The Best Online Multiplayer Games You Can Play on the PS5

Although there are a lot of great single-player games on the PlayStation 5, multiplayer games make up the lion’s share of the console’s offerings and continue to grow in popularity with every year that passes. In fact, with so many to choose from these days, finding the best online multiplayer PS5 games can be a lot more challenging than it has any right to be.

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The good news is that this huge variety means that there is something for pretty much everyone, from sports sims to high-octane shooters. The best PS5 multiplayer games offer unique experiences that just can’t be found elsewhere, edging out their competitors with their slick gameplay, sharp visuals, and innovative gameplay mechanics. In some cases, though, they’re just an awful lot of fun.

15 Warframe

• Is Warframe available on PS Plus?
  No.

• Is Warframe available on Xbox?
  Yes.

Given how competitive the free-to-play market is these days and the sheer volume of third-person shooters competing within it, to survive for more than a decade is an incredibly impressive achievement. Warframe has done exactly that, with its high octane mech on mech combat having delighted more than sixty million players since its initial release back in early 2013.

Even today, there are still tens of thousands of active players, helping to keep waiting times to an absolute minimum. This is largely due to the fact that the game continues to receive regular updates and new content, while also boasting full crossplay support. Some may not appreciate the grind but the game’s stylish combat system does a pretty good job of distracting from it.

14 Chivalry 2

• Is Chivalry 2 available on PS Plus?
  No.

• Is Chivalry 2 available on Xbox?
  Yes.

It may not have fared all that well with critics, but Chivalry: Medieval Warfare went on to attract a fairly sizable player base in the years following its release, not to mention tens of thousands of positive reviews on Steam. As a result, expectations were pretty high for its 2021 sequel, and, for the most part, Chivalry 2 was able to deliver.

Most critics adored the hack-and-slash combat this time around, as too did new and returning players. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, the game’s strong reviews led to a notable increase in sales, with more than a million copies sold in its first month or so on the market. There are definitely better hack-and-slash games out there, but when it comes to medieval warfare, Chivalry 2 is in a league of its own and one of the best online multiplayer games on the PS5.

13 Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout

• Is Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout available on PS Plus?
  No.

• Is Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout available on Xbox?
  Yes.

Fall Guys took the world by storm when it was released in August of 2020. It was one of that month’s free PS Plus games, which, together with the pandemic lockdowns, undoubtedly played a huge role in its sudden and meteoric rise to stardom. Interest did gradually cool off in the weeks and months that followed, but regular updates and collaborations have helped to ensure that it never died off entirely.

As a result, Fall Guys still has a pretty active player base these days and boasts full crossplay support across all available platforms. Each new season typically introduces new rounds, cosmetics, and game modes, providing players with plenty of reasons to keep coming back. It’s surprisingly accessible too, with both adults and children able to enjoy and excel at this charming battle royale game.

12 Monster Hunter Rise

• Is Monster Hunter Rise available on PS Plus?
  No.

• Is Monster Hunter Rise available on Xbox?
  Yes.

Few series have benefited from the popularization of online multiplayer quite as much as Monster Hunter has, with more recent installments of the long-running Capcom franchise encouraging players to team up with their friends rather than go it alone. Monster Hunter Rise may have taken a little longer to make its way to the PS5 than some would have liked, but now that’s here, there are very few complaints from players.

Trying to capture a Royal Ludroth or take down a Zinogre requires real strategy and usually requires Monster Hunter Rise players to work together to get the job done. Granted, like a lot of other online multiplayer games on the PlayStation 5, players can complete these hunts solo, but things usually tend to go a lot more smoothly with multiple people and are thus a lot more enjoyable as a result.

11 FIFA 23

• Is FIFA 23 available on PS Plus?
  No.

• Is FIFA 23 available on Xbox?
  Yes.

As well as being the last-ever installment of EA’s long-running football franchise, FIFA 23 also happens to be one of the very best. The graphics are incredible and the HyperMotion 2.0 technology amps up the realism of the game’s animations to never before seen levels. At this point, the only way to get a more authentic football experience would be to pick up a ball and head outside.

Much like its predecessors, FIFA 23 has a wide range of game modes, most of which support both local and online multiplayer. This year’s edition is also the first to include crossplay, though having crossplay turned on can sometimes cause connection issues, so those who don’t need it may want to consider disabling it in the settings menu.

10 Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0

• Is Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 available on PS Plus?
  No.

• Is Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 available on Xbox?
  Yes.

Call of Duty fans are spoiled for choice these days, with Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 and this year’s annual release both providing fantastic options for anyone on the lookout for a great online multiplayer game. The latter certainly has its strengths, but most will probably prefer playing Warzone due to it having better game modes and a much longer lifespan.

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Building upon the solid foundations laid by its predecessor, Call of Duty: Warzone 2.0 is an excellent choice for fans of battle royale matches and high-octane gunplay. It looks fantastic on consoles and the gameplay is every bit as good as one might expect from a franchise of this caliber. In its current form, it’s one of the most enjoyable Call of Duty games in recent memory and one of the best online multiplayer games on the PlayStation 5.

9 Fortnite

• Is Fortnite available on PS Plus?
  No.

• Is Fortnite available on Xbox?
  Yes.

Though it may not have been the game to first popularize the battle royale formula, Fortnite has contributed an awful lot when it comes to perfecting it. Since its initial release in 2017, the game has been downloaded by hundreds of millions of people all over the world and has generated tens of billions of dollars in revenue for its creator Epic Games in the process.

Much of the game’s success can be attributed to its simplicity, with people of just about all ages able to pick it up almost right away. Regular content updates and collaborations with some of the world’s biggest IPs have helped the game to remain relevant for more than half a decade now, and there are no obvious signs of that changing anytime in the immediate future.

8 Gran Turismo 7​​​​​​

• Is Gran Turismo 7 available on PS Plus?
  No.

• Is Gran Turismo 7 available on Xbox?
  No.

There are a lot of great racing games available on the PS5, but none quite like Gran Turismo 7. The latest installment in this long-running franchise places a heavy emphasis on realism, both in terms of the way that the cars drive and the way that everything looks. Speaking of cars, there are more than 400 of them available, ensuring that there really is something for everyone.

Gran Turismo 7‘s single-player campaign can be a lot of fun, but it’s through its multiplayer mode that the game really shines. There are regular events and competitions for players to take part in and an excellent selection of real-world tracks on which to race. Annoyingly, Gran Turismo 7 makes players unlock multiplayer mode by playing solo for a little while first. In most cases though, this should only take an hour or so.

7 Destiny 2

• Is Destiny 2 available on PS Plus?
  No.

• Is Destiny 2 available on Xbox?
  Yes.

When Destiny 2 went free-to-play, some were a little worried that the wheels might start to fall off. That hasn’t happened though, with the game going from strength to strength over the past few years. Of course, it certainly helps that Bungie continues to release regular updates to the game, with at least one more expansion planned before the Light and Darkness Saga comes to an end.

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At a time when so many other live service games are failing, the game serves as a shining example of how the model should work. Each season offers something slightly different, ensuring that players never get bored with what’s on offer. Bungie does a pretty good job of balancing power creep too, which is somewhat impressive given how much emphasis is sometimes placed on grinding for rare loot.

6 Diablo 4

• Is Diablo 4 available on PS Plus?
  No.

• Is Diablo 4 available on Xbox?
  Yes.

Although it is possible to play Diablo 4 solo, it’s definitely one of those experiences that is better enjoyed with friends. Having somebody to share the grind with makes exploring a dungeon for the thousandth time that little bit more manageable, while the incentive to create powerful PvP builds to test out in the Fields of Hatred offers up yet another solid reason to continue farming.

Whether or not the game quite lives up to the excellence of the first two Diablo titles is perhaps a matter for debate, but most series fans will probably agree that it’s a huge improvement over Diablo 3 and the much-maligned Diablo Immortal. It will be interesting to see how exactly the game evolves in the months and years following its release, but all of the early signs are looking positive.

5 Tetris Effect: Connected

• Is Tetris Effect: Connected available on PS Plus?
  No.

• Is Tetris Effect: Connected available on Xbox?
  Yes.

Whoever had the idea to turn Tetris into a multiplayer game deserves an awful lot of credit. Were it not for them, puzzle game fans would never have gotten to know the great satisfaction that can be derived from flexing one’s cognitive might while playing Tetris Effect: Connected against either friends or randos online.

The rules of the game are remarkably simple, which, in turn, makes it incredibly accessible, while the visuals and music can bring a real sense of grandeur to the overall experience. For those with a PSVR 2 headset, the game can even be played in virtual reality, helping to cement its place as one of the best online multiplayer games on the PS5.

4 Final Fantasy 14

• Is Final Fantasy 14 available on PS Plus?
  No.

• Is Final Fantasy 14 available on Xbox?
  No.

For the longest time, the MMORPG genre was seen as a PC-only thing. Sure, there were pioneering titles like Phantasy Star Online for the Sega Dreamcast, but there’s a strong argument to be made for Final Fantasy 14 being the first MMORPG to really feel at home on a home console. Of course, a big part of that is down to how excellent the game really is.

Set predominantly in the region of Eorzea, Final Fantasy 14 features a wealth of content and a surprisingly coherent story with which to tie everything together. In terms of graphics, it is starting to show its age a little, but the gameplay itself remains every bit as enjoyable as it was when the game first debuted back in 2013.

3 Street Fighter 6

• Is Street Fighter 6 available on PS Plus?
  No.

• Is Street Fighter 6 available on Xbox?
  Yes.

Being the first of the fighting game genre’s big three franchises to release its first post-PS4 installment was a gutsy move on Capcom’s part, but it’s one that has definitely paid off. Street Fighter 6 carries the series confidently into the current generation of home consoles, feeling far more polished at launch than its 2016 predecessor ever did.

Though none of the tweaks and changes are all that noticeable on their own, they all come together to form a game that is accessible to new and casual players yet still feels familiar to series veterans. If it receives even half as much post-release care and attention as Street Fighter 5 did, the new Tekken and Mortal Kombat games are really going to have their work cut out for them.

2 Elden Ring

• Is Elden Ring available on PS Plus?
  No.

• Is Elden Ring available on Xbox?
  Yes.

Not content with offering one of the console’s most engrossing single-player experiences, Elden Ring also leads the way when it comes to online multiplayer. The way that FromSoftware integrates multiplayer support into its Soulsborne titles has always worked remarkably well, and this is once again the case for those venturing out into the Lands Between.

Playing with others can completely transform the experience, shifting the focus away from isolation and helping to make some of the boss fights a lot more manageable. Of course, invaders could just as easily turn their weapons on the player, giving Tarnished a chance to put their PvP skills to the test. Depending on who they find themselves up against, this could end up proving to be more challenging than any of Elden Ring‘s toughest bosses.

1 It Takes Two

• Is It Takes Two available on PS Plus?
  No.

• Is It Takes Two available on Xbox?
  Yes.

Given that It Takes Two was designed with nothing but multiplayer co-op in mind, it should perhaps come as no surprise that the 2021 Game of the Year winner is one of the best online multiplayer games for the PlayStation 5. Its story is a touching one and its gameplay is a lot of fun, with plenty of great puzzles helping to enrich the co-op experience.

Unlike most other games with multiplayer support, It Takes Two can only be played with two players. Luckily, the game lets people download a special pass, which will allow one person to play for free providing the person that they are playing with owns the game. This way, two friends can share the experience together online with only one of them needing to splash out for a copy.