Sports games are some of the most popular ways to enjoy a Playstation. So is it any surprise that we find ourselves breaking down our choices for the best sports games on PS4?
It is astonishing to some of us hardcore gamers, but some people actually buy video game consoles to play only sports games.
Hey, who are we to judge? There’s no shame in your game if you enjoy major league sports. There are billions of people in the world who are diehard fans of some of the most popular sports.
And when have billions of people collectively gone wrong? (Dang, that’s the best subliminal I’ve ever dropped on y’all.)
Back to sports…
We’re not just here to talk the usual sports stuff… we are gonna cover a wide gamut of sports categories. So expect to see some surprises.
Without further ado, here are our best sports games on PS4:
Table of Contents
10. Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV (2017)
I love discovering obscure game titles that are related to games that I love. And a game about an obscure sport as well.
Final Fantasy 15 is one of my favorite games of all time, and to find out that they made Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV, an entire fishing game as a spinoff, was such a cool find.
Admittedly, I was also immediately disappointed, because it’s a PSVR game. And I do not have PSVR. And likely never will.
But just knowing theres a VR Final Fantasy 15 fishing game out there makes me happy
This was the first time SQUARE ENIX ever attempted a VR game, after considering it for the Final Fantasy franchise for a long time.
The game could be thought of as more of a demo or proof of concept of what could be in the Final Fantasy universe. We just hope that Square Enix considers creating some more VR and side project type releases like this in the future.
Maybe a VR Final Fantasy 15 camping sim? Now that, I’d be into.
9. Roller Champions (2022)
So there’s a roller derby action sports game developed by Ubisoft. Who knew?
Well, I didn’t. But I’m glad I do now!
Yes, Roller Champions is an original game by Ubisoft packed with fun 3-on-3 game play, super colorful graphic style, and one last thing… it’s free-to-play!
Absolutely no reason you shouldn’t be checking this one out next time you’re browsing for games in the online Playstation Store.
This is a great game for those looking for some sports action, but not looking for the usual stuff we have seen year after year.
Not that there’s anything wrong with those year after year type games (we will see a lot of those soon on this list!), it’s just sometimes something totally different is what the doctor ordered, you know?
8. EA Sports UFC 4 (2020)
EA Sports UFC 4 is the absolute best mixed martial arts game title out there. And not just because it’s probably the only one you have heard about.
EA SPORTS keeps the their MMA game franchise fun with constant updates to the fighter roster, making this one of the best games for people who need a good reason to keep coming back.
Seriously, they have over 250 fighters total to choose from, if you don’t wanna make an avatar of yourself to get beat up.
So whether you are winning or losing against friends online or computer ai, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to get back up and fight another day.
We also mentioned this one on our list of the Best Boxing Games For PS4 (we know it’s not boxing specifically, but mixed martial arts includes boxing).
MMA is my personal favorite sport, so I had to include this one on our list of the best sports games on PS4!
7. Skater XL (2020)
You know what’s my second favorite sport? Skateboarding!
I can’t do it anymore; my bones hurt too much, and I have no interest in falling on concrete ever again.
Lucky for somebody like me, we can pretend to skate from the comfort of our couch at home.
Unlike another game that may or may not be included later in this list, Skater XL offers a more free environment to skate, and does not focus on typical video game achievements.
The goal here is to master their unique dual stick control system where each stick controls one of your legs in trick execution.
From there, the rest is up to you… you decide where to go and how you want to skate.
A very casual sports game experience, and one that is focused on chill game play.
We kinda like it. Check it out!
6. MLB The Show 19 (2019)
Alright, so here we are. Some of the major sports you would expect to see on any list of best sports games for PS4.
There is a reason why you see a new baseball, basketball, football, soccer game every year… people lu-lu-love them!
While none of those sports are necessarily my jam, there’s no denying that these are some of the absolute best experiences you can have on a PS4 if you’re into the sports genre.
So what makes MLB The Show 19 so special? Well, if you’re a baseball fan… it’s got dang near everything for you.
A gigantic roster of current and legendary players, an all-star commentary and field reporter team, modes for controlling an entire team through a season, a single player’s career, play historic moments in baseball history, and an online mode to allow you to compete with other player’s teams.
This 2019 edition of “The Show” saw significant improvements from past iterations, including the removal of some criticized micro-transaction features.
So overall, fans and critics praised the ’19 edition in particular on the PS4.
MLB The Show 19 is currently the highest selling baseball video game in history, so obviously people supported those new improvements.
5. NBA 2K17 (2016)
Basketball is another mainstay in popular sports culture. Especially in the United States, the largest market for sports video games in general.
Like previous installments in this incredible franchise, players can take control of a team or single player and simulate real life basketball game play.
But what makes NBA 2K17 so special is the sheer amount of content.
This title is bursting at the seams with an insane roster of USA and international players, an awesome soundtrack from past and current mainstream artists, several game modes, and a ton of in-game collectibles.
NBA 2K17 is widely praised by fans and critics, and the game has sold over 7 million copies to date.
Quite obviously the best basketball experience on the PS4, and you knew it was coming to our list of the best sports games on PS4.
4. FIFA 22 (2021)
If there’s a sport that pretty much dominates worldwide, it would be football. Or “soccer” where I come from.
In fact, if you google “most popular sport worldwide”… the first result reads: “Football/Soccer.
The sport has roughly 3.5 billion fans worldwide and 250 million players across 200 countries around the world.”
So… like.. I was right.
Well, the latest iteration of the FIFA video game franchise is truly their absolutely best achievement.
The introduction of new HyperMotion Technology combines advanced motion capture data with machine learning algorithm to give the most realistic player movement to date. And man does it look incredible!
Truly, you’ll just think you’re watching a game from the stands. It looks that good.
And if you wanna actually play football rather than just spectate, FIFA 22 is gonna be the definitive experience for that.
You can play solo or with friends online! I also included this one on our list of the 10 Best Multiplayer PS5 Games.
Easily the best football video game ever created, and an easy addition to our list of the best sports games on PS4.
3. Rocket League (2015)
If you are unfamiliar with the phenomena that is Rocket League, let me expose you to a word combination you may have not seen before: “Vehicular Soccer”.
Yup, take that all in.
I mean, I don’t think I need to explain to you why that is so cool and why it’s been such a hit in the video game world.
Up to eight players can compete on a field at a time, each player taking control of a rocket powered car and attempt to score goals with a gigantic soccer ball.
It’s a mashup between soccer (football) and demolition derby.
Rocket League is even considered an official esport, with professional players participating in events for ESL (formerly “Electronic Sports League”), Major League Gaming, and the official Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS).
The game’s developer, Psyonix, has even kept things fun and replayable by offering a ton of free DLC over the years, including cross promotion with Twisted Metal, Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, Ghostbusters, Stranger Things, and many more.
If all of that wasn’t street cred enough for you, it even started off our list of the Best PS4 Games Of All Time.
2. Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 (2020)
I am a gigantic Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater fan. And I would even put Tony Hawk 2 as one of my favorite video games of all time.
(And as I’m also discovering thanks to IGN‘s review, THPS2 is the number two highest rated video game of all time on Metacritic.)
It is certainly in the top 5 games that I play on a regular basis on my favorite retro emulation handheld.
So when they announced that a full remake of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 would be coming to modern consoles, I was beyond excited.
The same awesome levels we love and the same music that got us pumped up, all fully rebuilt in a modern game engine with improved character models and animation.
Plus all of the beautiful textures, lighting, and quality-of-life improvements you may want. Everything just feels more fluid while still feeling the same.
Plus there are also a ton of new goals that can be worked on once you complete the original level goals from the first two games.
If that weren’t enough, they also included “create a park”, online multiplayer, and unlockable skins & gear.
This remake just kind of blows me away, and I’m so happy to be able to include it on our list of the best sports games on PS4.
1. Riders Republic (2021)
Come on, you knew it was coming. Riders Republic is my pick for the number one best sports game on PS4.
It was number one on my list of the Best Multiplayer PS5 Games and number one on my list of the Best Snowboarding Games.
Clearly I’ve proven just how awesome I think this game is by now.
Repeating some of the stuff I said before: It’s got gigantic maps, it’s got super fun races, it’s got a ton of stuff to do, and it’s all in a really high polish, beautiful package.
With a seemingly endless list of things to do (because they literally just keep adding to that list on a regular basis), this is one of the most replayable games for the PS4.
So whether you’re in it for the glory of achievements and you wanna top the online rankings, or if you’re like me and know you’ll never be one of the best, but just wanna participate in some wild races…
Riders Republic has something for everybody. I think it’s a truly amazing game, and I cannot recommend it enough. So here I am, recommending it again.
Please, do yourself a favor; get Riders Republic, the best sports game on PS4!
Anthony has been a video game lover ever since he can remember. He became a fulltime nomad in 2018, living throughout most of Asia. He focused his passion in retro gaming and began creating a game for the Game Boy Color while living in Nara, Japan during the 2020 pandemic. He is now in Chiang Mai, Thailand, where he spends most of his time gaming, going on long walks and meeting as many stray dogs as possible.
