The 10 best free-to-play games on PS4 and PS5

While many of the top games that you hear talked about the most are premium titles that cost between $60 and $70, there are quite a few notable ones that are completely free-to-play. Sure, there is some content that you must pay for to access it, like skins, but to just simply play the game, all you have to do is download it. Additionally, these games don’t even require an active paid PS+ account. Here are the best free-to-play games you can find on PS4 and PS5.

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The best free-to-play games on PlayStation 4 and 5

Apex Legends

From its first day, Apex Legends showed that it had a strong contender in the battle royale genre. It was surprise released and quickly amassed a very loyal fanbase that still plays it years later. Respawn Entertainment, who also made Titanfall, has brought one of the best feeling shooters into the free-to-play market and continually update it with new maps, characters, and game modes that keep people coming back for more.

Destiny 2

Destiny 2 started out its life as a premium title but later made the switch to free-to-play. If you want access to the newest raids and content, you will need to purchase the expansions, but if all you are looking to do is try the game out with some friends, you can download the base game and run through it to see if it is something you like. Bungie were the original developers of the Halo franchise on Xbox platforms, so they have quite the history of making good feeling first-person shooters.

Fortnite

Originally, Fortnite started out as a very different game that was focused on surviving waves of zombie-like enemies. It was a pretty forgettable experience until Epic Games saw what PUBG was doing with battle royales and decided to make its own version of it. Fast forward to now and Fortnite is still constantly talked about for its crossover content and memorable events. The game even allows you to play without building now, so you can rely on your shooting skills to get you to the end.

Genshin Impact

At first, Genshin Impact appeared to be a knockoff of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but this free-to-play title has turned into something quite different. This open-world RPG features a ton of characters and storylines that help differentiate itself from the popular Nintendo title. With its constant updates and support, we can easily say it has become its own thing.

MultiVersus

If you are a fan of Warner Bros. properties and enjoy Super Smash Bros., this is the game for you. MultiVersus takes many Warner properties like DC heroes and villains, Scooby Doo, and Looney Tunes and has them duke it out. Like Smash, your objective is to raise the damage on your enemy until they are hurt enough that you can send them flying off the screen. Every character has very different moves and mechanics about them, so there is a lot for you to get invested in. The game is still receiving regular updates with new characters being added consistently.

Overwatch 2

Overwatch 2 features all of the same memorable heroes that appeared in the first game and reformats that experience to fit in a 5v5 team build-up. With one less Tank on the field, battles are more chaotic and the focus on movement makes sure that you are always wary of where your teammates and the enemy are. While new heroes need to be obtained through the battle pass, there is a vast roster of dozens of characters you can familiarize yourself with without spending a cent. A PvE story mode will be brought to the game in 2023 if you feel like getting a little extra out of your experience.

The Sims 4

While you still will need to purchase a ton of expansions if you want every single feature in the game, The Sims 4 base game is completely free, giving you tons of content and hours of enjoyment if all you want to do is build a house and raise a Sim family. There is nothing else out there quite like the experience that The Sims gives, so you could easily lose hours of your life in this game before deciding to open your wallet for some DLC like the Cats & Dogs expansion.

Rumbleverse

Rumbleverse is a battle royale focused on wrestlers. You and a buddy get blasted into a city with a shrinking ring that forces you to find items and special moves that bolster your melee powers until you are the last team standing. The melee focus over a shooting presence stands out here and can be tons of fun with a friend if you feel that battle royales are too focused on shooting mechanics. The game doesn’t take itself too seriously, so you can find a lot of enjoyment here.

Smite

Hi-Rez Studios is pretty well-known for making free-to-play games that are easily comparable to more premium titles. Out of them all, Smite is definitely the best, being a MOBA that gives you control of a god as you work with your team to overcome the enemy. All of the usual MOBA content is here, including the lane gameplay that makes this one of the more interesting competitive titles on this list.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel

Yu-Gi-Oh! games have had quite the bumpy road, but Master Duel instantly became a hit with its free-to-play model. The game features crossplay and cross-progression, so you can play with friends and take your decks with you no matter what device you are playing on. It also has one of the more fair rewards systems that can definitely stock you up on enough currency to purchase card packs and build the deck of your dreams.