The PlayStation 5 can play almost every PS4 game thanks to backwards compatibility. That sounds great, but what if like me you own both a PS4 and a PS5?

This is a question I've been thinking about especially after Sony announced it will stop releasing games on disc from 2028. That means physical games could become harder to find in the future and I'm thinking maybe I should grow my collection of game discs while I still can.

But here's the big question... should I buy the PS4 version or the PS5 version of a game?

The answer isn't always simple because some games are cross-gen games. This means they have two separate versions, one for the PS4 and another made for the PS5. These aren't just PS4 games running on a PS5 - each version is made natively for its own console.

The PS5 version often has:

• Better graphics
• Faster loading times
• DualSense controller features
• Higher frame rates
• Other PS5-only improvements

The good news is that many of these games let you choose which version to install on your PS5.

The PS4 version is often cheaper, though. So if you own both consoles, it can be a smart way to save money while still being able to play on either system.

Popular Games with Both PS4 and PS5 Versions

Sony

• Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales - PS5 adds ray tracing, 60–120 FPS modes, near-instant loading, DualSense features, and higher visual quality.
• Sackboy: A Big Adventure - PS5 offers 60 FPS, faster loading, enhanced visuals, and DualSense haptic feedback/adaptive triggers.
• Horizon Forbidden West - PS5 features higher-quality graphics, faster loading, DualSense support, 3D audio, and an optional 60 FPS mode.
• Gran Turismo 7 - PS5 adds ray tracing (outside races), faster loading, improved haptics/triggers, 3D audio, and higher frame rates.
• God of War Ragnarök - PS5 delivers higher resolutions, 60+ FPS options, much faster loading, and full DualSense support.

Ubisoft

• Assassin's Creed Valhalla - PS5 runs at up to 60 FPS with higher resolution, faster loading, and DualSense enhancements.
• Watch Dogs: Legion - PS5 adds ray tracing, 60 FPS mode, faster loading, and DualSense support.
• Far Cry 6 - PS5 offers faster loading, higher-resolution visuals, and DualSense haptic/adaptive trigger features
• Riders Republic - PS5 supports up to 60 FPS, larger multiplayer sessions, quicker loading, and better visuals.

EA Sports

• EA Sports FC 24 - PS5 includes higher-fidelity graphics, faster loading, DualSense support, and enhanced presentation.
• EA Sports FC 25 - PS5 improves visuals, loading, controller feedback, and overall presentation compared with PS4.
• Madden NFL 21–25 - PS5 features better graphics, faster loading, DualSense support, and more advanced next-gen gameplay systems.
• NHL 21 and newer - PS5 versions add improved visuals, faster loading, DualSense features, and smoother presentation.
• F1 2021 and newer - PS5 offers ray tracing (where supported), faster loading, DualSense effects, and higher graphical fidelity.

Activision

• Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - PS5 supports ray tracing, 120 FPS, DualSense features, and significantly faster loading.
• Call of Duty: Vanguard - PS5 adds 120 FPS support, improved visuals, DualSense integration, and faster loading.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II - PS5 provides higher resolutions, optional 120 FPS, faster SSD loading, and DualSense support.
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III - PS5 improves visuals, loading speeds, frame rates, and controller immersion over PS4
• Crash Team Rumble - PS5 offers improved visuals, faster loading, and smoother performance than PS4.

2K

• NBA 2K21 - PS5 is a substantially different version with rebuilt visuals, new gameplay systems, WNBA MyCareer, and exclusive modes.
• NBA 2K22–25 - PS5 includes exclusive City mode, improved graphics, faster loading, and expanded gameplay features
• Tiny Tina's Wonderlands - PS5 runs at higher resolutions and frame rates with faster loading and DualSense features.
• WWE 2K22 and newer - PS5 offers better visuals, faster loading, and DualSense support, while gameplay is largely the same.

Bandai Namco / FromSoftware

• Elden Ring - PS5 provides higher resolutions, faster loading, and better performance, though the PS4 version running on PS5 can have steadier frame rates.
• Tales of Arise - PS5 adds 60 FPS support, higher resolution, faster loading, and DualSense enhancements.

Capcom

• Resident Evil Village - PS5 includes ray tracing, higher frame rates, faster loading, 3D audio, and immersive DualSense features.
• Street Fighter 6 - PS5 offers faster loading, enhanced visuals, DualSense support, and smoother overall presentation.

Square Enix

• Marvel's Avengers - PS5 adds higher resolutions, faster loading, improved textures, and DualSense support.
• Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin - PS5 provides faster loading, improved visuals, and higher frame-rate options.

Other Games

• Cyberpunk 2077 - PS5 includes exclusive next-gen graphics modes, faster loading, DualSense features, and major visual upgrades.
• No Man's Sky - PS5 adds 4K visuals, higher frame rates, DualSense support, 3D audio, and significantly faster loading.
• Diablo IV - PS5 offers faster loading, improved visual fidelity, and DualSense haptic feedback.
• Dead by Daylight - PS5 runs at higher resolution with improved visuals, faster loading, and smoother performance.
• Destiny 2 - PS5 supports 4K, up to 120 FPS in Crucible, faster loading, and enhanced field of view.
• DIRT 5 - PS5 supports up to 120 FPS, faster loading, ray tracing, and DualSense features.
• WRC Generations - PS5 improves visuals, loading times, and controller feedback compared with PS4.
• The First Descendant - Released only for PS5 (and other current-generation platforms), so there is no PS4 version to compare.

How to tell which version a game has

There's an easy way to check.

Look at the game's page on the PlayStation Store.

• If you see PS4 | PS5, the game has separate versions for both consoles.
• If it only says PS4, you'll be playing the PS4 version on your PS5 using backwards compatibility.

So which version should you buy?

If the PS4 disc includes a free PS5 upgrade, it is often the best value because it usually costs less and works on both consoles.

If it doesn't include a free upgrade, you'll need to decide if the PS5 improvements are worth paying extra for.

I've put together a full list of every game released with separate PS4 and PS5 versions below. There are well over 150 of them, so if you're building a physical collection, it could be a handy guide.