What are the best sports games on PS5? Whether you’re the kind of person who thinks football should be played with your hands or your feet, sports games are enormously popular on PlayStation, and there’s a growing selection available on the PlayStation 5. We’re combining both arcade and simulation titles for this list, so regardless of whether a release is a replica of the real thing or a little more off-the-wall, you’ll find it on this page.
Sports games, typically, subscribe to annual release cycles, especially when it comes to the genre’s heaviest hitters, like FIFA and NBA 2K. However, not every title within has been developed in a 12 month period: Knockout City, the brilliant dodgebrawler from Velen Studios, is a tantalisingly original idea – and it took years for Activision to do justice to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, which were among some of the best games on the PS1.
The inherent nature of sports means many of the games you’ll find below have strong multiplayer suites, both online and offline. However, many of them can also be enjoyed solo, whether you’re working towards a starting quarterback gig in the Madden NFL or assembling your dream bullpen in MLB The Show. We’ve also incorporated motorsports here if you prefer clutches to cleats, and many of the best sports games on PS5 are enjoyed from the comfort of a cockpit.
Of course, the classification of these titles is one thing, but it’s up to you to determine the order. Don’t sweat it if you feel your favourite is out of place, because it’s ultimately up to you to do something about it. You’ll find a search bar below which will allow you to rate any of the PS5’s many sports games, and this list will automatically update according to your tastes.
Please do keep in mind that a title will need at least 20 ratings before it appears on this page, so if you're wondering why your favourite Japanese horse racing franchise is struggling to clear this hurdle, that could be why.
With all that said, it’s time to suit up and begin our list of best sports games on PS5. Is this a league table you can get behind?
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20. FIFA 21 (PS5)
As was the case with NBA 2K21, EA Sports took the next-gen transition from PS4 to PS5 as an opportunity to spruce up FIFA 21 in some significant ways. While the biggest changes, namely HyperMotion Technology, would be reserved for FIFA 22, the publisher delivered one of the more significant graphical passes in the franchise’s history, adding luxurious new hair physics and some truly impressive player models. The package was, as a whole, a bit uneven – and ultimately, it’s still FIFA at the end of the day – but this represented a strong start to the new generation for the ever-popular soccer sim.
18. NBA 2K21 (PS5)
2K Sports took the transition from PS4 to PS5 with NBA 2K21 seriously, effectively building an entirely new basketball sim for Sony’s new-gen system. In addition to the obvious graphical improvements – underlined by a seriously jaw-dropping announcement trailer – the publisher also completely redesigned the popular MyCareer mode, adding a massive open world to explore, and incorporated an entirely new women’s basketball feature, named The W. There were teething troubles with this title, many of which were smoothed out in NBA 2K22, but this was anything but a lazy effort.
17. Knockout City (PS5)
It's a shame the servers were shut down, because Knockout City was fantastic while it lasted. The self-proclaimed dodgebrawler, originally released on the PS4, mixes a retro-future aesthetic with multiplayer deathmatches. Your objective is to lob balls in the direction of your opponents, striking them out with two hits, but you can also catch said projectiles and add spin to your tosses. This all leads to a frantic, classic competitive experience that’s easy to grasp but seriously challenging to master. Lob in different ball types, each with unique properties you need to take the time to learn, and you have the recipe for a dangerously addictive arcade sports experience.
16. NBA 2K22 (PS5)
NBA 2K22 is peerless in the sports genre for its sheer scope, and while many may frown at Visual Concepts’ attempt at an online open world RPG in the ever-popular MyCareer mode, there’s no question you could lose hundreds of hours to this title. With one of the most fleshed out Franchise modes on the market in MyNBA and a rewarding Ultimate Team alternative in MyTeam, this is the biggest and best presented sports game on the PS5. Some nice improvements to defence mean that it plays pretty clean on the court as well.
15. MXGP 2020 - The Official Motocross Videogame (PS5)
MXGP 2020 is no scrub, even if it is a little light in the content department. Milestone’s licensed motocross franchise brings with it a hearty helping of meaningful improvements, and it successfully sticks the landing. The most important of these is the gameplay, which feels immaculate thanks to impressive DualSense controller integration. While new additions like the Track Editor and sandbox-style Playground still have a few bumps to even out, this is a worthy ride for dirtbike addicts.
14. WWE 2K22 (PS5)
WWE 2K18 was such a disaster that 2K Sports took the unprecedented decision to take an entire year off, and then eventually delay WWE 2K20 as its targeted holiday release spot neared. The result, though, is a return to the form for the franchise. While not every feature in this wrestle-‘em-up hits as hard as Andre the Giant, there’s some real muscle on this game’s bones that should keep WWE faithfuls occupied for the foreseeable future. Worth the wait, then!
13. Riders Republic (PS5)
A game that brings something a little different to the sports genre on the PS5, Riders Republic is a Ubisoft open world game with a cycling/skiing/wingsuiting skin. A massively multiplayer online sandbox, filled with both silly and serious challenges, this game is colossal in scale – something it underpins with its outrageous Mass Race competitions. It can look a little ugly and its too-cool-for-school style will grate, but cycling down mountains at 100kmph is still an exhilarating experience.
12. FIFA 22 (PS5)
FIFA 22 feels like real football, and it’s all the better for it. Impressive improvements to player positioning, ball physics, and animations make for a supremely satisfying simulation that underpins each of the franchise’s flagship modes. Career Mode doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but the ability to create a club is entertaining, and the changes to Player Careers are overdue. Microtransactions still rule supreme in Ultimate Team, and you’ll already have your own personal opinions on that, but there’s so much to do in the game that you could easily invest hundreds of hours into it without seeing a single loot box.
11. GRID Legends (PS5)
Back when Race Driver: GRID blew up on the PS3, we doubt anyone could have predicted that GRID Legends would have an FMV campaign about a fictional racing league. Yet, here we are, with Codemasters’ latest take on an arcade racing franchise that has had its fair share of ups-and-downs since debuting in 2008. Ignore the ridiculous plot and there’s plenty of fun to be had here, with compelling use of the DualSense controller and accessible, responsive racing. The drop-in, crossplay multiplayer is nice, too.
Comments 16
Having Madden on this list…nulls it’s credibility
@Germs73 I was thinking the same about NHL 22.
No Wreckfest? IMO is one of the best racing games, a great blend of realistic racing that's still a little arcadey. And it looks amazing, the damage representation on the cars and track is fantastic. Plus a free PS5 upgrade.
And demolition racing is so much fun.
@Hesse I don't really see Wreckfest as a sports game, personally. It's a bit too bombastic for this list. With the racing games, I tried to focus strictly on motorsports.
@Sheppard @Germs73 This has been ranked and rated by readers.
Really, really disappointed by the offering of sports games on this console. Not saying everything needs to be like FM or OOTP but the lack of any type of meaty franchise modes from most, if not all, of the big brand names makes me want to ignore them completely. F1 probably my favorite out of all of these despite that complaint.
@bozz It's still early days really. F1 Manager might be good.
@get2sammyb oh come on...you dont see wreckfest as a valid title for this list but you include that knockout dodge brawler a valid contender? Really? At least wreckfest is an actual real sport and the other is a futuristic unrealistic albeit kinda fun thingy..
Knockout City; Tony Hawk and Ollie Ollie shouldn´t be in this list imo.
Knockout City shouldn’t be on this list. Not a sports game.
WRC 9 was so good. Yes all the gameplay pics looks like from PS3, but while playing game looks so good and was so fun to play. I also have WRC 10 but not played it yet.
I’m loving WRC10 and plays like a dream! I also like dipping into Steep on PS4 and wish they patched for PS5 🏂
I wish there will be some cartoonish Kickboxing games like K-1 Pocket Grand Prix 1 & 2 GBA on PS5. 🙁
Knockout City should be toward the top of this list.
Rocket League deserves a spot on this list.
As a huge huge fan of car simulator games, and a huge huge fan of GT since the first one, i am actually very disappointed with the last one. Yes, it's better than "Sport" in may ways, but the lack of content and the behaviour of many cars makes GT just a "better than average" car game. (so I really don't understand the "Big single player campaign" on the pros list. Are we talking about the same game here?) To be the first of the "Best sports games".... it just doesn't seems right.
Even MotoGp 2021 or FIFA are better than GT these days.
college football looks great, odd that you gave it 8/10 then placed it below a bunch of 7/10 games, but doesn't really matter!!
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