10 Best Sports Games on PlayStation 5 (2026)

Weak knees and all have made active sports participation a chore, but not when the best sports games on PlayStation 5 like Madden NFL 26, MLB: The Show 26, and EA Sports FC 26 offer you the most realistic simulation and handling that feels as surreal as real-life. 

While most realistic simulators offer the most content-heavy sports campaigns, you’ll still find worthy contenders in the arcade category with fully-fledged features, whether character customization, story mode, or multiplayer. 

No matter your preference, you can’t go wrong with either of the best sports games on PlayStation 5 below.

What is a Sports Game?

A sports game borrows from the rules and practices of real-world sports like football and baseball. Gaming has a counterpart for nearly all of the sports you’ve ever played in real-life, in addition to some fantasy sports like Harry Potter’s Quidditch.

Best Sports Games on PlayStation 5

Whether you’re a casual or professional player, the best sports games on PlayStation 5 offer you content variety, difficulty settings, and lots of rewards for your progress.

10. TopSpin 2k25

TopSpin 2k25 is the ultimate way to play professional tennis, where you go through a MyCAREER mode and build up your MyPLAYER across several tennis matches. You’ll gauge yourself against superstars like Serena Williams and Roger Federer, alongside 24 playable pros you can control and compete against. 

Every pro player plays differently, and they will help polish up different skills, so you can effectively compete in the local and online matches. 

9. Gran Turismo 7

For professional racing, however, I would recommend Gran Turismo 7. This is where the driving, steering, and handling of the cars look and feel as real as it gets. And the game modes are varied, too, so that both casual and veteran players enjoy the level of challenge they prefer. 

The car customization is on point, with options for tweaking your livery. But you also have so many cars you can unlock through completing challenges, totaling over 420 cars.

8. Dirt 5

Dirt 5 caters to those seeking the thrill of going off-road. Up to four players can compete on one screen while tinkering around in the Playgrounds creator mode during the downtimes. These encourage you to play around with the gravel, ice, snow, and sand global tracks, adding sharper corners and slippery slopes that only the most seasoned players can beat.

7. NBA 2k26

As for the fans of the hoop culture, I have an annual franchise for you that makes it to the best sports games on PlayStation 5. Keep up with the latest in basketball simulation in NBA 2k26, boasting authentic animations and behavior of real-life NBA players.

Whether you prefer a structured playthrough in MyCAREER or thrive on a managerial role in MyTEAM, NBA 2k26 doesn’t hold back on lots of ways to leave your mark in the big leagues.

6. WWE 2k26

Scripted or not, wrestling is a sport, and perhaps all the more surreal when you’re controlling the WWE superstar and determining their run to WWE fandom. The latest WWE 2k26 makes all the right steps to showcase the smoothest, most expansive WWE experience yet. 

You rewrite history in 2K Showcase mode, following CM Punk’s career against his greatest rivals. There are new match types that spice up the wrestling challenges, like Dumpster and Inferno. WWE Draft, meanwhile, is more seamless, allowing you to create your own weekly shows and pit your own pick of WWE superstars against one another.

5. F1 25

But the real star of professional racing is F1 25. On-track racing around LIDAR circuits looks and feels divine. But the extra cherry on top is all the other game modes that keep your life off the track interesting. Braking Point follows your career to the World Championships. 

MyTeam receives updates that enhance taking control of the owner of a Formula One team. Meanwhile, you enjoy a consistent stream of online co-op events that keep the talk in the F1 community alive.

4. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4

The first go was a massive success, but I’d recommend heading straight to Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 for your next hack at the best sports games on Nintendo Switch. This is a remake of the third and fourth games, which respect the originals by retaining their skaters, parks, and tricks. However, you also enjoy a slick revamp of the outdated visuals and controls.

3. Madden NFL 26

Madden NFL 26 uses data from a machine learning model that was trained on thousands of matches. And the end-result is vivid, with more lifelike animations of the player. A perfect time to apply AI in the motions as well, because of the addition of player-specific traits. 

The series is adding more RPG elements that define more unique playstyles for every player. And these determine how well you level their distinct playstyles and on-field strategies within their specific roles and teams.

2. MLB: The Show 25

By starting from high school, you can appreciate how much work your player puts into qualifying for the big leagues. It’s a deeper experience that MLB: The Show 26 creates, which forms a deeper attachment to players.

Yet, it isn’t the star quality of the franchise. Rather, how smooth and responsive the controls feel during the moment-to-moment on-field matches. Also, with the addition of BearDownPitching and BigZoneHitting, you enjoy way more control over your pitches and swings.

1. EA Sports FC 26

EA Sports FC 26 continues in the series’ pinnacle of sports simulation. Very few things are not up to par, even with the current-gen PlayStation 5 console. What has been the game-changer for the new entry is the option between Authentic and Competitive gameplay. 

For players who enjoy a slower and more deliberate simulation, Authentic should well tend to your needs. But for a faster, arcade experience that may not be as accurate, but more intense, Competitive should do it. I imagine quick multiplayer rounds will do well with Competitive, where quick reactions and steady control are needed to win.