Gaming

7 PS4 games you need to play on your PlayStation 5, including God of War

Feb 19 2021
Written by Ed Nightingale

Ghost of Tsushima. (Sony)

One of the PlayStation 5’s greatest features is its backwards compatibility, allowing you to play almost any PS4 game on your shiny new console.

Thanks to the power of the PlayStation 5 and its near silent fan, you’ll no longer have to suffer long load times, choppy frame rates and the sound of a jet engine taking off every time you play.

The majority of games naturally benefit, but more and more developers are releasing specific patches to improve older games and make use of the new console.

So you’ve finished all those PlayStation 5 launch games? Here are some older games to catch up on next!

God of War

God of War. (Sony)

One of the PS4’s best games just got better. Playing as daddy Kratos protecting his son from all manner of Norse beasts, this reboot of the God of War series from 2018 was critically acclaimed. Now it’s been enhanced for PlayStation 5 with a free update that offers 60 frames per second and 4K resolution, for buttery smooth performance while you’re slaying valkyries. Better still, the game is available for free for PlayStation Plus users as part of the PlayStation Plus Collection – play it now before the game’s sequel Ragnarok arrives.

Ghost of Tsushima

Ghost of Tsushima. (Sony)

Sucker Punch’s samurai epic was already among the most beautiful games on Sony’s PS4, with its gorgeous environmental effects and Kurosawa-inspired visuals. Yet where Ghost of Tsushima sometimes struggled in big battle scenes on PS4, playing on PlayStation 5 offers a solid 60fps even on the game’s higher resolution mode. It makes a big difference not only in the stunning cinematics, but the precise combat that relies on tight samurai reflexes.

Dark Souls 3

Dark Souls 3. (From Software)

Speaking of precise combat, there’s no better time to dive into From Software’s Souls series on PlayStation 5. For anyone who’s finished launch title Demon’s Souls and is after more dark fantasy punishment then look no further than Dark Souls 3. There’s no specific update, but the game naturally benefits from a smoother frame rate that makes a big difference to combat, something that’s also apparent in From Software’s more recent Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Sadly, we’re still waiting on that Bloodborne upgrade.

Days Gone

Days Gone. (Sony)

Like God of War, Days Gone is available for free to PlayStation Plus subscribers in the PlayStation Plus Collection. It’s a post-apocalyptic open world game set in Oregon that sees motorbike-riding outlaw Deacon fending off hordes of hungry zombies. And where those zombies pushed the PS4 to its limits (there really are hundreds of them at once), on PlayStation 5 the game has been patched for a far smoother experience – zombie-induced panic notwithstanding.

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order

Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. (EA)

Respawn’s original Star Wars story was a fun Souls-inspired romp when it initially released back in November 2019 but the older consoles definitely struggled in places. Now on PlayStation 5, Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order’s frame rate has been bumped to 60fps and the visuals are locked at a higher resolution. That means flinging Stormtroopers with your force powers and parrying lasers with your lightsaber has never felt so good.

Control: Ultimate Edition

Control: Ultimate Edition. (Remedy)

Supernatural thriller Control really put the old PS4 to work – few games had the console’s fan whirring quite so much, while the frame rate really chugged in places. Remedy has now released Control: Ultimate Edition for PlayStation 5 and while it’s not a free upgrade, it’s certainly the definitive way to play the game with two modes of play. The first favours a smoother frame rate, the second indulges in graphical effects like enhanced lighting and reflections. And if you’re a PlayStation Plus user, it’s your free game of the month this February only!

Borderlands 3

Borderlands 3. (Gearbox)

Borderlands 3 is one of the few games to offer split screen co-op multiplayer, but on PS4 it was plagued with lag problems and was near unplayable. That changes on PlayStation 5 with the game’s free upgrade, which even offers four-player split screen. What’s more, the game now has 4K visuals at 60fps or, in a performance mode, targets a whopping 120fps for an incredibly smooth gaming experience. Make sure you download the game’s Love, Guns and Tentacles DLC too – it’s all about a gay marriage.