Gaming
Gaming
The 10 best free games for PlayStation 5
Lots of gaming fun for free: Even on the PlayStation 5, you don't have to spend a single cent for some of the best games. We present the best free-to-play games for PS5.
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Elden Ring, Astro Bot, God of War Ragnarök or Gran Turismo 7: The selection of gaming highlights for the PlayStation 5 is huge. But even if you don't want to pay a cent, you can still enjoy some top-class games on the latest Sony console. These are the best free games for PlayStation 5.
01
Marvel Rivals
The shooter featuring superheroes from the Marvel universe, Marvel Rivals, was only launched in December 2024 and quickly became a real hit. In this multiplayer shooter, heroes and villains such as Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, Venom and Loki compete against each other in two teams of six players to complete various missions.
Marvel Rivals is a new PVP hero shooter
© Marvel
This is sometimes reminiscent of genre hits such as Overwatch 2 or VALORANT and is extremely tactical, not least thanks to the varied abilities and special team-ups, in which different heroes form a particularly strong synergy when combined.
Marvel Rivals looks good, plays smoothly and offers plenty of variety to keep you glued to the gamepad for a long time.
02
VALORANT
Speaking of free multiplayer shooters: VALORANT from LoL makers Riot Games has become one of the most important esports games on PC and fills huge arenas - such as the recent Red Bull Home Ground in Berlin.
VALORANT has a vibrant community of gamers and content creators
© KREW Collective/Red Bull Content Pool
In summer 2024, the free-to-play shooter hit was finally released for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S and is undoubtedly one of the best free games on the Sony console. In VALORANT, as in the genre classic CS:GO, two teams compete against each other, with one team having to plant a bomb (spike), which the other team naturally wants to prevent.
You have a whole range of varied characters (the agents) to choose from. VALORANT is fast, tactical and plays in a pleasantly straightforward and fluid manner.
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Memories of CS:GO - The Final Years
Learn how the tactical shooter game CS:GO (Counter-Strike: Global Offensive) became a global phenomenon.
03
Astro's Playroom
Astro's Playroom
© Sony
For the launch of the PlayStation 5 in November 2020, Sony gave away a game that every buyer could get for free: Astro's Playroom was designed to demonstrate the unique capabilities of the new console and its DualSense gamepad.
Despite its manageable playtime of just 3-4 hours, the game turned out to be one of the best 3D platformers for the PlayStation 5, which the title also owed to the charm of the eponymous protagonist, the harmonious graphics and a good dose of humour.
In 2024, Astro Bot was then released as an indirect successor with significantly more scope, which not only marked one of the best games of the year, but can also keep up with the who's who of the genre around Super Mario, Sonic and co. Even if no longer as a free game.
04
My First Gran Turismo
My First Gran Turismo is aimed at players of all ages
© Sony Interactive Entertainment
Perhaps the best racing game for the PlayStation is called Gran Turismo 7 and, as a genuine simulation, is aimed at all those who want to indulge in car culture and compete with CPU drivers and players from all over the world in varied races with a gigantic fleet of vehicles.
With My First Gran Turismo , a free spin-off followed in December 2024 as an early Christmas present, which builds on the core gameplay of its big sibling but is aimed at players of all ages and experience levels.
In this racing game, you will be gently introduced to driving behaviour, complete licence tests and master races. If you like it, you can even transfer the unlocked content to Gran Turismo 7.
- Surprise start in the premier class: the 2023 season was extremely busy for Liam Lawson, as the New Zealander was surprisingly called up to Formula 1. In 2025, he will even start as the second driver alongside Max Verstappen for Red Bull Racing - 'In the Wings' tells his story.
31 min
In the Wings
Formula One driver Liam Lawson builds his F1 resume in his busiest season yet in 2023.
05
Rocket League
Despite its admittedly advanced age (the game was released back in 2015), Rocket League has lost none of its fascination to this day. This is because the multiplayer game is based on a unique game concept.
We might soon see PSG against FC Barcelona - in Rocket League
© Rocket League
At its core, it is a kind of football game. With the special feature that cars compete against each other. The team, duo or players who score the most goals within five minutes win.
Sounds simple? In principle it is, but it is also incredibly captivating and motivating. Especially as the game is constantly being updated with new content. Great fun.
- Let's Play of the extreme kind: (almost) anyone can play in front of the TV. With Tom Shuffle, however, things look a little different.
More Rocket League
06
Genshin Impact
But now let's move on to something completely different: Genshin Impact is a free fantasy action role-playing game that is now available for almost every platform imaginable.
The co-op RPG Genshin Impact is taking the gaming world by storm
© Shanghai miHoYo YingTie
In a huge open game world, you complete missions, level up your characters and fight against a wide variety of enemies. The game not only impresses with its harmonious anime graphics, but also with its captivating gameplay and balanced level of difficulty.
And if you don't want to play alone, Genshin Impact can be experienced cooperatively with up to four people at the same time.
07
The Finals
Now it's getting action-packed again, because The Finals is a multiplayer shooter that provides a breath of fresh air from a gameplay perspective. Why? Well, the environments of the individual maps can be almost completely destroyed thanks to the unique physics.
The destruction is what makes The Finals so unique
© Embark Studios
Where huge skyscrapers towered over the arena at the start of a round, by the end not one stone is left standing on another. As if that wasn't exciting enough, the game scores with excellent balancing of the three classes, a huge arsenal and varied game modes in which you have to steal cash or move a platform through the map, for example.
In addition to cross-play, which allows cross-platform play between PC and consoles, the developers recently added a 120 FPS mode for consoles to the free game.
08
Fortnite
Fortnite is something like the forefather of the battle royale genre and has long been known far beyond the borders of the gaming world. The core of the free-to-play game is of course still the battle royale mode, in which the player who is the last one standing at the end wins.
Build, build, build. When in doubt, keep building.
© Epic Games
Alternatively, you can let off steam in creative mode, build your own brick worlds in Lego Fortnite, venture into a racing game spin-off in Rocket Racing or enjoy concerts by world-famous artists in the Fortnite Festival.
Almost anything is possible in Fortnite, which also explains why the free game still has an incredible number of players today. With Fortnite Ballistic, there is now even a genuine tactical shooter game mode that packs a punch.
You can see what streamer Amar thinks of the mode in the following clip:
09
Apex Legends
Also at home in the battle royale genre is Apex Legends, THE surprise game of 2019, which broke one record after another after its release.
Each character in Apex Legends has unique skills
© Electronic Arts
In Apex Legends, a total of 60 players compete against each other in a round in teams of two or three players. Whoever is left at the end is the winner.
You choose from a huge roster of characters (the Legends), all of whom have four unique abilities and are divided into five different classes, each with their own tasks in a game. Varied, fast and incredibly addictive.
- Big Duo Tournament: Welcome to Red Bull Legends Inn - a duo tournament in Apex Legends where iiTzTimmy and ImperialHal gathered some of the best players at the Godfrey Hotel in Chicago in November 2024. Let's review the event:
10
The Sims 4
If you like things a little more relaxed, The Sims 4 is the place for you. In this life simulation game, which is free to play, you can create a unique world that matches your ideas.
Our house, in the middle of our street
© EA
You can create unique Sims with individual looks and dynamic personalities, build your dream home and explore a vibrant game world. Or just hang out at home and relax as you please. Pretty much anything is possible in The Sims 4.
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Memories of CS:GO – The Early Years
Reminiscing on CS:GO's golden age while embracing Counter-Strike 2, featuring interviews from key players.
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