The PlayStation 5 is nearing its five-year anniversary, and people are starting to evaluate how well it’s done so far. It’s been widely discussed in gaming news and online communities that the PS5 hasn’t been a complete success for everyone. Some players feel there haven’t been enough standout exclusive games, and that the improvements in graphics and power aren’t as significant as with previous PlayStation consoles.
While the PS5 is definitely more powerful than previous PlayStation consoles – and many games show off that extra strength – most players care more about the games themselves. Ultimately, it comes down to the experiences the console offers and how they compare to other options, like the Nintendo Switch. So, is it true that the PS5 lacks compelling games? And how does its game selection compare to the first five years of the PS4, which is known for having an amazing collection of exclusive titles?
PS4 vs. PS5: Which Console Had More Compelling Exclusives After Five Years?
Because many PlayStation games are now released on PC shortly after or even at the same time as their PlayStation launch, the “Timed Exclusive” sections in the tables below highlight games that have been released on other consoles (like Xbox or Nintendo Switch) after they first came out on PlayStation.
Notable Exclusives from the PS4’s First Five Years
| Game | OpenCritic Top Critic Average | Timed Exclusive | Single/Multiplayer | Remake/Remaster | Release Year | PSVR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astro Bot: Rescue Mission | 90 | No | Single-player | No | 2018 | Yes |
| Bloodborne | 91 | No | Single-player | No | 2015 | No |
| Bound | 71 | No | Single-player | No | 2016 | No |
| Detroit: Become Human | 79 | No | Single-player | No | 2018 | No |
| Drawn to Death | 56 | No | Multiplayer | No | 2017 | No |
| Driveclub | 71 | No | Multiplayer | No | 2014 | No |
| God of War | 94 | No | Single-player | No | 2018 | No |
| Gravity Rush 2 | 81 | No | Single-player | No | 2017 | No |
| Horizon Zero Dawn | 89 | No | Single-player | No | 2017 | No |
| InFamous: First Light | 73 | No | Single-player | No | 2014 | No |
| InFamous: Second Son | 82 | No | Single-player | No | 2014 | No |
| Killzone: Shadow Fall | 73 | No | Single-player | No | 2013 | No |
| Knack | 54 | No | Both | No | 2013 | No |
| Knack 2 | 69 | No | Both | No | 2017 | No |
| MLB: The Show 17 | 85 | Yes | Both | No | 2017 | No |
| MLB: The Show 18 | 82 | Yes | Both | No | 2018 | No |
| Marvel’s Spider-Man | 88 | No | Single-player | No | 2018 | No |
| Nioh | 88 | Yes | Single-player | No | 2017 | No |
| P.T. | N/A | No | Single-player | No | 2014 | No |
| Ratchet & Clank | 85 | No | Single-player | No | 2016 | No |
| Shadow of the Beast | 64 | No | Single-player | Yes | 2016 | No |
| Shadow of the Colossus | 91 | No | Single-player | Yes | 2018 | No |
| The Last Guardian | 81 | No | Single-player | No | 2016 | No |
| The Last of Us Remastered | 94 | No | Both | Yes | 2014 | No |
| The Order: 1886 | 63 | No | Single-player | No | 2015 | No |
| Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End | 93 | No | Both | No | 2016 | No |
| Uncharted: The Lost Legacy | 85 | No | Both | No | 2017 | No |
| Until Dawn | 79 | No | Single-player | No | 2015 | No |
| Until Dawn: Rush of Blood | 72 | No | Single-player | No | 2016 | Yes |
| Yakuza 6: The Song of Life | 83 | Yes | Single-player | No | 2018 | No |
Notable Exclusives from the PS5’s First Five Years
| Game | OpenCritic Top Critic Average | Timed Exclusive | Single/Multiplayer | Remake/Remaster | Release Year | PSVR | Cross-Generation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astro Bot | 95 | No | Single-player | No | 2024 | No | No |
| Astro’s PlayRoom | 84 | No | Single-player | No | 2020 | No | No |
| Days Gone Remastered | 81 | No | Single-player | Yes | 2025 | No | No |
| Death Stranding 2: On the Beach | 90 | No | Single-player | No | 2025 | No | No |
| Death Stranding Director’s Cut | 86 | Yes | Single-player | Yes | 2021 | No | No |
| Demon’s Souls | 92 | No | Both | Yes | 2020 | No | No |
| Destruction AllStars | 62 | No | Multiplayer | No | 2021 | No | No |
| Fantavision 202X | N/A | No | Both | Yes | 2023 | Yes | No |
| Final Fantasy 16 | 87 | Yes | Single-player | No | 2023 | No | No |
| Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth | 92 | Yes | Single-player | Yes | 2024 | No | No |
| Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut | 87 | No | Single-player | Yes | 2021 | No | Yes |
| Ghost of Yotei | 87 | No | Single-player | No | 2025 | No | No |
| God of War Ragnarok | 92 | No | Single-player | No | 2023 | No | Yes |
| Gran Turismo 7 | 87 | No | Both | No | 2022 | Yes | Yes |
| Helldivers 2 | 83 | Yes | Multiplayer | No | 2024 | No | No |
| Horizon Call of the Mountain | 80 | No | Single-player | No | 2023 | Yes | No |
| Horizon Forbidden West | 88 | No | Single-player | No | 2022 | No | Yes |
| Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered | 84 | No | Single-player | Yes | 2024 | No | No |
| Lost Soul Aside | 63 | No | Single-player | No | 2025 | No | No |
| Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | 88 | No | Single-player | No | 2024 | No | No |
| Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales | 85 | No | Single-player | No | 2020 | No | Yes |
| Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart | 88 | No | Single-player | No | 2021 | No | No |
| Returnal | 86 | No | Single-player | No | 2021 | No | No |
| Rise of the Ronin | 77 | Yes | Both | No | 2024 | No | No |
| Sackboy: A Big Adventure | 80 | No | Both | No | 2020 | No | Yes |
| Silent Hill 2 | 87 | Yes | Single-player | Yes | 2024 | No | No |
| Silent Hill: The Short Message | 55 | No | Single-player | No | 2024 | No | No |
| Stellar Blade | 81 | Yes | Single-player | No | 2024 | No | No |
| Sword of the Sea | 87 | No | Single-player | No | 2025 | No | No |
| Synapse | 78 | No | Single-player | No | 2023 | Yes | No |
| The Last of Us Part 1 | 82 | No | Single-player | Yes | 2022 | No | No |
| The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered | 89 | No | Single-player | Yes | 2024 | No | No |
| Until Dawn | 69 | No | Single-player | Yes | 2024 | No | No |
The PS5 Holds Its Own, but the PS4’s First Five Years Were Clearly Better
I initially thought the PlayStation 4 had many more exclusive games than the PlayStation 5, but the difference isn’t as big as I expected. Some of the best PS5 exclusives include Ghost of Yotei, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and Astro Bot, all of which really showcase what the new hardware can do and offer experiences you wouldn’t easily find on older consoles. (Death Stranding 2 is particularly impressive visually – some fans even joke it’s the first true PS5 game!). Other great PS5 exclusives from the last few years include Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Returnal, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.
Honestly, when it comes to games you can’t play anywhere else, the PS5 doesn’t have a ton. There are a few real standouts, but a lot of the big titles everyone talks about, like Horizon Forbidden West and God of War Ragnarok, are also on the PS4 – they just don’t look or run as well. Plus, a lot of the exclusives so far have either been temporary – meaning they eventually came to other platforms after a while – or they were remakes. Remember Demon’s Souls? That launched with the PS5, but it was a complete remake of an older game!
Looking at the PlayStation 4’s exclusive games after five years, you had truly groundbreaking titles like Horizon Zero Dawn, Bloodborne, and God of War. These weren’t just updated versions of older games – they wouldn’t have even run on the PS3, and really showed off the new power of the PS4. We’re only now starting to see that same level of difference between PS5 and PS4 games. Back then, the jump from Uncharted 3 to Uncharted 4 was immediately noticeable. It’s possible the PS5 will eventually have a more impressive library of exclusive games, but right now, the PS4’s first five years were more innovative and pushed the boundaries of what was possible.
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2025-11-19 21:41