Sports games have always been great for gamers. You don’t have to be super knowledgeable to get into them. I’ve never gotten into half of the games on this list. But playing them has made me understand why they are important. The PlayStation is where a lot of incredible sports games call home. To find out what the best sports games are on the PS4 and PS5 in 2024, read on.
Top 10 best sports games you can play on the PS5 and PS4 in 2024
The following games are ones that I’ve played and have enjoyed even if I’m not a huge fan of the sport itself. This list is not ranked. It’s more a casual tour of some of the best sports game experiences available on the PlayStation.
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2
I could never skateboard as a kid growing up, so the next best option was playing the Tony Hawk Pro Skater games. When the remakes Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2 were released 20 years after the original, the floodgates opened and the nostalgia flowed. Being able to perform kickflips, melons, manuals, and many other foundational skateboarding moves made it feel natural to play. If you’re not into skateboarding in general, the game can win you over by giving you the freedom to play however you want – button-mash or become a combo expert. The multiplayer section of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 and 2 leaves something to be desired, but the co-op makes up for it. Having skate competitions with your friends locally or online is a great way to keep the fun going.
UFC 5
Combat sports and I have a love-hate relationship. They can be fun to play by giving you complete control. But on the other hand, if you have limited knowledge of the sport, things may feel complicated. However, UFC 5 blew all that out of the water. The game wants new people to jump into the sport, and thanks to modes like Fight Night which emulates the current fight season, you can feel like you’re fully immersed in the world.
Newcomers will have an easy time adjusting. With it being a more technical fighting game, more thought is required. When you’re able to plan your attacks before your opponent and strategize how to spend your energy, UFC 5 can be a unique experience. Even if you can’t watch a fight every Saturday night, UFC 5 can be a great replacement.
EA FC 24
Soccer (or Football) has always been in a weird middle ground for veterans and rookies. The games are almost identical to the real sport which many like, but it’s plagued with microtransactions that have become more prevalent over the years. EA FC 24 seems to have alleviated most of the problems which makes sense why the game is on the list. The one thing I enjoy about EA FC 24 is the attention to realism. From how to pass to how you manage your team. This hyper-realism mixed with simulator play style makes the game far more immersive than its peers.
What’s interesting about EA FC 24 is that you can learn about the many leagues and the world of soccer, all without having watched a single match. This is a great way to get into the sport. It helped me understand what the hype was and why Manchester United is a big deal.
EA Sports PGA Tour
Watching golf is outright boring, but playing it can, surprisingly, be an absolute blast. Whenever I’ve played this game, I spent most of my time figuring out the angels, pitches, and the best club to use. A lot is going on for a game that needs you to hit a ball and hope it makes it in the hole. EA Sports PGA Tour makes a less interesting sport fun to play by making you master all of the sport’s tiny nuances and challenges.
If you’re taking part in the many championships, or playing out career mode, there’s more than enough content to keep you busy. My only gripe with EA Sports PGA Tour is that it takes a bit to really ramp up. Kind of a downside when the slower, more contemplative nature of the sport is already a big barrier for some. But once you get over that wall of repetitiveness, golf may become your new hobby.
Gran Turismo 7
I am a huge fan of racing games. Playing Froza on the Xbox made me fall in love with the genre. Gran Turismo 7 is an experience players should go through. There’s a reason why Gran Turismo 7 is considered one of the best sports games on the PS4 and PS5. Racing your favorite dream car on some of the most iconic tracks in the world is something not many other franchises can deliver with such fidelity and exhilaration.
Much like many of the games on the list, Gran Turismo 7 features a ton of stuff under the hood. The typical career mode has a ton of moving parts, but the Driving Mission is a section that everyone should try out. First, it’s probably the best way to understand the meta of Gran Turismo, and second, you use this mode to drive better. Much like Forza, if you’re a car enthusiast or just want to get into racing, Gran Turismo 7 is waiting for you. To get the best out of what the game offers, racing wheels make everything even more intense.
F1 23
Another racing game, but one for the more casual racing game fan. In F1 23, nearly every car handles the same way, but with only the most minor differences. So when all cars are the same what separates each driver? That would be your skill. To be great in F1 23, you have to be adaptable. It’s about winning along the margins. Winning becomes a matter of taking a corner with a slightly better angle than your opponents and accelerating out of turns at the perfect time.
With everyone on the same playing field, F1 23 can be a super balanced game. Participating in the qualifiers and then doing the race is such a fun experience and puts you in the driver’s seat. Thankful the sport is getting popular because of the Netflix Drive to Survive series. So it seems the game isn’t getting off the gas any time soon.
MLB: The Show 23
Like golf, baseball has always been more fun to play than to watch. This is where MLB: The Show 23 comes in. When you can play baseball and take control of the best players in the league, you might be incited to watch an actual game. I didn’t know much about baseball until I started playing The Show.
I learned that, in baseball, the pressure is on you and you alone. When that starts to set in, MLB: The Show becomes a different beast altogether. There’s little as satisfying as winning a duel with a pitcher as I watch a home run sail out of the park. Diamond Dynasty is the stand-out mode for the game. You can create your dream team and try to win as many titles as you can.
NBA 2K24
Basketball games can be hit or miss. Sometimes there are only small changes that should have been an update, other times it’s microtransactions that become a problem. NBA 2K24 sadly suffers from an overuse of microtransactions. If you look past that and just play the game for its worth, you can find something there. The thing that stands out from other NBA 2K games, is that the 2024 entry gives you more control in how you play and encourages creativity, from both a meta-level as you manage a team down to the tiny intricacies of your shot’s mechanics.
While the microtransactions are a bummer, the game itself is a fun time. My favorite mode is the Triple Threat and is indicative of how fun the experience could be when the thirst for money isn’t getting in the way. You control a three-player team with a target score of 21 to win — but you also have to win by two. It makes for a fun, chaotic mess that feels like playing YMCA pick-up ball with NBA megastars.
NHL 24
No best-of-sports game list would be complete without NHL 24. EA’s NHL line has been easier to get into than other sports offerings. Being on the ice and playing with some of the greats is a rewarding experience.
While you’re playing, you can simulate real-life games and get rewards for doing so. Even if you want to live out a fantasy game, you have the Ulitmate Team. Create your fantasy team with your specifications and take it online.
Rocket League
If you haven’t noticed most of the games on this list are focused on realism. Rocket League doesn’t care about that at all. You use a rocket car to try to score goals in a giant game of soccer. If it were real it would kill everyone involved.
If you get past the learning curve, you can witness what may be the best sports games on both the PS4 and PS5 in 2024. Online matches are highly competitive affairs that will leave you striving to be better. With it being free on all platforms, including the PS4 and PS5, there’s no reason to not try it out. While other games on the list are built for fans of the sport, Rocket League is made for everyone.
Now that you know the best sports games on the PS4 and PS5, why not find out what are some good turn-based games? Our guide can run you through some of the best to get you inspired.
