Technically, the best PS4 Pro games should offer you the absolute best experience you can get on Sony's last-gen, but still very relevant, console. With more power and capability, the upgraded console is able to deliver larger resolutions and faster framerates (broadly speaking) and make some of the last-gen games truly shine.
When it launched, Sony's PS4 Pro was the best way to see the PS4’s fantastic library of games looking its best in 4K. That’s changed now that the more powerful PS5 has launched but that’s not to say that the PS4 Pro isn’t a great system and a step up from the standard PS4.
If you'd like to take advantage of the PS4 Pro's power to get resolutions as sharp as Nathan Drake's rapier wit or your frame rates as swift and smooth as Spyro's glide, then these are the games that will serve you best.
Best PS4 Pro games 2024
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
It's more of a case of 'what's not to love' with The Witcher 3. It's greatest strength really is 'everything;' though as it offers the full Fantasy-adventure package with a wonderful story, some of the best lands and places in games, and superb writing and characters.
The Witcher 3 is still one of the best RPGs you can play in 2024, and after a ton of updates, it's a great time regardless of where you play it. While the PS5 will get you all of the bells and whistles of the next-gen updates, the PS4 Pro patches are also impressive. 4K has been improved and performance is better across the board.
In a sense, The Witcher 3 has always been impressive graphically, especially when you consider the sheer size and scale of its open world. There's even additional areas to explore thanks to the DLC, so it's well worth picking up on your PS4 Pro. Thanks to game saves carrying over from consoles, you won't lose any progress either. Whether you spend hundreds of hours hunting down monsters to slay, or just sitting in a tavern playing Gwent, you're bound to have a great time.
"Death Stranding is a wonderfully ambitious sci-fi adventure that combines affecting performances with a compellingly original narrative structure. Its seemingly monotonous premise proves to only further catapult it from ordinary to extraordinary, and its singular sense of self marks it as a distinctly unique and memorable game." - Gerald Lynch, TechRadar reviewer.
Death Stranding had us worried for a bit. When Kojima Productions' first title was announced back at E3 2016, it did so to a confused and excited crowd. And the path to launch didn't see these feelings change much – they just swayed more into the confusion side.
We saw bottled babies, sea otter costumes, and even the appearance of Conan O'Brien, and every new trailer filled us more with fear than hype. But it was all worth it.
Death Stranding is an incredible title that is equally beautiful and unique - especially when played on the Pro. Without giving away too much, the premise is that you step into the shoes of deliveryman Sam Bridges (played by Norman Reedus) who delivers special cargo in the wake of the Death Stranding - a mysterious phenomenon that wiped out many innocent lives. But obviously, it's not all that simple.
Death Stranding is something to be experienced. It's definitely an essential PS4 Pro game - if not the essential PS4 Pro game.
Serving as a prequel to one of the best games of all time, Red Dead Redemption 2 somehow manages to lift the series even higher. Protagonist Arthur Morgan shines against one hell of a backdrop. One of the most beautiful games ever made, even to this day. A triumph in all regards.
This was the most hotly-anticipated (and probably the best) games of 2018. Proving that Rockstar has once again pulled it out of the bag with Red Dead Redemption 2.
A giant western open-world epic, it lets you live the cowboy life, riding horses into the sunset, saddling up with a posse, and brawling your way through every bar in the old West. It has Rockstar's signature attention to detail, with the 4K capabilities of Sony's PS4 Pro console bringing the era to life.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey proves that the series' jump from action to full-blown RPG was more than warranted. As Kassandra, players have a mind-bogglingly huge world to explore, either by foot, on horseback or at the helm of a huge ship. There's plenty to keep you busy here, including some truly excellent post-launch content.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey is stunning as it is, but add in PS4 Pro enhancements and it's truly a magnificent-looking game.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey is the most recent edition to the epic Assassin's Creed RPG franchise. Odyssey is set during the Peloponnesian War and sees you stepping into the sandals of either Alexios or Kassandra as they try to uncover the truth about their history while navigating the turbulent world of Ancient Greece as a mercenary.
Odyssey is a graphically stunning PS4 game that will take you to the heart of Ancient Greece – easily securing it a place in our collection of the best PlayStation 4 games. Just make sure you have the time to play it because there are over 100 hours of content to enjoy here.
"Though Spider-Man leans heavily on gameplay mechanics established by another celebrated superhero franchise, they truly feel like they belong here — each one implemented with an unrivalled level of polish. If you're a fan of Spidey (or superheroes in general), you're bound to love Spider-Man." - Stephen Lambrechts, TechRadar reviewer.
Marvel's Spider-Man on PS4 Pro is absolutely gorgeous - even if it's not native 4K. When played on Sony's ultra-powerful console, Marvel's Spider-Man is able to achieve a native resolution of 1440p at a rock-solid 30fps framerate, which is then upscaled to 4K. This impressive feat is possible thanks to dynamic resolution scaling that will raise or lower the level of detail depending on how frantic the action is.
That said before you go and bemoan the fact that it's 30 frames per second - the game looks absolutely gorgeous and plays beautifully on the console. In our time with the game, we barely noticed the lower framerate, and the uprezzed visuals more than made up for it in the long run.
If you need a colorful, HDR-ready showcase for the system, this is it.
"Though it was once hate and anger that fueled Kratos' desire to fight, he now fights out of love, which is a huge departure in tone for the series — and ultimately transforms it into something more powerful, poignant and unforgettable. " - Stephen Lambrechts, TechRadar reviewer.
Easily one of the most visually stunning games on the PlayStation 4 (or on any console for that matter), God of War takes the series to epic new levels when it comes to presentation. The game looks incredible when played on a standard PS4 console, demonstrating just how absurdly talented the team at SIE Santa Monica Studio is when it comes to optimization. However, when played on a PS4 Pro, the game kicks things up a notch.
In the game's settings, you'll find two graphics modes: favor resolution and favor performance. Naturally, the former makes the game look especially crisp and clean, bringing the resolution up to checkerboard 4K and holding steady at around 30fps, while the latter displays at 1080p and sticks close to around 60fps for the majority of the time.
As cinematic as it is, we had no problem playing God of War on the favor resolution setting, as we were able to enjoy the incredible detail put forth by the game — utilizing the additional resolution to see pores and lines on characters' faces, and the insane level of artistry in their costumes and armor, just makes the whole game even more impressive (if you ask us). It also helps to make the game's HDR presentation even more eye-popping.
"Returning home to this classic will help you experience themes you might have missed the first time around, as the additions of 4K and HDR help the colossi to emote, and the environment to evoke the emotional response the designers set out to achieve in 2005." - Nick Pino, TechRadar reviewer.
Considered one of the greatest video games of all time, Shadow of the Colossus is better than ever on PS4, with its Pro update giving the game some big enhancements when it comes to visuals and performance.
Shadow of the Colossus offers two graphical settings: 'Performance Mode' offers smooth gameplay targeting 60 FPS at 1080p, while the 'Cinematic Mode' plays at a higher 'Dynamic 4K' resolution with enhanced textures, all while holding a solid 30 FPS.
Regardless of the mode you choose, the team at Bluepoint has brought some other tasty visual treats to their remake of the Japanese classic, including a beautiful new lighting engine (which looks incredible when combined with the game's HDR support) and some advanced rendering techniques, which make things like fur on the Colossi look especially realistic.
Simply put, the enhancements offered by the PS4 Pro version make this the definitive presentation of Shadow of the Colossus, offering a visual experience unlike any other.
"The most important thing that this reboot manages to hold onto is its sense of humor and likeable characters. Ratchet and Clank has a tongue-in-cheek self-awareness that will appeal to players young and old, and its characters are a pleasure to play as and alongside. This isn't only thanks to great writing, but also an excellent voice cast who make the character personalities shine through the pixels." - Emma Boyle, TechRadar reviewer.
If you’re looking for a PS4 Pro showstopper, Ratchet and Clank is a great place to start. It’s like playing a Pixar movie, with its colorful visuals, loveable characters, and world-hopping sci-fi plot.
And, it’s actually a great case for the merits of not-quite native UHD 4K on the PS4 Pro. Rather than pumping up the resolution count to its maximum, Ratchet and Clank makes clever use of a technique called Temporal Injection. It’s essentially a very efficient and fancy upscale, pushing the image quality up to a 2160p standard and removing jaggies without the strain of a native resolution push. At a capped, consistent 30fps and with HDR support switched on, you’re left with a blisteringly beautiful shooter that looks out of this world.
"Ghost of Tsushima is an engrossing, blood-soaked and beautiful open world game, and a fitting swan-song for the PS4, even if it's lacking in some places in originality." - Gerald Lynch, TechRadar reviewer.
Ghost of Tsushima launched on PS4 and PS4 Pro, with some additional modes on the latter. There's a 'Favor Visuals' option for pro users that drops the locked 30fps for a pretty consistent near 30fps experience. For the trade-off, you get a much better image, a must for those using a 4K TV. That boost in graphics is really felt in Ghost of Tsushima, which features one of the prettiest open worlds in gaming.
You play as Jin Sakai in Ghost of Tsushima, an ex-soldier who must employ new tactics in order to enact his revenge on his enemies. In essence, he becomes a silent assassin, using tools like smoke bombs and a grapple hook to gain the advantage. As you make your way across Tsushima, you'll clear camps full of enemies, solve environmental puzzles, and discover hidden secrets. A great option for fans of stealth action.
"Though there will likely be debate as to whether Uncharted 4: A Thief's End can top the series' previous high-watermark, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, I personally found that the fourth entry's increased emphasis on character and drama sees it finally take (steal?) its long-held crown." - Stephen Lambrechts, TechRadar reviewer.
Sony’s smash hit conclusion to Nathan Drake’s globe-trotting adventures makes good use of the PS4 Pro, though don’t expect it to massively alter the already sumptuous feel of the original.
The PS4 Pro update for Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End pushes the resolution up to 1440p, which is a marked improvement over the original’s full HD limits, even if the intense action makes a 30fps target the goal. What is appreciated though is the HDR implementation - traipsing through old tombs by lamplight, or seeing the sun filter through dilapidated shanty town and jungle trees looks astonishing on the PS4 Pro.
"Without gushing too much about the game, Horizon: Zero Dawn is excellent. It’s the first must-own game of 2017, and one that will certainly be in contention for a Game of the Year award. " - Nick Pino, TechRadar reviewer.
Think Jurassic Park, but with robot dinosaurs, and you're on your way to the breathtaking action that Horizon Zero Dawn offers.
From the minds behind the Killzone series, the open-world action-adventure was a revelation when it launched in early 2017, being one of the most sophisticated sandbox titles available to PS4 owners. From sneaky stealth sections to gigantic face-offs with hulking mecha-rexes it got the heart pumping.
But perhaps most impressive was its visuals. It particularly shone on the PS4 Pro, where its 4K HDR visuals brought the flora and fauna of a post-human future dazzlingly to life. It's a PS4 Pro showstopper and a great way to show off the machine's capabilities.
How we made our best PS4 Pro games list
We've been committed players to the PS4 generation and have clocked up thousands of hours playing games made and released for that console that we know what goes into making a great PS4 game - and in this niche, a great PS4 Pro game. Personally, I upgraded to the PS4 Pro about a year and a bit after it launched and immediately noticed the difference in the gaming experience. Especially when teamed with a 4K TV. It's this underlying experience and knowledge that underpins our selections and, we think, trustworthiness, in our lists.
But as a result of this time spent with PS4 games and the PS4 Pro console, I, and the rest of the TRG crew, know what games look the best and run the smoothest on the enhanced console. We know which games benefit from 4K checkerboarding, which ones have enhanced HDR, and which ones can run at faster frame rates. Putting this into practice is how we've picked these games.
PS4 Pro games - FAQs
Which games look best on PS4 Pro?
It's much easier to find the best PS4 Pro games these days, because many PS4 titles are now optimised for Sony's higher-end console. Our list of games showcase the PS4 Pro must-haves all of which really offer up the best of what the powerful console and your 4K HDR TV were made for.
Does PS4 Pro play games better?
While only some PS4 games are actually, and specifically, optimised for the PS4 Pro, it is widely accepted, and true, that all PS4 games will just run and look a bit better on the upgraded console. The Pro can utilise the extra beef it has in terms of graphical and processing power and make games run smoother, faster, and look a bit nicer too.
Do I need a 4K TV for PS4 Pro?
Yes, and no. Realistically, you'll be able to play games very happily on a 1080p TV with a PS4 Pro. You may even be able to make use of a few games that offer game modes of higher frame rates.
However, it's no secret that the PS4 Pro was built with 4K screens in mind, and teaming it with a 1080p TV means you won't be getting as much out of the console as you can. To get the best from your PS4 Pro, you'll need to combine it with a 4K TV.
Do PS4 games look better on PS4 Pro?
As mentioned above, the PS4 Pro will play games better on a technical level - it's improved hardware takes them up a notch visually. As a result, PS4 games very often (but not always) do look better on a PS4 Pro just by default. Some are built specifically to take advantage of the better hardware, but almost all will get a little boost from the more powerful machine.
Is the PS4 Pro true 4K?
This is a good question, as while the PS4 Pro is often described as a 4K powerhouse - and it is, to an extent - there is some magic going on under the hood at times too.
Techniques called things like upscaling and checkerboarding mean that the PS4 Pro can take a smaller resolution (like 1440p, for example) and then upscale that to 4K at the point of 'delivery'. This is technically not 'true 4K' - if that means a 4K image is being pumped out at the source and directly from the PS4 Pro. Some games will be able to achieve that, but not all, so do be aware of that.
You Might Also Like...
- Our picks for the best PSVR 2 games to play in 2024
- The best PS5 games
- Upcoming PS5 exclusives
