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Five must-play games for your new PS5
Seriously, don't sleep on Astro's Playroom.
It’s that special time of year when the air is crisp, the holiday cheer is overwhelming and the only thing that sounds appealing is curling up on the couch with a big blanket and a brand new video game console. Luckily, the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 launched just over a month ago, and both of them are welcome living-room upgrades, offering more power, larger game worlds, and more seamless gameplay than the previous generation.
In particular, the PS5 features a lineup of launch games worth your time. Here, we’ve collected five of the best titles available to play right now on PS5, just in time for your couch-based holiday plans.
Spider-Man: Miles Morales
If you only play one game on PS5, make sure it’s Miles Morales. Not only does this game continue the storyline from one of the PS4’s top titles, Spider-Man, but it’s also a brilliant demonstration of the raw power of the PS5. Miles Morales is buttery smooth from code to mechanics: It features a large, realistic and densely populated version of Harlem, with zero loading screens, gorgeous ray-tracing and fantastic acting.
Soaring around the city as Spider-Man feels better than flying. The developers at Insomniac Games have perfected the art of web-slinging, and Miles responds beautifully to every flick of the DualSense controller. Whether picking fights or just exploring, Miles Morales is a true treat on PS5.
Bugsnax
Bugsnax is the breakout indie hit of the PS5, and really, this couldn’t have happened to a more adorable game. Bugsnax comes from Octodad studio Young Horses, and it’s set on the bright, cartoonish Snaktooth Island, where delicious, hybrid bug-food creatures roam the wild. Your job is to investigate the island, catch bugsnax and find your missing explorer friend, but really the game is about more than that. Through brilliant voice acting and charming dialogue, Bugsnax tells an elegant story about community and diversity, and creates a world that feels as alive as it is ridiculous. This game is for kids, adults, and everyone in between.
Demon’s Souls
Even if you beat Demon’s Souls on PS3 back in the day, the PS5 remake is worth another trip through Boletaria. Not only does it look gorgeous on the new hardware, but developers at Bluepoint spit-shined some of its systems and added a few bits of fresh content, including a mysterious door and Ceramic Coins that didn’t exist in the original.
Demon’s Souls has kept players busy since the PS5’s launch day, slowly unveiling its secrets and claiming thousands of hours of playtime from dedicated fans. Turns out, there’s more to this game than pure punishment.
Astro’s Playroom
This is less of a suggestion and more of a heartfelt plea. Play Astro’s Playroom. It comes pre-installed on the PS5, and at first glance, it appears to be a suite of branded demo games designed for babies -- but in truth, it’s an enjoyable rundown of everything the new hardware has to offer. Astro’s Playroom is cute and sweet, and it serves as a comprehensive introduction to the PS5 overall.
Astro’s Playroom is particularly skilled at showing off the fresh features of the DualSense controller. The gamepad’s haptic feedback system responds uniquely to different on-screen textures and actions, little sounds emanate from the built-in speaker, and the tension in the triggers can change on the fly, unlocking a new world of pressure-sensitive mechanics.
If you have a PS5, you already own Astro’s Playroom, so go ahead and give it a whirl. I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition
Devil May Cry 5 is already a fantastic demonic action game, but the Special Edition for PS5 proves that Dante only gets better with age. Well, Dante and his twin brother, Vergil, who’s fully playable in the latest version. The Special Edition adds an option to slice through the campaign as Vergil, with a totally different moveset than Dante, and the result is thrilling.
Not to mention, the game itself performs beautifully on PS5, with blazing fast load times and the addition of ray tracing at 4K and 30fps, or without ray tracing at 4K and 60fps. The Devil May Cry 5 Special Edition also introduces new yet familiar gameplay modes for fans looking to perfect that S-rank.
