Summary
Star Warsvideo games date almost as far back as the franchise itself, with plenty of hits and misses over the years. They have spanned every generation of games, having reached the dizzying heights of a Millennium Falcon hyperjump, and the unrelenting lows of the bottom of the many-toothed Sarlaac pit.
Luckily for PS4 andPS5gamers, there’s a plethora of brilliant Star Wars games just waiting to be explored. Whatever sort of Star Wars fan you are, these games will have you laser-blasting your way through a galaxy far, far away faster than you can shake a double-sided lightsaber at.
10Star Wars Pinball VR
“Pinball?” you say, “onmyStar Wars list?”. Just hear us out. Star Wars Pinball VR is a wonderful way to experience your favorite space-faring series in a completely new light, especially when playing inVR.
When it comes to pinball, Zen Studios know what they’re doing, and bring their vast knowledge of the genre to the Star Wars universe. It’s an absolute blast to wack a series of tiny metallic ballsthrough multiple pinball tablesbased on some of the best Star Wars movies and TV shows.
It’s awesome to see some of your favorite characters come to life around the table in VR. A must for pinball fans.
9Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series
This is the last VR title on this list, we promise. Vader Immortal: A Star Wars VR Series offers a surprisingly meaty Star Wars experience dressed in VR clothing. The game is made up of three episodes where you play from the perspective of a lightsaber-wielding smuggler who butts heads with the Galaxy’s most intimidating bad guy.
Despite its short length leaving a lot to be desired, there is hardly any game out there that captures the feeling of being a Jedi quite like Vader Immortal. You will cackle in glee as you force-throw a Stormtrooper out of your way with comical ease and take part in tense lightsaber duels with Vader himself.
8Star Wars Outlaws
Star Wars Outlaws, evidently, did not light the sales charts on fire. That’s a shame, because there’s a pretty rad game in here. At the same time, though, there are some noteworthy issues that we’ve got to hold against it when it hits with AAA flourish in 2024.
The worlds are great fun to get around in, and the vistas can fuel that classic “scenic Star Wars” vibe to a tee. The controls work well enough, and the music is appropriately sweeping. On the other hand, the narrative leaves more than a bit to be desired, and the quest design can feel downright archaic.
7Star Wars Episode I Racer
These next two games on our list are ports, not PS4 or PS5 originals, by any stretch. Please don’t take that to mean we ran out of good ideas; it’s more a tribute to how great they both are, and how well they both run on newer hardware. (There were a couple more ports we considered adding, like Republic Commando; alas, their remasters are a bit shakier.)
Anyway! Star Wars Episode I Racer is a treasure for anybody who saw The Phantom Menace, and either loved the film unabashedly, or considered the podracing part one of its saving graces. You’ll feel like you’re right there, racing for dear life, with a slew of characters and craft that suit the setting.
If you dig Racer, check out its sequel, Racer Revenge - also available on PS4. It lacks a bit of the charm of the first, at least to us, but it’s nearly as good. It brings a few fun things to the table, too.
6Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast
What’s with all these Force-sensitive smugglers becoming Jedis all of a sudden? Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcasthas you control Kyle Katarnas he lets go of his old mercenary ways and embraces the excitingly challenging life of the new Jedi on the block.
Many will argue that Jedi Academy did it better, but for our money, Outcast has a more interesting level design, tougher puzzles to solve, a tighter narrative, and a better cast of more memorable characters. As always, the force powers are awesome, and the lightsaber combat is exceedingly satisfying and responsive.
Unfortunately, the PS4 port misses out on the stellar multiplayer of the original, but this is still one that shouldn’t be missed for any self-professed Star Wars fan.
5Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
There are many Lego Star Wars games out there, but none feel as complete and content-rich asLego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Featuring all nine of the mainline movies, the Skywalker Saga includes all the beloved characters of the series in gloriously vibrant and blocky Lego form.
The iconic tongue-in-cheek humor of the Lego games makes a welcome return, while also incorporating a whole host of new features and additions that help to thrust the series into the next generation.
There are now more robust open-world sections to get lost in and explore, brilliant space levels that allow you to get behind the wheel of your nearest starship, and vastly improved combat mechanics for both lightsabers and blasters.
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga also has the largest roster of any Lego Star Wars game, with even more added with DLC.
4Star Wars Battlefront 2
After an embarrassingly botched launch full of misguided loot box nonsense, Dice’sStar Wars Battlefront 2gradually grew to be the definitive way to experience Star Wars in video game shooter form.
Just like the Battlefront games of old, you will take part in tense bouts of third-person shooting action while engaging in large-scale battles in some of the most famous locations in the entire saga.
There are multiple classes to try a hand at, ground and space vehicles to pilot, and a variety of some of the series’ most beloved heroes and villains to take control of.
Many improvements,new modes, classes, and maps were added over the years, making it one of the best ways to experience the saga as a whole.
You may be tempted into scooping up the remasters of the original Battlefront games.You might want to reconsider.
3Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
Borrowing heavily fromthe expansive exploration of Metroidvaniasand the punishing skills-based combat of Soulslikes, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is an honest-to-goodness single-player adventure game that came as a bit of a surprise from EA and Respawn.
As one of the last remaining Jedi during the aftermath of Order 66, you play as Cal Kestis as he attempts to fight the evil forces of the Empire and get back in touch with the force. It’s a huge, galaxy-spanning adventure that features awesome lightsaber combat, challenging boss encounters, a brilliant sense of progression and exploration, and a fantastic Star Wars story at the core of it all.
2Star Wars: Squadrons
Star Wars: Squadronscame a bit out of nowhere when it was announced back in 2020. Despite a plethora of classic Star Wars starfighter games having been released over the years, Squadrons arrived at a time when the space combat genre was a little starved.
It has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a high-budget EA game, including snappy dogfighting mechanics, jaw-droppingly gorgeous visuals, and a compelling competitive multiplayer experience. It’s also one of the most impressive and polished starfighter simulators ever made, and it’s a sight to behold in VR as well.
1Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Respawn’s thrilling 2023 sequel to Fallen Order is everything a sequel should be. It’s bigger, it’s better, it’s more intense, and it gets to the heart of its colorful cast of characters in a way that a ‘setup act’ could not. Cal is put through the ringer here - we dare say, cliché though it may be, that this is the Empire Strikes Back to Fallen Order’s A New Hope. D
o yourself a favor and roll with the PS5 version, by the way. If there’s one looming criticism of Survivor, it’s its performance, and as you can imagine, it’s better on more recent hardware.
There are some Star Wars gems on PS4 and PS5, but even with those aforementioned performance problems, Jedi: Survivor is easily our favorite. It will be several years before we see the next (and possibly last) of Cal Kestis' epic galactic adventures, but at least that gives us ample time to replay this in preparation.
