So you got a PS5 Pro – here are the 5 games you need to play first
It's a great time to get a console
The PS5 Pro is, bar none, the best and most powerful mainstream console available right now – and there's no arguing with that. It far outstrips the power of the base PS5 or the Xbox Series X, and should retain that title for a good few years. If you just added one to your arsenal, you've made a great choice.
As the proud owner of a PS5 Pro, and someone who's played a whole host of games on it since the console launched, I've brought together a list of the games you might want to pair with your powered-up hardware now that we're in early 2026. These are the buzziest titles, with most of them also boasting really obvious enhancements compared to on base PS5.
Arc Raiders
Top of my list right now is the game that's stolen dozens of hours from me in the last month – Arc Raiders, which has been something of a multiplayer insurgent, coming from a smaller studio. It's a stunning example of how to build an extraction shooter that still appeals to casual players, and its mixture of combat against unpredictable robots and even more unpredictable players is total dynamite.
The game is listed as being PS5 Pro Enhanced on the PlayStation, which means you get sharper visuals and some higher-quality lighting and shadows compared to PS5. That might not sound like much, but when you're sneaking around on a night raid and catch the glint of someone's gun barrel in a dark corner, you'll realise just how much extra ambiance and detail it can mean.
Assassin's Creed Shadows
Perhaps the biggest gap between a standard PS5 release and the PS5 Pro version that I've seen in a long while was offered up by Assassin's Creed Shadows, which made a radical improvement by letting you use its new and extremely impressive global lighting without dropping down to 30fps. That means you get super-smooth 60fps gameplay and the best visuals possible.
It helps that its version of feudal Japan is also insanely beautiful and detailed, to the point where I actually think it's a better and more consuming game than Ghost of Yotei (although the latter is also a superb pick for samurai fans). Available now for very decent prices, Shadows is a real technical showcase.
Battlefield 6
If Arc Raiders isn't quite the flavour of multiplayer shooter that you're looking for, there's a very good chance that Battlefield 6 is more up your street. This traditional but hugely satisfying FPS goes big on destruction and atmosphere, with some of the best visuals and sound design I've encountered in ages.
It also looks sharper and cleaner on PS5 Pro thanks to some handy enhancements, even if they're not surfaced in settings that you can actually change. It adds up to a modern and convincing shooter that can be incredibly immersive on PlayStation's most powerful console.
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
My favourite RPG of the last few years was also the game that really made me realise I did the right thing by buying a PS5 Pro. What can be a slightly unstable game on the base console is completely rock-solid on the Pro, with better resolution and frame rate consistency making this unbelievably detailed game shine as it should.
It's been expanded with various free mission packs since its launch, making it all the more attractive, but you really have to give Deliverance 2 a few hours of gameplay to let it win you over. Its commitment to immersion makes it brutal in the early hours, but by the time you pilfer or earn a suit of armour you'll probably be unable to tear yourself away.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2
A slightly older title that nonetheless benefits from one of the best PS5 Pro patches in the business, Spider-Man 2 is a total joy from start to finish, telling a classic Spider-Man tale and letting you jump between the two suits of Peter Parker and Miles Morales as they dice with a whole heap of different baddies and even each other at times.
The game's PS5 Pro patch unlocks a bunch of graphical modes to choose from, with those that take advantage of its power really standing out. They ensure that you can get ray-traced lighting and reflections at frame rates that still feel ultra-smooth (especially on a display with VRR), making this hugely satisfying game even more enjoyable to play or replay.
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