2026 PS5 gift guide best ps5 games to buy this holiday News

2026 PS5 Gift Guide – Great PS5 Games To Buy For Friends, Family This Year

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2026 PS5 Gift Guide – Great PS5 Games To Buy Your Friends And Family – With the holiday season now upon us, there is no shortage of great PlayStation games that you can give to your loved ones. Including only the very greatest PS4 games and PS5 games, our 2026 PS5 gift guide will ensure that you get the best gifts this holiday season. Also don’t forget all PS4 games mentioned in this guide can be played on PS5 too! For further reading, you can check out our in-depth PS5 guide, PS4 games that give free PS5 upgrades guide, all the best PS5 games available, all PS5 games that have enhanced graphics, PS5 games that support crossplay, PS4 games that run at 60 FPS on PS5 and our constantly updated feature which details the latest news on PS6. Finally, you can catch our 2026 release calendar too.

2026 Gift Guide – Great PS5 Games To Buy This Year

Ace Combat 8: Wings Of Theve

  • What is it – The Ace Combat games have long carved out a very particular niche in video games and Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve sees Bandai Namco’s marquee air combat IP soaring higher than ever before. A direct follow up to Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, Wings of Theve deftly combines a high-octane, cinematic single-player campaign with the sort of expansive online multiplayer offering the series has long been missing, as it now allows players to engage with up to 100 other wannabe pilots in an Air Base lobby where all manner of PvE and PvP sorties can be embarked upon. Absolutely stunning to behold and even better to play, Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve is an easy recommendation for wannabe Mavericks everywhere.
  • Who would like it – Fans of the Top Gun movies and the Ace Combat games.
  • Available on: PS5

Battlefield 6: Game Of The Year Edition

  • What is it – After the muted reception and botched launched which dogged Battlefield 2042, Battlefield 6 finally seems to be a proper return to form. With a dogged current war setup where you won’t find any Nicki Minaj themed skins or pink-hued, LED ridden skins, Battlefield 6 instead takes the best from Battlefield 3, Battlefield 4 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 by providing players with a class-based system, insane amounts of destruction and a thunderous single-player campaign. The Battlefield 6: Game of the Year Edition version of the game not only provides the base game, but also a Battlefield Pro token, the ultimate shortcut kit which unlocks all weapons, upgrades and gadgets across the four main classes, the Phantom Pack which includes a bunch of unique skins and exclusive GOTY bonus content such as special skins and a range of XP boosts. If someone you know has been itching to get into Battlefield 6 but hasn’t had the right time to do so, this is absolutely the time to do so.
  • Who would like it – Players who love the Battlefield games and FPS games.
  • Available on: PS5

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4

  • What is it – Taking Activision’s juggernaut FPS blockbuster series into new and darker territory, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 boasts arguably the finest single-player campaign the series has witnessed in years. After a full-scale invasion of the Korean Peninsula sets the world ablaze and a vengeful Captain Price is engaging in his own shadow war, the two converge in dramatic fashion, taking players into SAS night raids in Mumbai, a high-speed chase through Paris and horrific Korean trench warfare to describe just a few of the scenarios. Beyond its bombastic single-player campaign offering, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 also delivers revamped 6v6 online multiplayer along with a revamped DMZ extraction mode.
  • Who would like it – Players who love Call of Duty and FPS games.
  • Available on: PS5

Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse

  • What is it – Effectively putting an exclamation point on the 40th anniversary of the Castlevania franchise, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse has been conjured into being by Dead Cells studio Evil Empire and in doing so has given Castlevania fans the best Castlevania game in years. Set in medieval Paris, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse has players taking control of Rose Belmont as she seeks to defeat the power behind a soul-harvesting threat. Stuffed to the gills with pixel-perfect platforming, satisfying combat and the sort of compelling exploration that Castlevania has long been known for, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse is as essential as it gets for fans of Castlevania and action platformers everywhere.
  • Who would like it – Players who love Castlevania games and Metroidvania style games.
  • Available on: PS5

Dragon Quest VII Reimagined

  • What is it – A from the ground-up ruminating of a beloved PS1 Dragon Quest classic, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined switches up from its retro aesthetic to a presentation style much more akin to a diorama art design which really allows Akira Toriyama’s iconic character designs pop out of the screen. Along with the completely overhauled visual presentation, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined also brings a revamped turn-based combat system which now permits dual-class vocations, while the same epic narrative which defined the PS1 original remains untouched.
  • Who would like it – Players who love JRPG games, Dragon Quest games and Final Fantasy games.
  • Available on: PS5

EA Sports College Football 27

  • What is it – Continuing on the great foundation laid down by last year’s entry, EA Sports College Football 27 refines that stellar formula even further, with a raft of new plays, an incentive-driven trophy mode, reworked physics and visuals and overhauled presentation that allows EA Sports College Football 27 to operate at the apex of digital American college Football as we know it.
  • Who would like it – Fans of college football, NFL and the EA Madden games.
  • Available on: PS5

Ghost of Yōtei: Complete Edition

  • What is it – Ghost of Yōtei is that rare sequel that not only maintains the essence of its highly successful predecessor, but also qualitatively leapfrogs it in just about every meaningful way and metric. Underscored by a grippingly furious tale of revenge inspired by a layer cake of classic Japanese samurai cinema, the best combat ever seen in a samurai title and the most compelling open world since Red Dead Redemption 2, Ghost Of Yōtei is a jaw-dropping demonstration of Sucker Punch Productions operating at the peak of its considerable powers. Ghost of Yōtei redefines the term ‘must-have’ and wholly validates PlayStation Studios broader approach to embracing single-player epics such as this. In its new Complete Edition form, Ghost of Yōtei: Complete Edition packs in the surprisingly Echoes of Sekigahara story campaign expansion, a new roguelike Most Wanted mode and a range of unique costumes to boot. Anyone who enjoyed Ghost of Tsushima will love this.
  • Who would like it – Fans of Ghost of Tsushima, samurai games and open-world adventures.
  • Available on: PS5

Grand Theft Auto 6

  • What is it – Easily the biggest entertainment event of the decade bar none, Grand Theft Auto 6 has Rockstar Games making a return to the sun-blasted, neon-drenched metropolis of Vice City and its wider state, Leonida. In Grand Theft Auto 6 players follow a contemporary approximation of Bonnie and Clyde, as they take control of criminal duo Jason and Lucia as the pair make their way in a world generously filled with dynamic wildlife, biting satire and unparalleled interactivity. Nobody designs an epic open world quite like Rockstar and Grand Theft Auto 6 isn’t just their most ambitious offering to date, it’s also the flagship video game of the decade. No PlayStation 5 owner (assuming they’re of legal age) will want to be without Grand Theft Auto 6 this holiday season.
  • Who would like it – Fans of the Grand Theft Auto games and open world crime adventures.
  • Available on: PS5

It Takes Two

  • What is it – From the same developers that conjured up the great Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons and much more recent (but no less brilliant) co-op effort A Way Out, It Takes Two is easily one of the best split screen games you can buy right now on any system. With each player cast as a squabbling parent that has been transformed into a diminutive child’s doll, It Takes Two riffs on Honey I Shrunk The Kids as it presents players with a series of unique and deeply fun challenges that have you facing off with a band of rebellious squirrels, a deeply sarcastic book that’s trying to help (but really isn’t) and much more besides. The absolute embodiment of great split-screen gaming, It Takes Two is simply sublime and remains a sure-fire hit for some co-op fun over the Holiday period.
  • Who would like it – Fans of co-op games, local multiplayer games and platform games.
  • Available on: PS4, PS5

Lego Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight

  • What is it – An unexpectedly sophisticated spiritual successor to the tragically dormant Batman Arkham series of games, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is simultaneously a love letter to Rocksteady’s halcyon days and also to 85 years of the Caped Crusader’s storied history. With full control over seven members of the iconic Bat Family, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight has its titular protagonist tangling with classic and legendary villains from his past, all the while riffing on the various Batman movies, TV series and games that have been released during that span of time. Mixing up exploration, Arkham style combat and drop-in, drop-out co-op to boot, Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight is a sure fire prospect for comic book fans everywhere.
  • Who would like it – Fans of the Batman Arkham games and Lego games.
  • Available on: PS5

Marvel’s Wolverine

  • What is it – Shifting gears from their work on the sublimely epic open-world Marvel Spider-Man games, Insomniac Games takes a different approach with Marvel’s Wolverine. Boasting a much more linear, chapter to chapter style story campaign, Marvel’s Wolverine is an ultra violent globe-trotting epic that has the titular Wolverine slashing, tearing and carving his way through anti-mutant forces as he confronts the supernatural terror that has ruined his life. Visceral, tragic but boasting some of the most satisfying third-person combat I’ve seen in years, Marvel’s Wolverine is a no-brainer for fans of both Marvel movies and the comic book source material.
  • Who would like it – Fans of the Wolverine movies, comic books and violent third-person action games.
  • Available on: PS5

Mouse P.I. For Hire

  • What is it – Presenting players with a glorious mishmash of 1930’s style rubber-house and surprisingly visceral first-person shooter action, Mouse P.I. For Hire is an almost effortlessly stylish noir detective shooter that tasks players with ridding a city of its criminal rodent underbelly. Stuffed to the brim with detective humour and charm-stuffed slapstick animation, Mouse P.I For Hire is an easy recommendation for anyone with a hankering for noir detective adventures or first-person shooters that do things a little differently from the norm.
  • Who would like it – Players who enjoy first-person shooters and detective adventures.
  • Available on: PS5

Order Of The Sinking Star

  • What is it – Like The Witness and Braid before it, every new puzzle game from master developer Jonathan Blow is an event and Order of the Sinking Star is absolutely no exception. A puzzle solving magnum opus of gargantuan proportions, Order of the Sinking Star offers up literally hundreds upon hundreds of hours of gameplay as players tackle more than 1,000 puzzles spread across four thematically different interconnected worlds. Constantly able to surprise and with a narrative that is carefully threaded through from beginning to end, Order of the Sinking Star cleverly layers its challenges with unique environmental challenges and a carefully judged difficulty curve that makes solving each puzzle feel like a real achievement. Order of the Sinking Star is quite easily the best PS5 puzzle game in years and puzzle-loving players should seek it out immediately.
  • Who would like it – Fans of puzzle games.
  • Available on: PS5

Phantom Blade Zero

  • What is it – A furiously hyperkinetic, third-person action adventure which takes cues from the golden era of Hong Kong martial arts cinema and Chinese occult horror, Phantom Blade Zero puts players in the shoes of Soul, an elite assassin who has been framed for the murder of their clan’s patriarch and has just 66 days to live in order to uncover a shadowy conspiracy. With fight animations and choreography overseen and participated by Hong Kong legend Donnie Yen, Phantom Blade Zero’s combat looks breathtakingly cool in ways that no other third-person action game can match.
  • Who would like it – Fans of Black Myth Wukong, third-person action adventures and Hong Kong martial arts movies.
  • Available on: PS5

Silent Hill Townfall

  • What is it – Switching from the third-person perspective and gloomy American townships that have largely dominated the series (last year’s excellent Silent Hill f being an exception), Silent Hill Townfall instead relocates the series to the foggy Scottish coastal town of St Amelia in 1996. Told entirely from a first-person perspective, Silent Hill Townfall casts players as wayward traveller Simon Orwell who after he wakes up in the mysterious town with only a modified CRTV on his person to interpret supernatural signals, must descend into the depths of a nightmare to uncover the restless evil that plagues the town. Frequently frightening, always stylish and with five different endings to uncover, Silent Hill Townfall is a must-have for Silent Hill fans and horror lovers alike.
  • Who would like it – Fans of the Silent Hill games and survival horror titles.
  • Available on: PS5

Split Fiction

  • What is it – The latest local coop spectacular from the endlessly talented minds that gave us the great A Way Out and the stellar It Takes Two, Split Fiction looks to once again redefine the bar for couch coop gaming and likely provide developer Hazelight Studios with a bona-fide GOTY contender into the bargain. Casting players as two authors – one that writes fantasy novels and the other writes science fiction novels – Split Fiction thrusts the pair into a series of fantasy and sci-fi worlds, forcing them to work together to escape their predicament.
  • Who would like it – Fans of It Takes Two and split-screen, cooperative two player games.
  • Available on: PS5

The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales

  • What is it – Emerging from the talented imaginations of the folks at Square-Enix and Team Asano, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a gorgeously framed HD-2D action RPG that takes our titular adventure across multiple time periods and eras in order to save his kingdom. With a surprising amount of depth, multiple weapon types and the ability to bring in a second player for some co-op support in the game’s many challenging dungeons, The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a great buy for anyone who wants to tackle a beautifully well crafted JRPG epic.
  • Who would like it – Fans of JRPG games.
  • Available on: PS5

TOEM 2

  • What is it – A beautifully cosy sequel to 2021’s TOEM (as if you couldn’t guess from the title), TOEM 2 once more compels players to return to its monochromatic world to capture the perfect shot in a world filled with whimsical and endlessly charming characters. Relaxing, cozy, immensely wholesome and respectful of your time at just a few hours long, everybody should settle in with the grin-inducing loveable charm of TOEM 2.
  • Who would like it – Fans of TOEM, photography and charmingly offbeat indie games,
  • Available on: PS5

Valheim

  • What is it – Finally making its version 1.0 debut on PS5 after what feels like an age in PC early access, Valheim is quite simply the ultimate Viking survival fantasy. Thrust into a Midgard-like realm, Valheim tasks you and up to nine other players to tackle towering bosses, build sprawling camps, embark on the high seas in specialised longships and uncover the secrets of the connected realms. Practically endless in scope and always with something new to discover, Valheim is proper catnip for fans of vikings and survival adventure affairs.
  • Who would like it – Fans of survival adventures.
  • Available on: PS5