205 games
The best open-world games on PlayStation
Large worlds you can explore freely, where you decide where to go next and something new waits behind every hill.
How to find games that really suit you: Tap “I like it” on up to 5 games. Playalike compares 20 traits such as combat, story and atmosphere and suggests games that hit exactly the same spot, even across genres.
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1 The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
- Open world
- Lots to discover
A vast, freely explorable northern realm packed with dragons, dungeons and side quests, where you grow into any role simply by doing it – warrior, mage or thief. The joy lies in wandering off in any direction and stumbling into stories everywhere.
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2 Elden Ring
- Open world
- Lots to discover
A vast open world, demanding combat and countless secrets, from the creator of the Dark Souls series.
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3 Fallout 3
- Open world
- Lots to discover
A sprawling irradiated wasteland around Washington D.C. to roam freely, full of darkly funny stories and VATS-assisted gunfights. Moral choices shape towns, factions and the ending.
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4 The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
- Open world
- Lots to discover
A vast, freely explorable Cyrodiil packed with guilds, side quests and dungeons, where you shape your character however you like. Its memorable guild questlines and quirky, charming NPCs keep this classic beloved.
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5 No Man's Sky
- Open world
- Lots to discover
A near-infinite procedurally generated universe where you hop freely between vivid alien planets, gather resources, build bases and upgrade your ships. Years of free updates have turned it into a relaxed sci-fi sandbox with optional co-op.
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6 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Open world
- Lots to discover
An open fantasy world with outstanding side quests and choices that have lasting consequences.
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7 Red Dead Redemption 2
- Open world
- Lots to discover
An epic western about the downfall of an outlaw gang, set in an incredibly detailed open world.
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8 Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag
- Open world
- Lots to discover
As pirate Edward Kenway you sail a freely explorable 18th-century Caribbean, boarding ships, diving for treasure and hopping between countless islands. Its naval battles and sea shanties make it one of the definitive pirate adventures.
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9 Fallout 4
- Open world
- Lots to discover
As the lone survivor of Vault 111, you roam the irradiated ruins of Boston, blending gunplay with the slow-motion V.A.T.S. targeting system and building your own settlements. Faction choices and countless darkly funny side quests shape the fate of the Commonwealth.
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10 Terraria
- Open world
- Lots to discover
A 2D sandbox adventure where you dig, build and craft while ever-tougher bosses unlock new gear tiers and biomes. Its huge item pool and hidden secrets make it a near-endless experience, especially with friends.
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11 Outer Wilds
- Open world
- Lots to discover
Explore a solar system caught in a 22-minute time loop and unravel a cosmic mystery.
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12 Cyberpunk 2077
- Open world
- Lots to discover
A first-person RPG in a dense metropolis of the future, with many ways to approach each mission.
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13 Genshin Impact
- Open world
- Lots to discover
A vibrant anime-styled open world where you swap between a team of heroes and chain elemental reactions in fast real-time combat. Every region is packed with puzzles, secrets and climbable vistas, and regular updates keep expanding the world.
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14 Subnautica
- Open world
- Lots to discover
Stranded on an ocean planet, you dive ever deeper into a gorgeous yet terrifying alien sea. You build bases and submarines while piecing together the planet's mystery, and the dark depths themselves become the real source of dread.
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15 Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
- Open world
- Lots to discover
A realistic medieval RPG set in Bohemia, with a demanding combat system and lots of freedom.
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16 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Open world
- Lots to discover
As CJ you return to Los Santos and fight your way across a huge state full of gang wars, corrupt cops and absurd side activities. Vehicles, shootouts, RPG-like stats and a legendary radio soundtrack make it one of the most expansive sandbox classics.
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17 The Witness
- Open world
- Lots to discover
A vibrant, deserted island packed with line-maze puzzles whose rules you must figure out entirely without instructions. The real reward is the epiphany of grasping each hidden principle, even in the landscape itself.
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18 Red Dead Redemption
- Open world
- Lots to discover
As reformed outlaw John Marston, you ride across a vast, evocative frontier at the twilight of the Wild West to hunt down your old gang. Tense gunfights, hunting and side activities frame a melancholic story with an unforgettable ending.
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19 Fallout: New Vegas
- Open world
- Lots to discover
A post-apocalyptic RPG set in the Mojave, where rival factions vie for control of Vegas and your choices, dialogue and skills decide the fate of the whole region. Sharp writing, dark humor and huge freedom in how quests unfold make it a genre classic.
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20 Valheim
- Open world
- Lots to discover
A Viking survival game set in a procedurally generated Norse afterlife where you explore biomes, build longhouses and ships, and take down massive bosses. It shines in co-op, balancing relaxed base building with tense, dangerous expeditions.
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21 Fallout 76
- Open world
- Lots to discover
An online Fallout set in the irradiated hills of Appalachia, where you explore a huge world solo or with friends, build camps, join public events and shape your character with perk cards. After a rocky launch, NPCs, factions and steady updates turned it into a lively post-apocalyptic sandbox.
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22 S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
- Open world
- Lots to discover
A punishing survival shooter set in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, where deadly anomalies, mutants and rival factions wait around every corner. You scavenge for gear, hunt rare artifacts and make decisions that shape the story, all wrapped in a thick, oppressive atmosphere.
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23 Elite: Dangerous
- Open world
- Lots to discover
A space sim recreating the entire Milky Way at 1:1 scale, letting you pilot your own ship as a trader, bounty hunter, miner or explorer across billions of star systems. Demanding flight controls and sheer vastness create an unmatched sense of scale and solitude.
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24 Crimson Desert Enhanced
- Open world
- Lots to discover
A visually stunning open-world adventure across the harsh continent of Pywel, where the mercenary Kliff fights bandits and colossal bosses with weighty, acrobatic combat built around parries and grapples. Its richly detailed world invites free exploration on foot and horseback.
What matters with Open-world games
Open-world games work best when the map itself becomes the reason to keep playing: you spot a ruin on the horizon, head over, and an hour later you are somewhere you never planned to be. Before picking one, think about how much challenge you want, whether you care more about story or freedom, and whether you prefer playing alone or with friends. These worlds can also be very large, so a game you can enjoy in short sessions may suit you better than a long, dense epic.
If you want tough, rewarding combat and a world full of secrets, Elden Ring is the obvious pick, though its difficulty is real. For story, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt stands out thanks to side quests that rival the main plot and choices with lasting consequences, while Red Dead Redemption 2 offers a slower, highly detailed western about an outlaw gang falling apart. Skyrim Special Edition is ideal if you want to wander and build your character freely, and on PlayStation it includes console mod support. If you want something relaxed with optional co-op, No Man's Sky lets you hop between alien planets, build bases and upgrade ships at your own pace.
Fans of older classics can also choose between the original Oblivion and Oblivion Remastered, which rebuilds Cyrodiil with modern visuals, refined leveling and smoother combat.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best open-world game on PlayStation for beginners?
Skyrim Special Edition and No Man's Sky are approachable choices because you can explore at your own pace. Elden Ring is excellent but noticeably more demanding.
Which open-world PlayStation games have the best story?
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Red Dead Redemption 2 are the strongest story-driven picks on this list. Fallout 3 also stands out for moral choices that shape towns, factions and the ending.
Are there open-world games on PlayStation I can play in co-op?
No Man's Sky offers optional co-op in its sci-fi sandbox, and Terraria is especially fun when you dig, build and fight bosses with friends.
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