5 Worst PS5 Games (So Far)

As much as we love to celebrate video games, there are some titles that are so glaringly off the mark that they have to be addressed. On the one hand, we get that making video games is hard work and that every completed project is an achievement in its own right. On the other hand, when a game is a complete mess, uninspired and visibly rushed, it feels like an insult to the player's time. Every console has its own selection of embarrassingly mediocre games and the PlayStation 5 is no different in that regard.

We're looking at some of the PS5 titles that are best left in the bargain bin — if they're to be left anywhere at all. When it comes to these games, we're not angry, we're just incredibly disappointed by how each of them ended up. Some of these games' performance improved post-launch through extensive patches and support, but upon their debut, they were each dubious duds. These are the five worst PS5 games so far, so buyers should beware when it comes to considering these titles.

Though developer PlatinumGames and publisher Square Enix formed a strong partnership with 2017's "Nier: Automata," their subsequent project "Babylon's Fall" brought that association to an abrupt end. The 2022 game is an action RPG that follows players as they try to mount as a massive ziggurat, battling enemies through hack-and-slash combat. Players can proceed alone or with friends, as the game allows for up to four people to work together through cooperative online multiplayer. Upon clearing each floor and their respective quests, players are awarded loot based on their performance.

Critics were largely unimpressed by "Babylon's Fall," deriding its poor presentation and uninspired gameplay, especially compared to other PlatinumGames' hack-and-slash titles. Gamers were similarly muted in their response to the release, leading Square Enix to cease work on updates and take down the game's servers less than year after its release. Simply put, fans of Square Enix and PlatinumGames expected much better and the game and its divisive live-service format didn't deliver. "Babylon's Fall" completely bombed and PlatinumGames and Square Enix have not worked together since, quietly going their own way as they both put this collaboration behind them.

Author J.R.R Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" has been adapted into various video games for decades, occasionally based on the movies directed and co-written by Peter Jackson. The nadir point of this fantasy franchise being realized in video games is the 2023 title "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum," developed and published by Daedalic Entertainment. Set in between "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings," the game chronicles Gollum trying to escape from captivity in Mordor. Played from a third-person perspective, Gollum sneaks through caves and other enemy-filled environments as he tries to survive.

There's a strong argument that "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum" is the worst game of 2023, regardless of platform or genre. Plagued with inconsistent technical performance, mindlessly tedious mission objectives, and obtuse camera controls, the game is a complete mess. The game's character models are horrendously rendered, even in the cutscenes, including the presentation of its titular protagonist. "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum" was delayed several times, but that extra time didn't appear to help the final product and its notorious launch.

Another video game based on a licensed property that released to widespread jeers in 2023 was "Skull Island: Rise of Kong." Based on the King Kong novel and comics stories by Joe DeVito starting in 2005, rather than the MonsterVerse, the game was developed by IguanaBee and published by GameMill Entertainment. The game's story revolves around Kong battling Deathrunners, the monsters responsible for killing the colossal simian's family. The game is a third-person brawler as Kong explores his treacherous island surroundings and asserts himself as its apex predator.

"Skull Island: Rise of Kong" might actually be worse than "Gollum," which is an almost impressive distinction in all the wrong ways. The production reportedly forced IguanaBee to develop the game within a year, visibly affecting the quality of the final release. What resulted was laughably dated and inconsistent visuals, clunky gameplay, and an experience thoroughly laden with bugs and glitches. Easily one of the worst games of 2023, "Skull Island: Rise of Kong" looks and feels like a cheap PS2 title trying to pass off as next-gen King Kong project.

The first PlayStation 5 exclusive that we're including here, "Concord" stands as the console's arguably most notorious title. An online first-person hero shooter, the gameplay revolved around frenetic 5v5 matches in a futuristic sci-fi setting. The game featured a variety of multiplayer modes, with plans to release more content regularly as part of its live-service experience. Unfortunately for developer Firewalk Studios, "Concord" absolutely bombed when it launched in August 2024, not boasting anywhere near the playerbase that publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment had hoped.

It's hard to understate how much of a disaster the "Concord" launch was, with its servers shut down and the game digitally delisted two weeks after its debut. With so many other popular hero shooters on the market, like "Overwatch" and "Valorant," "Concord" couldn't afford to be sub-par, and yet, it was. Both the game's character and level designs were awkwardly rendered while the overall gameplay speed noticeably felt like a slog. This latter issue really was unforgivable for a hero shooter and, along with its bland presentation, informed the rapid downfall of "Concord."

Six years into the PlayStation 5's lifespan and the console continues to receive glaring clunkers, including "Code Violet," another PS5 exclusive. Developed and published by TeamKill Media, the game follows Violet, a character who is kidnapped, taken to a post-apocalyptic future, and forced to serve as a surrogate to save humanity. Escaping from captivity, Violet finds that the futuristic facility she's confined in has been overrun by voracious dinosaurs. Played as a third-person shooter, the game unfolds like a modern riff on "Dino Crisis," without any of the charm or engaging gameplay.

"Code Violet" is among the worst video games of 2026 so far, a reminder that as good as the games this year are, there are still real stinkers out there. Even as well-worn as third-person shooters are, the game still manages to handle poorly and keeps much of its action shrouded in darkness to avoid revealing how shoddy the visuals are. The game's premise and presentation of Violet also feels painfully outdated, something that would've been more in line with a "Duke Nukem" title. The worst PS5 exclusive in years, "Code Violet" stands as a clumsily derivative experience that's been done better dozens of times over.