Since its release, the PS5 has been in high demand. Anyone who owns one would attest that it has some of the most attractively designed games on the market. This machine’s graphical capabilities considerably outperform the competition, resulting in incredibly realistic gaming experiences. However, the system is only as good as the software that has been written for it.
Many developers have risen to the challenge, thanks to the technology that has been made available to them. More and more excellent games with the most desirable aesthetics are being released on the platform. Players that appreciate the visual qualities of the PS5 will not be disappointed when they select one of these best-looking titles.
Not only are all of the games on this list graphically beautiful — though not necessarily photorealistic — but they’re also a lot of fun to play. Graphics alone do not make a game enjoyable, but it just so happens that the best-looking PS5 games are also some of the best-playing. Here are our selections for the greatest PS5 graphics games.
1.God of War Ragnarök
God of War was perhaps the best-looking PS4 game, so it should come as no surprise that its sequel, God of War: Ragnarok, also pushes the new hardware to the extreme. Despite the game also being available on PS4, you would never be able to guess that the PS5 version was being held back just by looking at it. Every detail on Kratos’ old, weary, wrinkled face is detailed to the point where his expression allows you to understand his emotions far better than his minimal dialogue.
Environments are equally stunning in scale, as well as variety. From the snowy woodlands of Midgard to the jungles of Vanaheim, God of War: Ragnarok never sacrifices a single inch of quality. Once you tune your experience between the numerous graphics options, this is arguably the best game to show off what the PS5 can do.
2. The Last of Us Part I
The Last of Us was the best-looking game on PS3. So much so that the PS4 remaster could stand toe-to-toe with games developed specifically for the newer hardware. While it is debatable whether or not a game so readily playable really needed a remake, the one thing no one can deny about The Last of Us Part I is that it is undeniably beautiful to look at. Every character model, environment, and animation (including a few new ones) are completely remade and created to look as close to reality as possible.
Despite not having any ray tracing options, The Last of Us Part I does offer two graphical modes to pick between: performance and fidelity mode. Performance puts the game at a dynamic 4K resolution at a locked 60 frames per second (fps), while fidelity lets the graphics shine at a true 4K resolution and 30 fps. Either way, the apocalypse has never looked so disturbingly beautiful.
3. Returnal
Returnal was one of the earliest PS5-exclusive titles made by a team formerly known for some of the best arcade-style experiences on past PlayStation consoles, including the PS4 launch game Resogun. Returnal, however, is something of a hybrid of an arcade-style bullet-hell game, but presented as a third-person shooter with rogue-like elements thrown in.
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The different environments you are dashing through all look great, but it’s the monsters and bosses that really steal the show. They’re all unique in design and animation — looking both horrifying and somehow beautiful in ways at the same time. The game packs in tons of particle effects that interact with the environment, and all the lighting work just pulls you into the world of Atropos and never lets go.
4. Horizon Forbidden West
The original Horizon was one of the best-looking games for the PS4, so Horizon Forbidden West had a lot of high expectations when it was announced. While it did get a PS4 release as well, the PS5 version is where the game world really shines. There’s no inch of Horizon Forbidden West that doesn’t feel like it was handcrafted. All the lush environments that mix together nature and ruined remnants of our world, with dynamic lighting, fog, mist, snow, and other weather effects make the world feel like an actual place that could exist.
Character models are amazing, with a special shout-out to Aloy’s hair always looking amazing, but it’s the machines that still reign supreme. Each one moves with detailed, interconnecting parts that most people probably wouldn’t even notice playing normally, let alone how sharp and detailed all those metal plates and joints are up close.
5. Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut
While this is technically a re-release, there’s just no way to make a list of games with the best graphics without including Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut. The PS5 upgraded version doesn’t completely overhaul the island of Tsushima, but it didn’t need to. The art direction already made the base game perhaps the most beautiful world you could explore on the PS4, but not it looks somehow better on PS5.
The diversity of the landscapes, paired with the minimal to non-existent UI, gives you breathtaking views at every turn. Whether you’re wandering through an autumn forest, galloping through the snow, or sitting in a hot spring in the rain, every horizon feels like a masterful painting.
6. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is a Pixar movie made playable — there’s no better way to describe it, really. This game isn’t trying to look like the real world, but the art direction is so on point that you can’t help but gawk at the sights you’re being shown. The fur on Ratchet, the reflections on Clank, and the alien worlds are all perfectly detailed and expressive in the same way a movie like Wall-E or The Incredibles are. Combine all that with some of the smoothest animations, and the option to lower the frame rate but add in ray tracing, and all of a sudden you’re looking at a world you could only dream of as a child.
7. Demon’s Souls
The original Demon’s Souls is one that desperately needed a remake. Not only because it was locked to the PS3 but because the graphical power of that game couldn’t live up to the aspirations of the team’s art goals. With the Demon’s Souls: Remake, however, we see how this game was really meant to be viewed. Where the original was muddy and bland, the remake is sharp, eye-catching, and oozing with atmosphere.
Almost more than any other game we can think of, the Demon’s Souls remake’s entire atmosphere, mood, and tone is far enhanced by the graphical update it received. This was a PS5 launch game, and somehow still looks better than most games coming out over a year later.
8. Death Stranding: Director’s Cut
The Director’s Cut of Death Stranding is in the same boat as Ghost of Tsushima. Both were already straining the PS4 to its boundaries, only to increase visual fidelity with a PS5 version. The emphasis on nature is also similar. The environments in Death Stranding: Director’s Cut are less varied, but every mossy rock, creek, cliff, and spot of dirt appears to have been photographed and then included in the game.
To make a poor pun, the lighting here really shines, creating depth in shadows and reflections everywhere you’d expect. In a game where you’re virtually entirely walking from point A to point B, you’ll never mind the journey when every step is so gorgeous.
9. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
Let’s round off our list of PS4 titles that received new PS5 versions with one of the best PS4 RPGs available. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (say that five times fast) had room to improve on the original game. Sure, the character models, particles, effects, and most environments were all above average, but there were some evident defects (we’re looking at you, bad-texture door). No shortcuts were taken on the PS5, and it shows. Not only were minor bugs fixed, but the game also received new lighting effects and support for 4K resolution. Cloud’s hair has never been more beautiful.
10. Gran Turismo 7
Racing games have always pushed graphics more than most genres. Gran Turismo 7 hit the PS5 running with some of the most realistic cars and tracks ever displayed. Every inch of every single car is hand-crafted to match their real-life counterparts exactly, and the dynamic lighting on the tracks shimmers off the pavement just as it would in the real world.
Plus the effects of going into a dark tunnel and back out into the sunlight mimics reality to a T. Gran Turismo 7 does offer ray tracing, but not during gameplay, which is a disappointment. However, you can still use it to take screenshots so high quality you could fool your friends into thinking you own a multimillion-dollar race car.
11. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Another PS5 launch title, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a smaller game based off the already spectacular Marvel’s Spider-Man, but with plenty of visual improvements. First of all, the new snowy version of New York is so well realized that even those who live in the city will feel right at home. Miles himself, in all his various suits, looks even better than Peter did, especially with all the different graphics modes to pick from.
You can opt for a native 4K experience at 30 fps, dynamic 4K at 60 fps, or 1440p, 60 fps performance mode with ray-tracing for however you want to customize your experience. No matter which you go for, this new neighborhood Spider-Man certainly has the looks.
12. Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Kena: Bridge of Spirits, like Ratchet and Clank, does not try to be a perfect re-creation of our world, but instead shows its beauty in its stylization. The characters, in particular, ride that line where they have realistic features, but with small exaggerations and smoothed-out edges. You won’t see anyone’s pours on their skin in Kena: Bridge of Spirits, but their eyes will shimmer with delight, or their body language shrink with fear.
Conclusion
While the jumps have been getting smaller and smaller between generations, there’s always a nice graphical bump to look forward to when picking up the latest hardware. We’re long past the days of going from 16-bit 2D games to full-on 3D, and even the jump from SD to HD, but the visual improvements we got between the PS4 and PS5 are still striking. Not only are resolutions higher, but new techniques like ray tracing are now possible and starting to show up in more titles as we get deeper into the console’s life.
Following the official launch of the PS5 in November 2020, some games have attempted to push the new tech to its limit with feature-packed upgrades. This includes older PS4 games upgraded for the PS5 and newer titles developed exclusively for the PS5.
Now that it’s been out for a decent amount of time, and we have a wide selection of both upgraded titles and ones made exclusively for the PS5, there are a few that have risen to the top that anyone looking to show off the power of their new console will want to grab.
