What are the best multiplayer PS4 games? That’s a question many competitive gamers have asked themselves over the console’s lifespan. Whether you get a rush from competing with strangers online, or you’re just too deep into your routine to miss a Friday night gaming session with your pals, you’ll want to spend your time playing the best multiplayer games the PlayStation 5 has to offer.
Trying to get your friends to settle on a game that promises a good time for everyone is no easy task. Thankfully, our list should help you fast track these negotiations, ensuring that you spend less of your evenings debating and more time actually playing. Alternatively, if you prefer to go it alone and live for the thrill of competition, most of the games on our list have a lively ranked mode that’ll test your skills.
While some of these games haven’t managed to steal a spot on our list of the overall best PS4 games, there’s no denying that they’ve earned their places as the best competitive gaming experiences of the old generation. Here are the best multiplayer PS4 games that you can find right now, and why they’re worth picking up.
Here are the best multiplayer PS4 games:
- Rocket League
- Rainbow Six Siege
- Tekken 7
- Street Fighter V
- Call of Duty: Warzone
- Fortnite
- Overwatch
- PUBG
Rocket League
When you break down the concept of Rocket League – you know, football with rocket-powered cars – you might be surprised that someone didn’t come up with the idea sooner. Now that Rocket League has gone free-to-play, there’s absolutely no reason why this shouldn’t be on your PS4. It’s an absolute blast with a couple of mates.
However, if you’re more of a lone wolf, fear not. Climbing the Rocket League ranks is the perfect pursuit for those looking for a competitive challenge – or a good excuse for some grinding. Face off against similarly skilled players as you boost your way up the ranks to become a Supersonic Legend.
Rainbow Six Siege
Challenging squads to execute tight strategies in close quarters combat, Rainbow Six Siege elevates the classic bomb plant and defusal modes by throwing all the best gadgets from your favourite spy movies into the mix. It’s high skill ceiling will have you grinding your way through the Rainbow Six Siege ranks as you work towards the esteemed Champion status.
What sets Rainbow Six Siege apart from other team-based shooters is its destructible environments. Pinging an enemy that’s just rushed into another room helps you share valuable information with your team. However, knowing that you can down them by shooting through a specific section of the wall between you can make for explosive clutches. Prepare for tense rounds and sweaty palms.
Tekken 7
Ever wanted to see what happens when you pit a panda against a wrestler in a jaguar mask? Bandai Namco’s Tekken 7 answers that obscure question and many more. Receiving critical acclaim at launch and having sold over six million copies as of 2021, Tekken 7 is undoubtedly one of the best multiplayer games for the PS4.
Tekken 7’s popularity has created a strong player base on PS4, making it easy to dip in and out of fights without having to wait an eternity in lobbies.
3D fighters can seem complex to newcomers, but don’t worry. Tekken 7’s story mode is a great way to introduce yourself to the series. You’ll learn about the crazy backgrounds of the characters, as well as key mechanics like the Rage Arts system. Though there is a lot to learn in Tekken 7, the game is widely enjoyed by fans of all skill levels as the more advanced mechanics never get in the way of the fun.
Street Fighter V: Champion Edition
Street Fighter V had a rocky start when it first dropped on console due to a severe lack of content, but it has since grown into one of the best multiplayer games on the PS4. Street Fighter V: Champion Edition launched in early 2020, complete with every stage, costume, and fighter released over its lifespan.
The competitive scene for Street Fighter V remains one of the biggest in the fighting game space. Capcom’s prize pool for their premier tournament Capcom Cup, consistently reaches six-figure sums. Think you’re great because you can beat your friends in a few rounds? Testing your might against players online will have you re-evaluating your skill level – especially if you match up with a pro.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War and Warzone
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War stands out as one of the best multiplayer experiences you can have on the PS4 thanks to its fast-paced gameplay. Yes, it’s incredibly frustrating when your team refuses to pick up dog tags in Kill Confirmed, yet we still find ourselves playing the game anyway. The quick time-to-kill ensures each battle is lightning fast, and with up to 40 players in each lobby, there’s always some kind of firefight every few seconds.
Black Ops Cold War sees the return of Control – one of our favourite modes. Here, players are tasked with either capturing or defending two different objectives on the map over the course of a minute and a half round. What’s more, each team of six is given 30 lives between it, meaning there is more than one way to close out a round if your aim is crisp.
However, it’s Black Ops Cold War’s free-to-play battle royale, Warzone, that continues to take the gaming world by storm. Its vast maps throw up constant challenges and explosive moments for you and your squad, and it’s one of the PS4’s best multiplayer experiences.
Overwatch
Overwatch’s success stems from the amount of effort Blizzard has put into its ranked and arcade modes. With a large roster of unique heroes at your disposal, Overwatch truly features something for everyone, making it one of the best multiplayer games on PS4.
Blizzard’s team-based shooter continues to impress both the casual and hardcore audiences, with updates adding new heroes to the line-up every four months. In 2019, Overwatch added a 2-2-2 role lock which has solidified the game’s team structure. Now players are forced into the Tank, Damage, and Support roles before the match starts, ensuring a minimum level of team cohesion. This feature has been perfect for solo-queuing players who struggle to find cooperative teams.
Fortnite
We couldn’t possibly have a list of the best multiplayer games for PS4 without including Epic Games’ Fortnite. This free-to-play battle royale has cemented itself as one of the best multiplayer PS4 games thanks to its highly addictive gameplay and seemingly endless supply of new content.
A new season has launched every two months since Fortnite released, giving players completely fresh weapons, vehicles, and environments to explore. Whether you are playing alone or grouped up with your mates, each match contains enough variety to constantly keep players entertained.
Epic has worked hard to provide weekly updates to the game, tweaking the balance carefully to cater to Fortnite’s wide audience. Battle royale games existed before and after Fortnite, but it’s fair to say the competition hasn’t had the same impact on pop culture the way Fortnite has. How many games have you played that featured Travis Scott blasting through his hit songs? We rest our case.
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds
PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds is widely credited for popularising battle royales back in early 2017. It has welcomed dozens of updates along the way, and it’s still regarded as one of the best multiplayer PS4 games.. PUBG offers a unique battle royale experience compared to the likes of Warzone and Fortnite by offering third-person, semi-realistic gameplay. There are separate playlists for its first and third person perspectives, depending on your preferences.
It all started with Erangel and soon expanded to include the arid environments of Miramar, the thick rainforest of Sanhok, and beyond. PUBG’s Karakin is particularly treacherous, specialising in close quarters combat. While it may be a fair bit older than some of its rivals, PUBG still offers one of the best and most diverse multiplayer experiences on the PS4.
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2
When Vicarious Visions announced their next big remake was Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, fans rejoiced that this nostalgic title was returning.. Unlike the original games, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 features a robust online system complete with several multiplayer modes. Classic local multiplayer modes from back in the day like Graffiti, Tag, and Trick Attack have also been resurrected and are fully playable online.
What makes Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 one of the PS4’s best multiplayer games is the amount of variety the online modes have to offer. Up to eight players can hop into a match together to play both casually in a Jam, or competitively. Playing against other people can be tricky as these games are decades old at this point, however, we’ve got a guide filled with Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 and 2 tips to prepare you for the grinds, flips, and McTwists ahead.
Although the PS4’s time in the spotlight is coming to a close, these games all hold their own today. Still, if you’re looking for something that screams new-gen, check out our list of the best PS5 games.