The best upcoming PS5 games showcase what Sony's latest console can do, and if you're looking to polish up your game design skills and digital art techniques these are the best PS5 games to inspire.
When it comes to the best upcoming PS5 games we're looking ahead at games you can pre-order now, if you're more interested in playing something today then read our guide to the best PS5 games and the best free PS5 games. The top upcoming PS5 games include some big franchises such as God of War, Marvel and Sonic as well as a unique take on mediaeval France, a horror remake and a celebration of 50 years of Atari.
Upcoming PS5 games: the best new PS5 games
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The best upcoming PS5 game sequel
Publisher: Sony
Developer: Sony Santa Monica
Release date: 9 November
+ Sequel to the PS4 hit
+ State of the art visuals
+ Optimised for PS5
Easily the biggest upcoming PS5 game is Sony's own God of War: Ragnarök, sequel to the smash hit PS4 reimagining that released in 2008.
This sequel is leading on PS5 so will have immersive haptic feedback and adaptive trigger gameplay as well as 3D enhanced audio. The adventure takes place three years after the events of the first game, with Kratos and his son Atreus battling through the nine realms to try and prevent Ragnarök.
God of War: Ragnarök is one to watch if you're looking to get into game development and art, it's promising a new UI and some of the best VFX, storytelling and animation on PS5.
The most anticipated PS5 game for horror
Publisher: Krafton
Developer: Striking Distance
Release date: 2 December
+ From the original Dead Space team
+ Developed for PS5
+ Runs at 60fps
Callisto Protocol is the new game from Glen Schofield, the original game director of sci-fi horror Dead Space, which is now getting a remake (see right). This horror, however, has been developed for PS5 and makes great use of the hardware.
Joining the team are other Dead Space alumni from Visceral Games and Sledgehammer, which all means The Callisto Protocol has the pedigree to impress.
Set in a prison on the moon of Callisto the inmates begin transforming into weird and disturbing creatures, and you're caught in the middle of the chaos. Gravity tech and inventive weapons round out a moody adventure full of shocks.
The best PS5 horror remake
Publisher: EA
Developer: EA Motive
Release date: 27 January
+ Ground-up PS5 remake
+ Improved audio design
+ Updated gameplay
The Dead Space PS5 remake is shaping into an excellent example of how to update both a game's visuals and gameplay. Created 'from the ground up' for PS5, this remake features new 3D audio, as well as VFX such as smoke, light and particles.
As with the PS3 original you play Isaac Clarke – named after two legends of sci-fi literature – on a mission to repair the gothic-like spacecraft, the USG Ishimura. There's shades of classic sci-fi horrors from Event Horizon to Alien in Dead Space.
The classic dismemberment gameplay returns – you can shoot off Necromorph's limbs to slow them down – and the atmosphere is ramped up to new heights on PS5. A great way to start 2023.
The best upcoming PS5 racing game
Publisher: EA
Developer: Criterion Software
Release date: 2 December
+ Unique Graffiti art style
+ Race and evade cops
+ Open world racing
Need For Speed Unbound is the latest entry in the classic street racing series from EA, and this one is developed for PS5 and features a startling Graffiti-inspired art direction.
Set in the fictional Lakeshore City this is an open-world street racing sim with a graphic design art style that makes NFS Unbound the resemble the racing equivalent of Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse.
Gameplay remains more authentic to the series with a mix of street races and high-speed pursuits. But, well, those visuals are beautiful, if perhaps an acquired taste.
The best new PS5 game for shooter fans
Publisher: Activision
Developer: Infinity Ward
Release date: 28 October
+ Sequel to reboot
+ New upgraded engine
- New advanced AI
It's easy to overlook Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II as it's yet another Call of Duty, but this year's entry is a direct sequel to the excellent 2019 reboot that gives its single-player campaign room to breathe.
This sequel has been developed on a new version of the IW engine, adding physically based materials, a new hybrid tile-based streaming system, PBR decal rendering, 4K UHD support and more. The game looks stunning.
The story campaign features new advanced AI to finally remove CoD's bullet-sponge enemies, and co-op gameplay adds to the package.
The best upcoming PS5 game for fantasy
Publisher: Warner Bros. Games
Developer: Avalanche Software
Release date: 10 February
+ The Wizarding World
+ Open-world RPG
+ Learn spells
Hogwarts Legacy is an ambitious open-world RPG that brings the Wizarding World to life using Unreal Engine 5. It's a visually impressive game, and all your favourites from Forbidden Forest to Hogsmeade Village are brought to life.
Set in the fiction's 1800s there's no Potter but some famous characters do guest. All the spell-casting fun is here too, as is the school in its early days. The setting has proved controversial, as it includes potentially putting down the Goblin Rebellion (but we've yet to see how this will be treated).
The top upcoming PS5 game for platformers
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sonic Team
Release date: 8 November
+ An open-world Sonic
+ Inspired by Zelda
+ Collect rings… it's Sonic
Sonic Frontiers grabs our attention because this is the first true open-world Sonic game, and it sees the return of the legendary developer Takashi Iizuka, who worked on Sonic The Hedgehog 3, Sonic Adventure and the excellent Nights Into Dreams.
The game is fast, open and chaotic; it mixes classic rail-grinding, ring collecting and platforming with a large open world inspired by Nintendo's Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
If you're looking for a game that demonstrates how to update classic video game ideas into a new formula, Sonic Frontiers is a game worth checking out.
The best new PS5 game for retro gamers
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Atari, Digital Eclipse
Release date: 11 November
+ 100+ classic games
+ 60 mins of interviews
+ Includes Jaguar and Lynx hits
The Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration release for PS5 features more than 100 games from the classic gaming brand's heritage, which includes arcade games, as well as consoles such as Atari 800, Atari 2600, Atari 5200, Atari 7800. Also, we get games from Atari Jaguar and Atari Lynx for the first time.
If you're interested in game design this is the collection you need, as it demonstrates how video games have evolved over 50 years, and includes remakes to show how classic ideas can be upgraded. Plus, there are interviews with developers who made these hits of yesteryear.
The top upcoming game for RPG fans
Publisher: 2K Games
Developer: Firaxis Games
Release date: 2 December
+ Turn-based combat
+ 13 playable characters
+ Create your own hero
Marvel's Midnight Suns is developed by Firaxis Games, the studio behind the iconic X-Com series, and as you'd expect this is a turn-based RPG featuring some classic Marvel heroes.
You begin by creating your own 'The Hunter' character, a new Marvel hero designed for this PS5 game. There are also classic Marvel characters to play as too, including those from Midnight Sons, Avengers, X-Men, and Runaways.
Marvel's Midnight Suns is a bold game that takes us to some unique corners of the Marvel universe and the turn-based gameplay feels fresh.
