised weapons, perks, and power-ups. It feels amazing to play, especially with amazing support for the DualSense's features, and the addictive gameplay is complemented by an enigmatic story that will leave you guessing.

The best part is that's just the start. A slew of additional modes flesh out Returnal, giving you a few extra ways to play when you're done with the single player campaign. The daily challenge mode provides all players with a fixed loadout and room layouts, with the goal of amassing the highest score possible by exploring and playing skilfully. Beyond that is the Tower of Sisyphus, an endless arcade mode that similarly tasks you with getting the highest score you can, only there's more of a sense of urgency. You're rewarded not just for skilled play but for fast play — your multiplier will start to tick down if you loiter for too long. The Tower also contains additional story, adding more layers to the mysterious narrative the main game offers.

Finally, there's two-player online co-op. This allows you to join or invite another player and go through the main campaign with a companion, potentially alleviating some of the challenge. While it isn't the primary focus of Returnal, the co-op works splendidly; resources are shared between you, forcing you to make decisions on who gets what, and a revival mechanic lets you bring each other back into the fight. It's just as much fun taking on the world of Atropos with a friend as it is alone, if not more so.

Whether you're in it for the world class gameplay, the atmospheric sci-fi setting, the intentionally mysterious story, or the variety of extra modes, Returnal is among the most robust, rewarding, and addictive games on PS5.

13. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (PS5)

There's no denying that Final Fantasy VII Remake is one of the best Final Fantasy games in years, and Intergrade is the icing on the cake. Yes, it's only one part of the story, and yes, a few of the, er, changes are going to annoy some fans forevermore, but there's a healthy helping of Final Fantasy VII magic at the heart of Remake. Whether it's in the way that the characters have been re-realised or the outstanding boss fights (and excellent combat system), charging through Remake is a rewarding experience — especially if you're big on nostalgia.

12. Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales may be shorter than its immediate predecessor, a spin-off if you like, but it’s lacking none of the character of its older, bigger brother. While Marvel’s Spider-Man did away with origin story clichés, Miles Morales is much more of a coming of age tale, as it sees the eponymous star coming to terms with his new-found powers. This is a deeply personal plot that adds depth to Insomniac Games’ wider Spider-Man universe, and it comes with some smart new gameplay wrinkles that make it a blast to play. Instant loading and sumptuous visuals are merely the frosting on the top of this wintery open world treat, which will leave you lusting after Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.

11. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (PS5)

Insomniac Games delivers an ultra-fun sequel in Marvel's Spider-Man 2. Refining pretty much everything that came before while delivering another rollicking superhero story, this is about as solid a follow-up as you could hope for. While it'll be fairly familiar if you've played the other games, new features tip it over the edge. The Web Wings are a huge boon for traversal, combat has been smartly refined, and the side content is more meaningful. It's a real crowd-pleaser, and is another shiny jewel in Sony's PS5 crown.