The PlayStation 5 is a tech marvel in terms of graphical prowess relative to its price. Of course, this is with the MSRP, not including the inflated pricing the console suffered when it was launched.
It is not a surprise that games will look their best ported from the previous generation into the PS5, but even then, there are games that are stunning visually you cannot deny that indeed the time is now for next-generation games.
Below are the best graphically looking PS5 games: Feast Your eyes on the most visually spectacular games on the PlayStation 5.
1. God of War: Ragnarok
The God of War franchise is known to be a graphical, literally and figuratively, force to be reckoned with on the PlayStation hardware. God of War III, in particular, is listed as one of the best-looking games on the PlayStation 3. Kratos’ fight with Cronos was always cited as gaming’s most jaw-dropping set pieces due to the scope and scale while maintaining graphical fidelity.
The 2018 reboot of God of War is fantastic in terms of visual fidelity. God of War Ragnarok was an unforeseen surprise that elevated its predecessor. While many people doubted that anything could be better than the original, this game delivers in surprising ways.
You’ll take on new challenges and wrestle with what it means to be a father as Kratos, all set against the background of Norse mythology, with giants and gods striving for power. Combat is more dynamic than ever before, yet still devastatingly rousing for laddish players with power fantasies.
2. The Last of Us Part I
In a surprising turn of events, the remake of PlayStation 3’s iconic narrative-driven survival shooter, The Last of Us, is better than the sequel in terms of graphics. It’s incredibly breathtaking, especially if you have the proper setup at your home theater.
The game has never looked better in native 4K, with entirely revamped character models. The facial expressions are spot on, and we can sense each of their feelings. And, since Joel and Ellie’s journey is still so emotional ten years later, we relive it with love and passion, making this work undeniably timeless.
On the other hand, it is hard to disagree with the notion that The Last of Us only got a facelift as both enemy and ally AI, are still in need of improvement after all these years.
3. Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
The first thing to say is that this Ratchet is going to hit you hard. It’s stunning, offering a rich, dynamic, and gorgeous environment from every perspective. The creators clearly intended to show off, and it works nicely. We may even go so far as to argue that there is often too much of it, so enamored are we by the effects, the explosion of colors and life that jumps on the screen!
In fact, it’s so stunning that it feels like you’re watching a Pixar picture, a gigantic animated film that blasts everything! We are close to, but not quite at, perfection here!
Chaotic gameplay aside, the game’s most prominent features are its beautiful art direction: looking at the game environment, the details, the characters, and the care given in every minute part of the characters’ fur, not to mention those wonderful Pixar-level animations.
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is really a next-generation experience, visually and gameplay-wise. You will also have the option of selecting the high fidelity at 30 FPS or the performance mode at 60 FPS.
4. Gran Turismo 7
Fast-paced action and unapologetic violence usually get the nod as the measure of great graphics for video games. A serene and peaceful environment can also be awe-inspiring for its visuals. Gran Turismo is a franchise historically known for pushing graphics by virtue of lighting.
It is gorgeous to race with dynamic weather on Gran Turismo 7. The day/night cycle has an effect on how you play the game both physically and visually. The temperature of the roads will have an effect on the speed and control of the cars.
5. Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut
Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut, in reality, is above and beyond in every way over the basic edition of the game. This is an unmissable game for all fans of the genre and is highly recommended to anybody who hasn’t had the opportunity to experience the PS4 version. At the same time, not all of the new version’s contents have been completely integrated into the game narratively as the details revealed in the Iki expansion. There is still disconnect in that area, but it can be easily ignored due to the game’s gorgeous looks and amazing gameplay.
The world is breathtaking. The graphics are stunning, and you will thoroughly love the picture mode. I was mesmerized by the wonderful environment from lush mountains to picturesque beaches. You can also get lost in lovely forests, discover another haiku to finish, or simply relax and reflect in the hot springs.
6. Demon’s Souls
Here is another remake, but this is just not a remake. Demon’s Souls remake is the remake. This game has been trapped in the archaic and exotic PlayStation 3 hardware with infamously problematic performance for a decade. This remake allows players to play the game not just in a fresh coat of paint but also as a well-oiled machine.
Bluepoint tacked on two modes: cinematic mode and performance mode. The former produces the game at 30 frames per second in native 4K. The latter operates at 60 frames per second and has a lesser resolution that has been upscaled to 4K. After beginning the game in performance mode, players could not possibly get back to sub-30 fps unless they want to conjure memories of the past– there’s just no turning back from playing Demon’s Souls at 60 frames per second.
The sight of these gigantic bosses, although dramatic in the original game, is now breathtaking. The visual clarity of the Demon’s Souls remake, its immersive sound effects and music, and the tactile sensation from the DualSense controller all work together to represent the enormity of a massive beast tearing through the airspace above me
The picture mode is one of the most appealing new features in Demon’s Souls. It not only allows players to pause Demon’s Souls, which was not possible in the original, but it also takes some beautiful screenshots.
7. Returnal
Returnal probably has the highest budget for a roguelike. It also nicely blends the roguelike elements with its narrative. This third-person PS5 exclusive follows Selene Vassos when she crash-lands on the alien world Atropos. As she exits from her spacecraft to investigate the source of a curious signal, things immediately become strange and time-loopy.
Of course, all of this serves to frame the fact that this is a roguelike based on repetitive laps through the same biomes, but it’s also a great storytelling tactic. Selene discovers logs left by her prior selves, gradually peeling back the layers of Returnal’s basic questions.
Returnal’s visuals are incredible; even in entire bullet hell areas, the game does not trade graphics quality for performance. This game’s graphics quality is immaculate even while jump-dashing and shooting level 5 adrenaline-overloaded bullets.
8. Marvel’s Spiderman: Miles Morales
The first Marvel’s Spiderman game on the PlayStation 4 is amazing in terms of graphics and art direction, notwithstanding the Peter Parker face-change when the game gets ported to the PlayStation 5, which stirred so much unneeded controversy.
The spin-off Marvel’s Spiderman: Miles Morales vastly improves every facet of the original game and makes a lean swing on it. It is highly recommended to play the original game first as the story in Miles Morales takes place one year after its events.
9. Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
Truthfully, detractors are right about Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. It is clearly not an Assassin’s Creed game anymore with its absurd powers/skills and historically inaccurate details. But should you care? Probably not, as it is one of the better-playing and better-looking games on the PlayStation 5.
10. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
This is the remake that everybody waited for after that tech demo for the PlayStation 3. It is a modern take on one of the classics of the PlayStation One. It changes the core gameplay from turn-based into an action RPG.
The original game is not a benchmark for the graphical fidelity of that generation, what it had is grandiose in scale and production. This is what happened here in the remake in terms of production but all of that is limited to just a small portion of the original game.
The character models are fantastic. Although it was not hyperrealistic in terms of art direction, the skins of the humans are lifelike. However, sometimes, the environment had more observable lesser-quality textures than the characters making it not great to look at most of the time. Still, these are only obviously sparingly as these moments are few and far between. The fights always play and look great.
11. Stray
Stray is the apex example of a game that is good-looking solely in its art direction. There is no photorealism here or lifelike skins. It is just art: the color combination, pallet, and shapes and how they blend.
It’s visually amazing. The developers created a wonderful cyberpunk-ish environment, with moments of laughter and comfort in the eerie post-apocalyptic and forgotten world. And the best part of it all, is that you control a cat.
12. Metro Exodus: Enhanced Edition
Now back to the drab, the grey, and the somber, Metro Exodus: Enhanced Edition is a magnificent game in terms of graphical prowess, and it’s incredible to see a developer double down on ray tracing so early in the generation.
When compared to the previous generation, the graphics are a night and day upgrade, and no one can complain about a 30fps shooter switching to 60fps while offering such a significant gain in overall quality.
This is a fantastic release from 4A Games, and it goes without saying that it is strongly recommended to play the game on the PS5 whether you have played the PS4 version or not.
13. Kena: Bridge of Spirits
Based on Unreal Engine 4, Kena: Bridge of Spirits shines via the developer’s creative talents, supported by decent core gameplay and largely solid performance. What distinguishes Kena from other games on this list, specifically Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Integrate is not only the style of the art but also the fundamental quality of delivery. Every item, texture, and the material appears to have been created with a consistent aesthetic and polygon budget in mind.
When you put it all together, you seldom discover an object that stands out as being inconsistently low quality or weirdly sculpted. Character emotions and animations are also first-rate: Ember Lab has previously worked on animation shorts for fan films (the Majora Mask fan video), product advertising, and other mainstream media.
14. Cyberpunk 2077
No matter how you feel about Cyberpunk 2077’s shortcomings, even when its promises are unfulfilled, it is still one of the best-looking games on PlayStation 5, even more so if you have a powerful gaming PC rig.
Admittedly, never play this game on anything lower than PlayStation 5’s hardware or equivalent if you want to witness Night City as it should be.
15. Horizon: Forbidden West
Horizon Forbidden West’s scenery is highly detailed, and the game played well on the PlayStation 5. Throughout the game, you will only experience some performance hiccups. This game was well-optimized but not perfect as there are things that have graphical anomalies, and it is frequently Aloy’s hair.
Horizon Zero Dawn was a revelation when it was released on PlayStation 4 in 2017. The game’s depiction of the post-apocalypse, a machine-infested world reclaimed by nature, was stunning. When this game is released, it looked like it is the height of video game visuals, it will make you ponder how much farther video games could realistically go in this fashion.
Horizon Forbidden West quickly surpassed any expectations gamers had, welcoming players into a world that is stunning in every aspect. From the first chapters, the game dazzles with the amount of detail packed into every aspect of its landscape and environment design.