The best PS5 free games 2023

Publish date: 2024-08-04

What are the best free PS5 games? These budget-saving games are a great way to fill out your collection. Gone are the days of free games being glorified mobile games which can be completed in an hour – you can now get triple-A content without the price tag.

Free-to-play games come in all sorts of genres and are massive on PS5. While so many of the top-charting free-to-play PlayStation games are shooting games, you’ll find something for everyone in the mix: sports, platformers, RPGs, family-friendly games. It’s worth noting that free PS5 games mostly come with microtransactions, so do watch out for some of these best PS5 games.

The best free PS5 games are:

Best free PS5 games: several Genshin Impact characters

1. Genshin Impact

Such a welcome change from the usual free-to-play genres, Genshin Impact is a vast open-world fantasy RPG with an anime aesthetic. Players journey to Teyvat, a world full of conflict and puzzles, to find their missing sibling and discover the secrets of the kingdoms within.

There’s tons of content to complete and places to explore, as you can follow the plot at your own pace, using a variety of different characters with unique playstyles. If you like action explorers, you’ll spend hours in this, but you’ll need to know what Genshin Impact banners are before starting. The game features crossplay across PC, mobile, PS4, and PS5. You can easily get started on your PC, then pick up where you left off on your PlayStation.

Best free PS5 games: Two Warzone 2 operators charge forward

2. Warzone

Call of Duty: Warzone is a battle royale monolith. 150 players drop in, only one can claim victory. Whether you play solos, duos, trios or quads, Warzone is action-packed and has loads of levels to grind, all with that familiar CoD-combat feel.

Warzone doesn’t require any of the Call of Duty main titles to play, so you can just jump in really easily and start using the best Warzone guns. The game is also set to get a big refresh this year with the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 release date.

Best free PS5 games: A red car hits the ball in the air in Rocket League

3. Rocket League

Sports with rocket-powered cars. It’s such a simple premise, and it’s made Rocket League wildly popular since 2015. Take a tiny car, a massive ball, and two teams, throw them into the arena, and watch the carnage! Rocket League is cross-platform too and can be enjoyed with pals from all consoles, or it’s just as fun solo, making it one of the best crossplay games. Matches are only five minutes, so it’s a great pick-up and play title.

If you really get into it and want to take the competition to another level, you can always try and climb the Rocket League ranks. You can perfect your skills and grind your way up to the top rank of Supersonic Legend for the ultimate bragging rights (and rewards).

Best free PS5 games: several Fortnite characters dance in the clouds

4. Fortnite

If you don’t know about Fortnite, you must be living under a rock. You fight to be the last one standing in one of the best battle royales, which is free-to-play on PS5 and a swathe of other platforms. Build and blast your way to victory royale solo or with squads, and enjoy show-stopping live events, including in-game concerts!

Fortnite may have been around for a while now, but the cult battle royale has been juiced up for PS5, taking advantage of the hardware inside to output at 4K and 60 FPS. It’s smoother, loads faster, and added DualSense support allows players to feel closer to the action than ever.

Best free PS5 games: Astro skates on the ice

5. Astro’s Playroom

Built to show the best of the PS5’s capabilities, Astro’s Playroom is one of the top PS5 games, and it comes pre-installed on the console.

The charming free PS5 game is more than a tech demo; it’s a nostalgic trip through PlayStation history that also tricks you into learning the new capabilities of the DualSense controller. You’ll lead Astro Bot through this 3D platformer, solving puzzles and finding collectibles as you hop between worlds that celebrate the best of the past 25 years of PlayStation. It’s short, sweet, and a straightforward Platinum Trophy too.

Best free PS5 games: Revenant looks menacingly over his shoulder in Apex Legends

6. Apex Legends

Apex Legends is another battle royale in a crowded market, but thanks to an amazing roster of legends with unique abilities, slick movement mechanics, and excellent seasonal content, it manages to stand out from the crowd and has sustained its playerbase.

No matter how you play your shooters, you’ll find a legend to fit your playstyle. From tactical recon legend like Bloodhound that can scan the area, or an aggressive, portal-popping skirmisher like Wraith, every character offers something different. Every season sees a new legend released, too, so you’ll always have a new character to grind.

Thinking of giving Apex a go and not sure where to start? Make sure to read through our Apex Legends tier list and get up to speed with the competitive side of things with our Apex Legends ranks guide.

Best free PS5 games: Two guardians fire their weapons in Destiny 2

7. Destiny 2

Destiny 2 has grown into a live service behemoth, with Bungie’s FPS boasting several huge annual expansions that dig deep into the Destiny universe’s impressive library of lore. You can check out our views on the most recent expansion over at our Destiny 2 Lightfall review. While expansions do require you to fork out some money, there’s still a great F2P experience to be had within Destiny 2.

As well as various difficulties of PvE activities, where you can grind to increase your power level and search for the best Destiny 2 weapons, there are plenty of options for competitive players in the PvP Crucible as well which is about to receive a bunch more support than in recent years.

PS5 free games: Path of Exile characters fighting in a boss arena.

8. Path of Exile

If you’re a fan of the ARPG genre already, then there’s lots to love in Path of Exile. And if you’re not familiar with the genre, then Path of Exile is the perfect gateway into this unique and wildly enthralling world. Invoking much the same thrills as Blizzard’s Diablo 4, (though for the low, low price of nothing), Path of Exile is a game you can put hundreds, if not thousands of hours into as you build your character, find loot, and carve through hordes of monsters.

With a sequel on the way, now is a good time to dive into the hit free-to-play game and see what it is about.

Best free PS5 games: Wrecking Ball in Overwatch 2 screams

9. Overwatch 2

If you love a good old hero shooter, you can’t do much better than Overwatch 2. Blizzard worked out what made Overwatch great in the first place and refined it for the second game.

With plenty of game modes (and more being added), an Overwatch 2 ranked system to grind, and an ever-growing list of heroes to master, there’s never been a better game to play with friends online for free. While it has had its ups and downs, the game is still a great competitive shooter to get in on.

PS5 free games: Three Warframes standing on a rock in a sprawling environment.

10. Warframe

Do you like space? Do you like ninjas? If you answered yes to both of those questions, then you’re going to love the space ninja action game Warframe. With hundreds of hours of content available, including missions and unique story arcs, as well as a stellar set of free expansions, Warframe is undoubtedly one of the best free PS5 games.

It also regularly receives expansive new updates, adding not only more gear and characters to grind for but also more story missions and entirely new systems. It’s safe to say this free PS5 game will keep you occupied for quite some time.

PS5 free games: Falls Guys' jellybean people running up a ramp.

11. Fall Guys

Fall Guys Ultimate Knockout puts an incredibly unique spin on the battle royale genre, combining the intense last-person-standing thrill with the fun chaos of a game show. Up to 40 players will compete in a diverse selection of modes, like soccer, obstacle courses, and other mini-games, in an effort to be crowned victor.

If you’re simply looking for a great time, especially with friends, then the jellybean fun of Fall Guys certainly is worth checking out. Plus, you can even create your own levels now with the level editor.

PS5 free games: Four Sims talking on the sidewalk.

12. The Sims 4

Even if you haven’t played it before, chances are you’ve at least heard of The Sims. The series has made a name for itself as the premier life-sim game, and The Sims 4, which is now free-to-play, takes it up a notch. Putting you in control of a Sims, you can manage their lives and daily routine. Perhaps the most popular feature though, you can also build and decorate their houses.

You can spend countless hours tweaking the interior and exterior of your Sims houses to make the house of your dreams. It’s completely unlike anything else on this list, and definitely worth checking out, whether you’re a veteran to life-sims or brand new.

So there you have it, all the best free PS5 games in one place. If you’re looking to splash some cash later down the line, make sure to check out our lists of all the upcoming PS5 games, as well as the best PS5 open world games, the best PS5 RPG games, and the best PS5 racing games. They might not be free, but they’re worth their weight in gold.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEpaaanJ%2BqwW%2BvzqZmqatlYrOzscRmnpqllag%3D