It’s been a while now since Sony’s latest offering has been my default home console, so it seemed the right time to think about what the best PS5 Pro games actually were.
At the time of release, much of the PS5 Pro line-up was made up of older games, patched to add support for higher resolutions, frame-rates, or just to make use of the (frankly) phenomenal PSSR, Sony’s own version of the likes of the DLSS upscaling other hardware has used for a while now.
But we’re almost a third of the way into the year now (scary, right?), so it felt like a good time, with some huge games already released, to have a good hard think about the hardware, and which titles have sung thanks to its power boost. These are the best PS5 Pro games, as of right now.
Best PS5 Pro games: Monster Hunter Wilds
I’m starting with Monster Hunter Wilds, which is a very recent title. It wasn’t until I had to pop onto an older base PS5 to grab some footage for a YouTube Short, that I realised quite how much of significant upgrade the PS5 Pro version of this title is. Sticking with frame-rate as my preferred default, I noticed barely any drops on PS5 Pro, yet on a 4K screen with HDR it absolutely sings, visually. The art direction is a huge help to this, but dropping back to a base PS5 you instantly see a degrade in pretty much all areas, which is why it’s my first mention in this list of best PS5 Pro games.
Check out our massive amount of Monster Hunter Wilds guides, here.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
As one of the “launch” titles for Sony’s mid-generation upgrade, Rebirth still stands out as one of the cleanest games when it comes to the visual uptick. Many reported the original release as having blurry textures, and found themselves avoiding the frame-rate mode altogether due to this. On PS5 Pro it’s a genuine wonder, visually. Stunning vistas, glorious and colourful environments, and whip smart combat and motion with a healthy frame rate. If you haven’t played it, you should. If you already finished it, well frankly the PS5 Pro makes it worth a replay: it’s that big of an upgrade.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
It was fairly well advertised ahead of the release that Assassin’s Creed Shadows would support the PS5 Pro, and pretty well at that. But being told it’d be a looker is not the same as playing it and seeing with your own eyes. Despite the strange choice to half the frame rate in the hideout, the rest of the game runs butter smooth with a gorgeous visual design, even on the modes that favour performance.
It’s the best Assassin’s Creed game I’ve played this generation, but it’s also genuinely one of the best looking titles I’ve played on PS5 Pro full stop. It sings on Sony’s newest model, and I actually can’t imagine playing it anywhere else. It’s one of the first of the newer run of games where the machine itself has properly given me a “Wow, I’m glad I have this” moment.
Best PS5 Pro games: Stellar Blade
I actually think Stellar Blade is a maligned title for no real reason other than, well, the character design. I also think the marketing missed a step by not outright explaining it’s not a Souls-game. People seem to have gotten confused these days, and feel like mechanics are Souls-like when they’re just, well, not. Having enemies respawn if you heal at a checkpoint is not a Souls-thing, it’s just a game-thing.
What Stellar Blade does on PS5 Pro is deliver a stunning visual affair, with some unbelievable highlights in the lighting department. On top of that, it makes this action (DMC-or-Bayonetta-like, if we’re going there) as smooth as it could be on the eyes, while keeping the resolution high. This has had a big glow up, and is definitely one of the best PS5 Pro games.
Dragon’s Dogma 2
If you’re one of those people who take to the internet and say how things are “literally unplayable” due to the frame rate, well, have a little grow up. But hey, now you can buy a PS5 Pro and Dragon’s Dogma 2 actually will be absolutely playable (sigh). The updated version for PS5 Pro fixes a lot of the frame rate issues people had with the original release, while including options for ray-tracing, and all the other bells and whistles. It’s a great game also, so now you can stop being so angry about things and enjoy a new game. Yay! Remember that, enjoying things?
Horizon Forbidden West
To be completely honest, this game already looked incredible on the PlayStation 5. But the Pro version, along with Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered, both look ridiculous on the Pro. Aloy’s adventures are a personal highlight of mine in recent years for Sony’s software line-up, and if I had time I’d play through them again on the new console: that’s how good they look. Actually while we’re here, let’s also shout out a few more PS5 exclusives: Astro Bot, Demon’s Souls, and Gran Turismo 7 all look absolutely ridiculous on the new hardware, so there’s a few more for you.
One to look forward to: Forza Horizon 5
I’m cheating a bit here, I know, calm down. But the thing is, Forza Horizon is one of the best racing games anywhere (no, it actually is), and it’s coming to PlayStation in April, and I’m very excited to replay it. The PS5 Pro edition will have ray-traced reflections used in the “quality mode”, while the performance mode will also have “improved visual”. What this means is that, and I’m sorry Xbox owners, I lIf it ove my Xbox too (and have been adoring Avowed recently), Forza Horizon 5 will be the best it has been on PS5 Pro, and that means it’ll also be one of the best PS5 Pro games. Yikes.
