Best sports games for PS5

What are the best sports games for PS5? Whether you’re the type who thinks football should be played with your hands or your feet, sports games are extremely popular on PlayStation, and a growing selection is available on PlayStation 5. In this article, we’ve compiled a list of the best sports games for PS5, but remember, the best sports games for PS4 will also play on Sony’s new console thanks to backward compatibility. You can also find the Best PS5 Racing Games and Best PS5 games through the links.

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Best sports games for PS5

Below is a list of best sports games for PS5. These are the best sports games available on PlayStation 5 right now, presented in no particular order, as determined by our editorial team.

NBA 2K22 (PS5)

NBA 2K22 (PS5)NBA 2K22 (PS5)

Editor: Sports 2K / Developer: Visual concepts

Release date: September 10, 2021 (United States) / September 10, 2021 (UK / EU)
  • Type: Simulation
  • Sport: Basketball
  • Players: 4

NBA 2K22 is unmatched in the sports genre for its reach, and while many may frown at Visual Concepts’ attempt to create an open-world online RPG in the ever-popular MyCareer mode, there’s no doubt that you could waste hundreds of hours with this title. With one of the strongest franchise modes on the market in MyNBA and a rewarding Ultimate Team alternative in MyTeam, this is the biggest and best featured sports game on PS5. Nice improvements to the defense mean it plays quite cleanly on the pitch as well.

Republic of the Cavaliers (PS5)

Republic of the Cavaliers (PS5)Republic of the Cavaliers (PS5)

Editor: Ubisoft / Developer: Ubisoft Annecy

Release date: October 28, 2021 (United States) / October 28, 2021 (UK / EU)
  • Type: Arcade
  • Sport: Extreme sports
  • Players: 1

A game that brings something a little different to the sports genre on PS5, Riders Republic is an open world game from Ubisoft with a cycling / skiing / wingsuit skin. A massively multiplayer online sandbox, filled with both silly and serious challenges, this game is on a colossal scale – something it underlies with its outrageous mass racing competitions. It might sound a bit ugly and its too-cool-for-school style will squeak, but going down mountains at 100 km / h is still an exhilarating experience.

MLB The Show 21 (PS5)

MLB The Show 21 (PS5)MLB The Show 21 (PS5)

Editor: Sony interactive entertainment / Developer: WWS San Diego Studio

Release date: April 20, 2021 (United States) / April 20, 2021 (UK / EU)
  • Type: Simulation
  • Sport: Baseball
  • Players: 2

MLB The Show 21 looks like half a step into the PS5 generation, as its industry-leading presentation has stalled somewhat. Make no mistake, however, this has some of the best gameplay of the genre and one of the deepest franchise modes available, with only NBA 2K22 really rivaling it. Despite this, Diamond Dynasty is the real star: this generous card-collecting mode is absolutely jam-packed with content, and unlike other options in the genre, you don’t need to spend a dime to get the most out of it.

FIFA 22 (PS5)

FIFA 22 (PS5)FIFA 22 (PS5)

Editor: EA Sports / Developer: EA Vancouver

Release date: October 1, 2021 (United States) / October 1, 2021 (UK / EU)
  • Type: Simulation
  • Sport: Soccer
  • Players: 4

In a year where eFootball has effectively declared itself unfit for competition, EA Sports may have put the final nail in Konami’s long-running franchise with its best football simulation in years. FIFA 22 feels extraordinary on the pitch, thanks to a bunch of new animations and vastly improved ball physics. While not without its flaws – namely microtransactions – Career Mode additions, like the revamped Player Career, add value to the offline experience, while new Fall Guys style board games from Volta Football are also quite fun.

F1 2021 (PS5)

F1 2021 (PS5)F1 2021 (PS5)

Editor: EA Sports / Developer: Codemasters

Release date: July 16, 2021 (United States) / July 16, 2021 (UK / EU)
  • Type: Simulation
  • Sport: Formula One
  • Players: 2

Between its cheesy Braking Point cinematic campaign and hugely in-depth cooperative career mode, F1 2021 sits alongside NBA 2K22 and MLB The Show 21 as one of the most comprehensive sports games out there. Basically Codemasters did an amazing job on the track as well, with a huge number of settings making this racer appealing to both casual Sunday drivers and experienced gas enthusiasts alike.

NHL 22 (PS5)

NHL 22 (PS5)NHL 22 (PS5)

Editor: EA Sports / Developer: EA Vancouver

Release date: October 15, 2021 (United States) / October 15, 2021 (UK / EU)
  • Type: Simulation
  • Sport: Ice Hockey
  • Players: 4

As part of the transition to the Frostbite engine, the EA Canada team has achieved one important thing: not to completely dump the game. NHL 22 can share many of its features and modes with its immediate predecessor PS4, but at less it wasn’t gutted like the disastrous NHL 15. The X-Factors implementation adds personality to the rink, and Franchise Mode is still more in-depth than most EA Sports alternatives in. genre.

Tennis World Tour 2: Complete Edition (PS5)

Tennis World Tour 2: Complete Edition (PS5)Tennis World Tour 2: Complete Edition (PS5)

Editor: Nacon / Developer: The big ants studios

Release date: March 25, 2021 (United States) / March 25, 2021 (UK / EU)
  • Type: Simulation
  • Sport: Tennis
  • Players: 4

From a pure presentation standpoint, Tennis World Tour 2: Complete Edition is by far the worst game on this list – even though it looks and runs a lot sharper on the PS5, compared to its counterpart. PS4. Inspired by the gameplay of the classic PS3 Top Spin 4, this game captures the ebb and flow of tennis fairly well and includes a reasonably robust Career mode with a good sense of progression. But a lack of animations and general polish lets it down, even though there’s a feeling the developer has something to work with here.

Madden NFL 22 (PS5)

Madden NFL 22 (PS5)Madden NFL 22 (PS5)

Editor: EA Sports / Developer: EA Tiburon

Release date: August 20, 2021 (United States) / August 20, 2021 (UK / EU)
  • Type: Simulation
  • Sport: Football
  • Players: 2

EA Sports’ flagship American football franchise has been left out by many other sports games on this list, but Madden NFL 22 has at least got the brand back on track. The expected improvements to Franchise Mode mean that it finally has some key systems, like the game week planning and coordinators. It’s still a long way from where it needs to be, but Ultimate Team has good content and The Yard is a nice alternative to authentic football. The less said about Face of the Franchise, the better.


What do you think are the best sports games for PS5? Don’t forget to also refer to the best sports games for PS4 via the link, and also check out our list of Best PS5 games.

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