The best PS4 games with free PS5 upgrades

THE PlayStation 5 is slowly becoming more plentiful, and as more people get them into their homes, they are looking for games to play.

While the PS5 has some great exclusives, you may be looking for some cheaper solutions after spending so much on a whole console.

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Luckily, the majority of PlayStation 4 games are playable on the PS5, and better yet, many of them come with a free upgrade.

So if you’re sitting wondering what to play on your brand new PS5, take a look at our list of the 10 best PS4 games with a free PS5 upgrade.

10. No Man’s Sky

While filled with false promises at launch, No Man’s Sky has turned the story around to be one of the greatest comeback kids of all time.

It has the usual upgrades to PS5 that you expect – 60fps and 4K resolution.

However, it’s the ability to customise things like haptic feedback which really makes this version sing. 

While it can also do all this on a high end PC, the DualSense vibration really mimics the ground you walk on.

9. Shadow of the Colossus

Originally released on the PS2, Shadow of the Colossus is as good a game today as it was 20 years ago.

Three generations on, there have been more than a few improvements.

The PS4 version is a complete remake from the ground up, and you have more options for how to play on PS5.

Sadly, it can’t handle 4K and 60fps simultaneously, but you’ll want to choose the latter because everything looks better when the game runs silky smooth.

8. Hitman 3

Few games have received bigger or better upgrades than Hitman 3.

Going from 1080p and 30fps to glorious 4K and super smooth 60fps made all the difference to the assassination action.

If you’ve already played all the missions before, the hardware upgrade isn’t the only reason to give this classic another go.

New content is coming out all the time so you can really make the most out of your new machine.

7. Final Fantasy 7: Remake Intergrade

Another game remade from the ground up, except this one hails back to the original PlayStation era.

The glorious graphics and fluid real-time action were made for modern hardware.

The free PS5 upgrade for Final Fantasy 7 allows for both 60fps and 4K simultaneously, which is astounding given how large the world is.

PS5 is such a vast improvement on the PS4 version that we don’t recommend playing any other way.

6. Control: Ultimate Edition

While Control is a fantastic game, it suffered from being confined to the PlayStation 4. 

The frames often chugged along, and loading times could last far longer than was bearable.

The Ultimate Edition comes with your free PS5 upgrade so you can finally play Control the way the developers intended.

Firstly, there’s ray-tracing, which really enhances all the glass laden areas of the game, filling them with real-time reflections. 

Then there’s the upgrade to 60fps from 30fps, which really makes the action pop.

5. The Last of Us Part 2

As one of the last games to release on the PS4, The Last of Us Part 2 really pushed the hardware to its limits.

While this upgrade doesn’t reach native 4K, Sony has promised a patch for this will be available soon.

The locked 60fps is enough to make you want to play it on the upgraded hardware.

Even upscaled, the art really shines in this sequel.

4. Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut

While the Ghost of Tsushima is one of the best PS4 titles available, long loading times left something to be desired.

With the upgrade to PS5 it is finally available exactly how it was supposed to be played.

We’ve bent the rules a little here as this one does cost $10 (£8) for the honour of being upgraded, but it does come with all that extra Iki Island action.

Even without the bonus content, it is completely worth it to see those swords clash at 60fps.

3. Horizon Forbidden West

Horizon Zero Dawn was one of the best new series to come out of the PS4, and the sequel is even better.

Released simultaneously on both consoles, it is clear that it was developed with the PS5 in mind.

While Guerilla Games has done its best to get it running on PS4, the graphics clearly suffer for a stable 30fps.

Aloy deserves that fluid 60fps as she hunts robots across the West.

2. God of War

The reboot of God of War is one of Sony’s most successful games ever, and there are plenty of reasons why it’s so beloved.

While the PS4 Pro did a lot to polish the gameplay in a way the standard version could not, the PS5 is a whole new level.

The upgraded hardware improves action games the most, and few are more action oriented than God of War.

Defeating legends in 4K and at 60fps just feels so satisfying.

1. Elden Ring

Not just one of the best games with a free upgrade from the PS4, but one of the best RPGs and indeed games ever made.

Elden Ring shines in its full devilishly difficult glory on the PS5.

Some of the character’s spells that have a lot of sprites can really slow things down on PS4, but you won’t miss a single frame of action if you play this on the latest hardware.

Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.