18 Best PS4 Sports Games That Are Still Worth Playing Today

The sports genre is one of the most popular in the whole of gaming – you name a sport, there will be a game and a whole host of people playing it. There is such variety in the world of sports gaming that it often feels like we’re spoilt for choice, and each sport usually has two or three titles eying up the top spot. The PlayStation 4 generation of games probably consisted of some of the best and most varied sporting games of all time (apart from may the PlayStation 2 era) and with that being said, it is time we delved into the depths of some of these games because there are so many out there that still stand up now. So, what are some of the best PS4 sports games that are still worth playing today?

#18 F1 23

Platform: PC PS4 PS5 XSX|S
Release Date: JUNE 16, 2023

Steam | PlayStation | Xbox

There are many racing titles for you to enjoy, but few will have you going as fast as the cars in F1 23.

The official game of the Formula One World Championship will have you racing in some of the fastest cars on the planet and trying to come out on top of the most intense races.

But it’s not just racing you need to worry about. The game is authentic from top to bottom. You’ll need to ensure your car is as good as your driving skills, and when you partake in the story mode, you’ll need to overcome numerous obstacles thrown in your way.

But if you can endure them, you might just come out on top.

#17 Session: Skate Sim

Multiple titles over the years have tried to recreate the feeling of being on a skateboard and tearing places up. Session: Skate Sim dares to do it in a way that feels true to skater culture. The simplicity of the game lies in its controls. Each analog stick is tied to one of your character’s feet. Through that, you’ll slowly learn how to control your board so you can complete more complicated moves. Then, when you’re ready, head to your local parks all over the US and film yourself skating and pulling off sick moves. Make it feel like you’re part of the 1990s and show off your talents on the board and in the editing room.

#16 FIFA 23

It really should be obvious why you would want to play FIFA 23 right now. The World Cup is going on! That’s right, the world’s biggest soccer/football event is going on right now, and the latest entry in the best-selling series even has a World Cup mode you can play in! Through it, you’ll participate in each match as if you were on the field yourself. That way, you can create your own version of events and see who would win the World Cup if you were in control. Add that to the other modes of the game and the incredible depth of the rosters, and you’ll have plenty to do even after the World Cup is finished.

#15 Madden NFL 21

The third game on this list of the best PS4 sports games is from the long-running Madden series. Madden NFL 21 follows the trend that most EA sports games follow: being an almost carbon copy (apart from improved graphics) of the one before it and the one before that, and so on and so forth. This game received a mixed reception, with the gameplay being one of the few shining lights of the game. They were several technical issues that affected it though; player reception was also then negative, but for the most part, a lack of innovation and a lack of creativity were evident. Hardcore Madden fans will still like this game, but it won’t be attracting any new ones.

#14 NBA 2K22

The NBA 2K series has been going since 2005 and has had some lofty heights along the way. NBA 2K22 is an entry that would fit somewhere in the middle or maybe even towards the top slightly. The series has been hit and miss over the years, and NBA 2K21 epitomized that by being one of the all-time lows of the series. There could be an argument made for saying that they became sloppy or too relaxed due to its biggest competitor (NBA Live) pulling out of the running. NBA 2K22 showed that the publisher was once again moving in the right direction, with this game being a really great entry in the series.

#13 Gran Turismo Sport

The Gran Turismo series has become synonymous with the PlayStation platform. This PlayStation 4 sports game exclusive had an emphasis on online competitive driving, and the vast car collections that you saw on the older games weren’t as varied as they were with this title – which as expected, was not received well, and it let the game down. But the Gran Turismo series will always still be incredibly clean and very pretty, and this was one of the prettiest; the graphics are phenomenal, and it holds up extremely well to this day which is a testament to the game itself. Nevertheless, even with its poor qualities, this is still a good game in a top-tier racing series.

#12 Mutant Football League

A football game with a difference, something that resulted in a very unusual but incredibly memorable PS4 sports game. Mutant Football League is a violent, over-the-top interpretation of the cherished US sport of football. It draws a lot of inspiration from the original Mutant League Football from 1993, as well as other games from the same genre such as NFL Blitz. It’s quirky and unique games like this that are often better than the realistic titles like Madden (although, some people might not like to admit it) and when it comes to the most fun you can have playing a football game, Mutant Football League is the most fun you can have.

#11 Everybody’s Golf (2017)

The Everybody’s Golf series is another PlayStation exclusive and follows the ilk we just mentioned with Mutant League Football: a quirky game that is full of fun, one that is relaxing and easy to play. This golf game can be played leisurely and isn’t too taxing on one’s stress levels. That’s not to say that it doesn’t take some skill though… oh no, as you will still have the ability to get creative with your shots, but it also adds the option for players to drive golf carts all around the track – I mean, that’s all golf is, right? Everybody’s Golf also has some great character customization, a fun online mode, and a superb free roam option as well.

#10 MLB The Show 21

With sports games, realism plays a major role in the level of enjoyment one can have, as well as the overall experience. MLB The Show 21 is the most realistic baseball game you can play, and although it does have some minor issues, it is still a must-play for baseball enthusiasts everywhere. Those issues though: the mechanics often feel a tad slow and quite clunky, and there was only a slight improvement compared to the previous installment, which was disappointing because of the expectation of the game due to the console generational leap, but overall, this is a really enjoyable PS4 sports games.

#9 Super Mega Baseball 3

The Super Mega Baseball series has become one of the most consistent and well-developed sports gaming franchises on the market, and number three is the best of the lot. Realism was mentioned when talking about MLB The Show, and no, Super Mega Baseball 3 isn’t as realistic as that, but when it comes to the most fun you can have playing a baseball game, then this is it. It’s just about the best baseball game out there; it is quirky and fun, but still fairly challenging as well – it’s no walk in the ballpark though, that’s for sure. It ticks all the boxes to what makes a great PS4 sports game, and the series will only get better after this.

#8 PGA Tour 2K21

The golf gaming world was dominated by the PGA Tiger Woods franchise for several years, but the series did lose its magic after the split from the golfer’s brand and struggled to gain it back. The PGA Tour 2K21 was a relaunch of The Golf Club series but now under the 2K Sports branding, and it invigorated some magic back into the life of the golf genre. It received positive reviews, with people acknowledging that the game preserved some of the realism of its predecessors, while also adding a lot more difficulty in its levels, but the whole thing is just a lot more attractive and accessible to a wider audience.

#7 FIFA 22

Every person and their dog have heard of the FIFA series, it’s the biggest and most well-known soccer franchise of all time. This long-running soccer game has become one of the best-selling franchises of all time, and FIFA fans are fiercely loyal to whatever game is released. The series suffers from an identity crisis though, with the games often being the same as the previous one; FIFA 21 was terrible (that’s right, I said it) but FIFA 22 tried to return the series back to the level it once operated at, and it did a good job of doing so, with some people saying that this is the best FIFA game for quite some time.

#6 F1 2020

This is the 12^th game in the long-running series and is probably about as good as it gets when it comes to racing games. As expected, F1 2020 has pristine graphics and incredibly realistic mechanics, with some gorgeous aesthetics. When it comes to engaging racing games, this is the cornerstone for them all; you can have fun either on your own in its immersive single-player mode, or you can race against your friends in the game’s wonderful multiplayer mode. It really is – or it should be at least – every F1 fan’s dream game, and I can only feel sorry for the titles that have to follow it because living up to this is a monumental task.

#5 UFC 4

EA sports’ MMA game series is the pinnacle of fighting games and the positive trajectory it has seen in its lifespan so far has been quite the achievement. UFC 4 is an incredibly detailed game that is a tremendous amount of fun and although the ground game mechanic still needs some work, the other aspects are about as fluid as it gets (for the most part). This is the best game from the series, and it still holds up remarkably well even though it’s two years old, so well, in fact, there is no rush for EA to release another one because this game is still receiving updates to its roster as well as some other things.

#4 eFootball Pro Evolution 2020

This version of Pro Evolution Soccer was one of the best in the series, it might have also been the moment that the franchise took over from FIFA as being the best soccer game around – although, some might still disagree with that. This series was always one step behind FIFA when it came to graphics (and they were miles behind at one point) licenses were another problem, and the gameplay was often questioned. The improvements that eFootball Pro Evolution 2020 consisted of were very impressive, so much so that it is probably the best game in the whole series – apart from those classic PlayStation 2 Pro Evo titles that is.

#3 FutureGrind

A game that is a bit different in terms of PS4 sports games is the stylish stunt-racing game, FutureGrind. This is a game all about tricks, skills, and speed, with players needing to nail the perfect line in the future’s most challenging stunt sport. You will need to chain together huge combos on tracks made of floating rails, but watch out because if you touch the rail of the wrong color, you’ll explode. If this game is something then it is different, and you have to give it credit for just that. When you step back though and look at how good this game actually is, you’ll be really impressed; an extreme amount of fun, exciting, never boring, and super vibrant… what’s not to love?

#2 Rocket League

Talking about different, this is one of the most unique and enjoyable PS4 sports games of all time – it’s soccer but with rocket-powered cars, what’s not to love? When this game was released in 2015, it wasn’t long before it turned into a gaming sensation, quickly becoming a worldwide name. Rocket League has been praised for its gameplay improvements over the previous SARP Battle-Cars, but not only that but the graphics and the overall presentation evolve the game into something quite impressive. Thanks to the game becoming free in 2020 as well, the popularity of Rocket League went to another level, with a whole host of people now experiencing it for the first time, an audience that still makes this game prominent to this day.

#1 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2

So, here we have it, number one on this list of the best PS4 sports games that are still worth playing today is Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2. This remake version of the ground-breaking originals from back in the day is quite the game and catapulted Tony Hawk’s skating games back into the public eye and made them relevant once again, after a few difficult years. This version has it all, crisp graphics, beautifully smooth mechanics, as well as keeping the humor and everything else that made the originals so well revered. It just improves on everything with such authority that it’s hard not to admire it, and it still includes a killer soundtrack that has become synonymous with the series.