First-person shooters often combine skill and reflexes with high-octane gameplay, attracting players of every age. While many players consider PC the dominant platform for the genre, the growing number of FPS players on the PlayStation 5 puts that to rest. Here are 15 of the best PS5 First-person shooter games you must try.
The FPS genre has been prevalent since the 1990s when games like Wolfenstein 3D took the gaming world by storm. Today, you can play several first-person shooter titles on every platform.
Players on the PS5 have access to some of the most popular titles on the market, including Call of Duty, Apex Legends, Destiny 2, and more. If you own Sony’s flagship console and are looking for a list of first-person shooter games to try out, we’ve got you covered.
The best first-person shooters for PS5
1) Doom eternal
Doom Eternal is the latest entry in the famed Doom series of first-person shooters. While the original Doom is often considered to be one of the greatest games of all time, Doom Eternal fights it tooth and nail for the top spot. With some of the smoothest and most unique FPS elements in gaming, the title makes killing demons as enjoyable as watching a Dragon Ball Z fight.
Doom Eternal improves on Doom (2016) in every way, coming with updated animations, new weapons, amazing set-pieces, bigger bosses, and more creative ways to trample Hell’s army. While it does have minor connections to its predecessor, you won’t necessarily miss playing it while glory-killing your way across a demon-infested Earth.
2) The Finals
If you’re into fast-paced and high-octane FPS games, The Finals is the place to be. Your goal in this game is to compete against other teams in fun and intense tournaments, trying out different routes, weapons, abilities, and gadgets in an attempt to be crowned champions.
The Finals allows you to be creative in a way hitherto undreamt of, with almost the entire map being destructible. Whether you’re darting in between multiple teams while being invisible and using a katana, or smashing through walls with your sledgehammer, this title always offers a unique experience.
3) Valorant
Valorant is one of the latest FPS titles to come to PlayStation after its surprise launch on the platform in August 2024. While it was already one of the most popular first-person shooters on the market, the release on PlayStation and Xbox consoles saw its player count reach as high as 26 million players.
The game is often compared to CS2, but the addition of specialized operators known as “Agents,” makes it vastly different from the classic shooter, along with each of them having unique abilities. The game also comes with eight different game modes like Spike Rush, Team Deathmatch, Swiftplay, Escalation, and more.
4) Rainbow Six Siege
Ubisoft might have gone soft in recent years, but Rainbow Six Siege remains one of its most successful projects to date. Just like many other games on this list, Siege provides an utterly unique experience, providing realism, tons of operators and gadgets to choose from, several well-designed maps, destruction capabilities, and regular updates.
You get three primary 5v5 game modes in the form of Bomb, Secure Area, and Hostage, and each of them requires you to play differently to win. Add to that a training mode, custom games, the new Siege Cup, and several arcade modes like Gun Game, Free For All, Snipers Only, and Headshots Only, and you’ve got a good time on your hands.
5) Metal: Hellsinger
Love first-person shooters? Great! Love music? Even better! Metal: Hellsinger combines both of these aspects to form an experience, unlike most other FPS titles. For once, the music dictates and affects how well you do in the game.
Fans of the Doom franchise might find this game quite familiar since your main objective is to defeat demons and bosses with unique weapons while matching the beats and rhythm of the heavy metal music playing in the background. You’re given a rating similar to the Devil May Cry games in each round, depending on how accurate your combat is with respect to the music.
6) Xdefiant
Xdefiant has garnered a huge player base since its release, with several players actively engaging in its fast-paced ability-focused gameplay and modes like Team Deathmatch, Domination, Echelon, and an Escort mode similar to Halo and Overwatch. The game also supports crossplay, so you can play with your PC friends as well.
While the game was once dubbed the “COD-killer,” the latter seems to be holding its own. Additionally, with rumors of the game shutting down denied by Ubisoft, you’re pretty much guaranteed an enjoyable experience with scores of maps and game modes as well as many interesting characters based on popular Ubisoft franchises like Splinter Cell, Watch Dogs, and The Division.
7) Cyberpunk 2077
Since its release in 2020, Cyberpunk 2077 has established itself as one of the best FPS titles around. While its launch might not have been the best, the “Update 2.0” patch gave it the No Man’s Sky treatment, fixing almost every issue with the game, massively improving existing mechanics, and adding several well-received new features.
As the game’s title suggests, Cyberpunk 2077 takes you to a dystopian future, where man and machine have fused to a certain degree and tons of advanced technology is floating around. You play a mercenary named V, and depending on your background and choices within the game, you can have a different experience than other players.
Whatever your story choices, however, you’re always free to explore the incredibly detailed open world, use unique gadgets, tech, and weapons, and interact with several interesting characters.
8) Battlefield 1
Even though Battlefield 1 was released in 2016, it can easily be compared to the latest titles in terms of sound design, lighting, and graphical fidelity, which is quite an achievement. Despite being a World War 1 game, it manages to hold its own in an industry dominated by World War 2 titles like Hell Let Loose, the earlier Call of Duty games, and most importantly, Battlefield 5.
Battlefield 1 sets itself apart using its mechanics, cinematic and buttery smooth gameplay, unique features like horseback combat, vehicles like the monstrous Behemoths, Tanks, and Heavy Bomber planes, as well as its collection of engaging single-player War Stories, which take you through the most pivotal moments of the First World War.
9) Destiny 2
Destiny 2 is among the most popular live-service first-person shooters out there. Despite releasing in 2017, the game is still going strong and averages around 30k to upwards of 50k daily players.
If you’re just starting with Destiny 2 on PS5, you’ll have tons to discover and explore, as the game has some of the best FPS mechanics on the market along with several activities to keep you engaged.
You can try out different classes like Warlocks, Hunters, and Titans depending on your play style, or buy cosmetics and upgrades from different vendors. If you’re playing with friends, you can complete quests, engage in PvP, visit other planets, or simply take on groups of enemies. And the best part about it? It’s free to play.
10) Hell Let Loose
Hell Let Loose is a unique FPS title that you can consider if you’re a fan of World War 2 shooters. While games like Battlefield and Call of Duty provide a sweaty and arcade-style experience, Hell Let Loose is more of a mil-sim.
You might have to take some time and get used to the mechanics of Hell Let Loose, as it can be a little difficult to adjust to the slower and more hardcore gameplay, after experiencing titles with fast-paced movement. Once you do, however, you’ll see that communication is key in this game and that everyone has a specific and important role to play. Matches can last up to 90 minutes, and the game dials up its immersion to 11 with impressive sound design and tanks, artillery, high stakes, and a well-rounded FPS experience.
11) Apex Legends
Apex Legends has been popular for most of its lifetime, popping up as a fast-paced and enjoyable alternative to PUBG in 2019, and later, Warzone. The game redefined the Battle Royale genre and became incredibly successful across the gaming and streaming spaces despite being free to play.
If you’re a fan of the Titanfall series, you’ll recognize Legends like Valkyrie, Ash, and Pathfinder among several other references to the game. Each character has a different ability that you can use to overcome other teams, like making portals, scanning your surroundings for enemy players, ziplining across the map, and more. Add some unique rotating maps, a ranked mode, an arena mode, seasonal events, and regular updates to the mix, and you’ve got a top-tier battle royale experience.
12) Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Black Ops 6 is the latest entry in the Call of Duty franchise, and the first Black Ops game since 2020. The game’s standout feature is its brand-new movement system, titled Omnimovement. This allows you to slide, dive, and go prone in any direction, completely changing how you approach fights as well as evade enemies.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 comes with 16 different maps and tons of unique weapons. With these, you can wreak havoc upon the battlefield and call in destructive killstreaks like the H.A.R.P., Chopper Gunner, or Dreadnought. Aside from this, the game comes with well-received Zombies mode and a new campaign set in 1991.
13) Overwatch 2
Overwatch 2 is the sequel to one of the most fun first-person shooters on the market, and its accessibility due to being free-to-play attracts millions of players to it every month. If you’re a fan of fast-paced 5v5 shooters, Overwatch 2 is the game for you. Oh, and it supports crossplay as well.
Like some of the other titles on this list, this game gives you several character options, each with their abilities. Furthermore, every character, or “hero,” has a role that helps the team differently.
Tanks can “tank” incoming damage and destroy obstructions, Damage heroes use their abilities to flank, and engage in PvP, while Support heroes help their teammates by healing, shielding, boosting their skills, and having their backs.
