Whether searching for a PlayStation exclusive or a third-party juggernaut, PS Plus Extra and Premium should cover most players. With so many titles to pick from, knowing where to start can be challenging, and that extends to open-world projects. PS Plus covers this genre extensively, including everything from first-person shooters to survival and role-playing games. Therefore, let’s look at thebest open-world PS Plus games.
While every mentioned open-world game is on PS Plus Premium, some are not part of the Extra tier.
Also, the games are not ranked solely by quality. New additions will be highlighted first.
Updated June 09, 2025 by Mark Sammut:As part of theApril 2025 Extra and Premium lineup, a hugeopen-world PS Plus gameis now available.
Hogwarts Legacyis a bit of a weird situation. While one of the biggestopen-world PS Plus games, Avalanche’s title is arguably worth playing despite its open-world rather than because of it. Set roughly a century before the events of theHarry Potterbook,Hogwarts Legacycasts players as a transfer student who is joining the curriculum in the fifth year.
The school was painstakingly recreated, creating an immersive experience that should delight fans of the books or movies. The spell-based combat is simple but flashy and enjoyable, while the story also has its moments. Away from Hogwarts, the open-world tends to be pretty divisive, to the point of being generally regarded as the weakest part of the campaign. While the positives outweigh the negatives,Hogwarts Legacyis one of those games that can be quite polarizing.
Looking over its history, the open-world genre has had a few landmark releases that marked the start of new eras. In 2015,The Witcher 3debuted and seemed like an evolution of nearly everything that came before, delivering an expansive dark fantasy world ripe with immersive storytelling that goes beyond just the main quest. Suddenly, optional quests like “kill 10 goblins” became outdated and undesired, being replaced by thoughtful character-driven stories that enhance the project’s overall world-building.
The Witcher 3is one of those games that anyone remotely interested in open-worlds or RPGs has likely already experienced, soits arrival on PS Plusmight not be that exciting for them. However, Sony’s service has the PS5 version, which comes with a few tweaks and QOL adjustments to provide the best console experience. Consequently, if someone’s exposure toWild Huntis limited to the PS4 iteration, they might wish to give the updated version a try. For those who have yet to play this game, nothing is stopping them now.
The PS4’s swan song as Sony’s main console,Ghost of Tsushimatransports players back in time to the 13th century as the Mongols invade Japan’s Tsushima Island. After failing to stop the invasion and almost meeting his end, Jin Sakai goes on a quest to recruit fighters that could help turn the tide of battle.
Ghost of Tsushima’s open-world is gorgeous, be it on the PS4 or the PS5. Tsushima Island is lavish, varied, and breathtaking. The same can also be said about Iki Island, the location of the expansion that is included in the Director’s Cut. Within this map, players can look forward to engaging in intense samurai-themed battles and decent side quests with memorable NPCs.
Debuting in 2011,Skyrimwas a massive hit right out of the gate, and its popularity has not waned over the last decade. TheSpecial Editionis the definitive way to experience Bethesda’s masterpiece on consoles, as it improves the visuals and provides support for mods (which have played a huge part in extending the RPG’s lifespan).
Skyrim’s open-world encourages exploration and discovery. The main storyline is fine, but the game’s success lies in its immersive locations, customization options, and character writing. Even as the years continue to pass,Skyrimstill comes across as a big deal, and its addition to PS Plus Extra makes the service seem far more complete.
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivionis also on PS Plus Premium (but not Extra).The Elder Scrolls Onlineis on PS Plus Extra.
Rockstar has established something of a pattern when it comes to PS Plus releases. The developer’s games seem to mostly stick around for a few months, and the selection is typically limited to one or two titles. For example,Red Dead Redemption 2’s November 2024 PS Plus exit paved the way forGTA 5’s arrival, a switch that might have been more exciting if the latter was not a re-release that left the service in June 2024.
Even if this cycle starts to grow a bit tiresome, ultimately, that is not a reflection on the quality of the projects, which are comfortably among thebest open-world games on PS Plus.GTA 5has been around for more than a decade, receiving multiple newer versions designed to take advantage of modern tech. At this point, most people have probably experienced the single-player campaign, which is good but maybe not the most replayable story ever. However, simply existing within Los Santos is a delight, be it solo or as part of a crew inGTA Online.
Bethesda’s latest single-playerFalloutis on offering with PS Plus for players who are looking to patrol through the wastelands. With a map that’s even larger thanSkyrim’s,Fallout 4gives players tons of areas to explore, with a multitude of sidequests to complete and secrets to uncover. Those looking for an FPS-style RPG with a myriad of areas to conquer should definitely fall in love with the iconic release.
The franchise has been going strong, offering players a multitude of great open-world adventures, andFallout 4is no exception. Players can expect to put some serious time into this game if they want to “see and do everything possible,” and that’s not even counting the DLC add-ons.
Fallout 76is also on PS Plus Extra, whileFallout 3andNew Vegasare on PS Plus Premium.
However,Black Flagshould not be ignored either, especially since the game stands on its own quite well. Set during the height of piracy,Black Flagtakes place in the West Indies, a map filled with diverse locations, three central cities, and lots to discover. The campaign quickly puts the player behind the wheel of a ship and gets them out on the water, encouraging them to explore to their heart’s content.Black Flagis, first and foremost, a pirate gamerather than anAssassin’s Creedsequel, and this helps differentiate it from everything that came before and after.
Nevertheless,Arkham Knightis an impressive achievement, and it features arguably gaming’s best rendition of Gotham to date. Even nearly a decade later, the game’s open-world remains a sight to behold – it is visually striking, dense with architecture, and dripping in style and personality. Putting aside the polarizing Batmobile sections,Arkham Knightis generally fantastic and features the deepest combat system in the franchise.
Arkham AsylumandArkham Cityare available on PS Plus Premium, but they are theReturn to ArkhamPS4 versions. While still worth playing, these versions are not perfect.
PS Plus has threeSaints Rowgames:Saints Row 2,Saints Row 4, andGat Out of Hell. Despite falling within the same franchise, all three games are fairly different from each other.Saints Row 4and its spin-off,Gat Out of Hell, are unapologetically over-the-top to the point that they bear almost no resemblance to reality. They play somewhat similar toCrackdown, and they cast players as superhero-style characters who have abilities that make most of the conventional components of an open-world game like vehicles and weapons obsolete.Saints Row 4is fun, provided players know what they are getting into.
On the other hand,Saints Row 2is more down to earth, while nevertheless leaning into parody and comedic territory. Set in Stillwater, the story tasks the protagonist with reforming the Saints, which naturally means they will need to take on other gangs that have gotten a foothold in the city. Even if it is not as absurd as later entries in the franchise, the sandbox game still gives players all the tools they need to spread mayhem on the street. It just happens to be accompanied by a pretty good story and some great characters.
Insomniac’sMarvel’s Spider-Manis arguably the Wall-Crawler’s greatest game, although it does have stiff competition from a few older titles. Unfortunately, the 2018 release is not available on PS Plus Extra, having been removed in May 2023; that said, superhero fans yearning to swing through New York City can jump intoMiles Morales, a spin-off that maintains the main entry’s high standard of quality.
Even though it ties intoSpider-Manin a few ways,Miles Moralescan be treated as a standalone experience since it has a fairly self-contained story. As its subtitle suggests, the game swaps Peter Parker for Miles, who is still in his infancy as a hero. Both games do a splendid job of recreating New York City, and while it is not overly packed with memorable side content, the open-world is nevertheless fun to explore due toMiles Morales' satisfying movement. Compared to other games of this ilk, Insomniac’s spin-off is on the short side as it can be readily completed in under 10 hours, which is a decent enough length for a PS Plus game.
