There’s a common misconception that gaming has to be a prohibitively expensive hobby. While it’s certainly true that gaming PC components and even modern consoles can cost a pretty penny, the same can’t be said for the games themselves. There’s a push within the industry right now towards cheaper or even completely free experiences with triple-A production values, so even if you don’t want to spend any money on your games, you’re not missing out. If you’re lucky enough to own a PS5, you might well want to be a bit more restrained with your wallet for the next few weeks, so here are the best free PS5 games you can play right now.
Astro’s Playroom
It’s been a while since a console came with a free pack-in bundle game, but that’s exactly what Astro’s Playroom is. However, lest you think this is nothing more than a glorified tech demo, think again. It’s a fully-featured 3D platformer, and while it’s a little on the short side, it packs in enough fresh ideas and innovative gameplay styles to hold your attention for the ride. It’s also a glorious, nostalgic celebration of everything PlayStation, as well as an impressive tech demo for what the new DualSense controller can do.
Genshin Impact
Chinese developer miHoYo’s open-world adventure owes more than a little to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Genshin Impact does distinguish itself in a number of areas; its combat is more complex, it has gacha mechanics by which you unlock more characters and elemental combos, and its systems are generally more in-depth than those of Nintendo’s masterpiece. It’s a rollicking thrill ride through an achingly gorgeous, living world, and there’s plenty to do and see before the game even starts asking you (politely and unobtrusively) to spend real money.
Fortnite
Fortnite may not be the game that started it all, but it has codified an entire genre for both gamers and agnostics alike. If you aren’t yet familiar with battle royale games, in which a huge number of players are dropped into an equally massive map and the last player standing is the winner, then you may well want to start with Fortnite. Though it has building and crafting mechanics that set it apart from its competitors, it is effectively the battle royale experience distilled, which may be why it enjoys such a massive player count.
Destiny 2
You’ll have to cough up cash if you want to continue the Destiny 2 story beyond a certain point, but a surprising amount of the base game is completely free to check out. Destiny 2 sharpens up the writing of its somewhat dour predecessor, leading to a wittier, sparkier experience that has lost none of the weighty shooting that made the first game such a joy. There are no wizards from the moon to be found here; what you’re getting is a tight, well-crafted MMOFPS with plenty of gear to collect and challenges to take on alongside your friends.
Warframe
Warframe is a profoundly strange experience. Its rapid-fire delivery of its bizarre lore and world-building can be baffling, it has occasionally repetitive, grindy gameplay, and it can seem somewhat predatory in terms of its free-to-play systems. However, you get to flip about and toss shurikens like a ninja, so it gets a pass in our books. In all seriousness, Warframe’s gameplay mechanics are incredibly polished and well-crafted, and its combat is varied and compelling, too. If you love ninjas and you want a storytelling experience akin to Halo on psychotropic drugs, Warframe is your game.
Brawlhalla
Hey, do you love Super Smash Bros? Sure, who doesn’t? Well, do you wish you could play a game that’s very similar to Super Smash Bros, but on your PlayStation and with a rotating cast of colourful fighters, many of whom you may recognise from other franchises? In that case, Brawlhalla will fulfil your weirdly specific fantasy. This chaotic fighting game regularly features characters from other games and properties, giving them all unique, distinct movesets and letting you try them out on a rotating basis each week. It’s great fun, although its intricacies can sometimes get lost in the noise.
Rocket League
Rocket League resisted the free-to-play model for a long time, and that’s surprising, because the bite-sized matches and raft of unlockable cosmetics seem to suit the business model down to the beautifully-rendered ground. At its core, Rocket League is a game about physics; it’s football with cars, yes, but it’s just as much about how you can manipulate your vehicle to pull off some seriously impressive trickshots as it is about winning or losing. If you don’t want to build up the skill required to truly excel at Rocket League, it can also be a hilarious mess, with cars rocketing into one another and utterly failing to achieve anything meaningful over the course of a game.
Smite
“MOBAs on consoles can’t be done,” said the naysayers. Smite proved them wrong. Featuring a cast ripped straight from all of the mythological pantheons you can think of, Smite finally allows you to settle the age-old “who would win in a fight between” question. Each god has their own strengths and weaknesses, and just as in any other MOBA, building a team of complementary gods and exploiting their strengths is crucial if you want to achieve victory. Like many of the other games on this list, Smite is very generous with its content, too.
Paladins
Paladins is a first-person hero game where players shoot each other’s characters with an exciting range of different rifles and shotguns. The game has quite an interesting background story that will hook you the moment you enter the game.
The game takes place in the sci-fi world called The Realm, following the conflict of two different Paladin factions. Every character has its own special skills, fighting style, and weapons. Players can also choose between four different and unique gameplay modes.
This game has been available to players since 2018, and most people know it as a free-to-play PS4 video game, but it can also be downloaded and booted up on PS5. Paladins is completely free to play, and you can unlock all special features and items in the game by simply playing.
Fortnite
Our list of the best PS5 video games would not be complete without mentioning one of the most popular battle royale games today. This game has won some of the best awards in the gaming industry, and it would be a shame not to check it out since it is completely free to download and install on the PS5 console.
Fortnite is a mixture of survival, tower-defense, and battle royale games where players fight with opponents and defend the fortifications and objects they built. It’s available in different game modes, but all modes generally share the same game engine and gameplay.
The most popular game mode in Fortnite is Battle Royale. This mode allows players to play in the squad, duo, or alone. The point of this game mode is to cooperate and attack other players to eliminate them from the game while you’re scavenging resources, items, and even vehicles to survive.
You can play the game in 4K resolution, and it has support for DualSense controllers. All in all, if you’re a fan of battle royale survival games, you should see how amazing Fortnite looks on the PS5.
Conclusion
If you were lucky enough to grab a PS5 console now when stocks are limited, you should get the most of it. Even if your gaming budget is tight, you can always try free-to-play games and have tons of fun.
