Best PS5 Free Games to Try, 25 Gems To Download

Christmas 2025 is officially over and although many of us have some incredible presents to show for it, others are left feeling the strain after splashing the cash on loved ones.

Maybe you got a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X/S and want some incredible titles to go alongside them, or maybe you just want to discover a hidden gem before the year has come to an end.

Whatever the case, none of us want to spend any more money this year and so, thanks to one user over on r/PS5, we have a list of some hidden free gems.

“So you just bought a PS5 and you don't have any money left to buy any games or PS+ subscription,” they began, “so the logical choice here is to go for the forbidden free-to-play games which most people hate but I still think are still worth your time and some of them are pretty fun with friends.”

As a result, the user has compiled a list of free PlayStation 5 games which do not require you to spend a single penny, not even for a PlayStation Plus subscription.

Split into different genres, these titles are all free to play so you are guaranteed to find something that suits you.

Digital Extremes

In the fighting genre, you can check out Dead or Alive 5 Last Round: Core Fighters, Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising Free Edition and Brawlhalla.

However, if you are looking for the next big action RPG, the following games can be downloaded and played on PlayStation 5 now: Wuthering Waves, Genshin Impact, Path of Exile, Zenless Zone Zero, Warframe, and Where Winds Meet.

Wuthering Waves, Genshin Impact, Zenless Zone Zero, and Where Winds Meet all fall under the gacha category and so you can expect to see some in-game microstransactions.

However, although Path of Exile and Warframe boast the same feature, they still offer some incredible storylines and gameplay with hours of gameplay promised without spending a single penny.

MMORPG fans can check out Star Trek Online and FINAL FANTASY XIV’s online free trial and for the strategy genre, Honkai: Star Rail and Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel are some good picks.

Love a hero shooter? Overwatch 2, Paladins and Marvel Rivals are major contenders whilst Fortnite fans will also want to check out Naraka: Bladepoint, PUBG: Battlegrounds, Apex Legends, My Hero Ultra Rumble, and Battlefield REDSEC.

Fans of racing and sports games can try Rocket League, Skate, My First Gran Turismo, Disney Speedstorm, and Trackmania.

And There's More.

Last but not least, the final three genres:

Adventure genre :

• The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit
• Sky: Children of the Light

Simulation genre :

• The Sims 4
• Fishing Planet
• Palia
• Fallout Shelter

Mixed genre :

• Astro's Playroom
• The Finals
• Kid A Mnesia Exhibition

All of these games are currently free to play on the PlayStation 5 whether fully or courtesy of a free demo so if you are stuck on what to play next to wrap up the end of 2025, this handy guide has you covered.