There is no source-backed universal “best first” Soulslike on PS5. Pick according to the experience you want: Demon’s Souls for a PS5-exclusive remake with documented console features, Black Myth: Wukong for Chinese mythology and flexible ability combinations, or Elden Ring for an atmospheric fantasy adventure built around mystery and challenge.
The short answer: match the game to your priorities
The question “I’m getting a PS5 today and was wondering which souls/soulslike to play first?” has no single correct answer. Player discussions produce competing recommendations because these games satisfy different tastes. Use the table below as a starting point rather than a ranking.
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| If you care most about… | Start with… | Why it fits |
|---|---|---|
| Seeing what a PS5-exclusive remake can do | Demon’s Souls | PlayStation lists 4K Mode, High Frame Rate Mode, fast loading, haptic feedback and Tempest 3D AudioTech support with compatible headphones. |
| A Journey to the West-inspired setting and a flexible toolkit | Black Myth: Wukong | The PlayStation Store describes combinations of spells, abilities, weapons and equipment built around staff techniques. |
| An atmospheric fantasy adventure with mystery | Elden Ring | PlayStation calls it an action/fantasy epic that offers mystery and challenge. |
These are preference matches, not a difficulty ladder. The available official descriptions do not establish that one of the three is objectively easier, harder or better for every new player.
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“Soulslike” is a useful shopping label, but it is not a formal standard with a universally agreed boundary. It usually signals action combat, demanding encounters and learning through repeated attempts, yet games grouped under the label can differ substantially in structure, progression and combat tools.
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That distinction matters most for Black Myth: Wukong. Its PlayStation Store description emphasizes Chinese mythology, a Journey to the West foundation and the ability to combine spells, abilities, weapons and equipment around staff techniques. Those traits make it an adjacent action RPG worth considering, but the available source does not justify calling it an unqualified conventional Soulslike. Buy it for the experience described by the store listing, not for a genre label alone.
Sales charts have the same limitation. A market report may group games under a broad “Souls-like” heading for comparison even when players would classify every entry differently. Treat the label as a way to find candidates, not as proof that two games play alike.
Demon’s Souls: the PS5 showcase choice
What the official information confirms
Demon’s Souls is the PS5 remake, launched in November 2020. PlayStation lists a 4K Mode, a High Frame Rate Mode, fast loading, haptic feedback and Tempest 3D AudioTech support when used with compatible headphones. Gameplay in 4K requires a compatible 4K display; owning a PS5 alone does not create a 4K signal on a non-4K television or monitor.
Those are concrete reasons to choose it when presentation and hardware integration matter. You can use the console’s display settings and the game’s available modes according to your screen and preference, rather than assuming that every PS5 title offers the same options.
How to think about its challenge
PlayStation’s official FAQ describes conquering its “dark, hostile world” as a challenge that is “highly rewarding,” and highlights deep combat, memorable enemies and an extraordinary landscape. That is promotional copy from PlayStation, not an independent difficulty assessment. It does, however, set an accurate expectation that this is not marketed as a casual action game.
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Do not buy it on the assumption that a remake is automatically forgiving. If you enjoy learning enemy patterns, improving through failed attempts and paying close attention to combat, its design premise may suit you. If you mainly want a low-pressure introduction, compare the other candidates’ descriptions and watch current, unedited gameplay before deciding.
Who should buy it
- Players who specifically want a PS5-exclusive remake.
- Owners of a compatible 4K display or headphones who want documented console features.
- Buyers who value a focused, challenging action experience over a promise of universal accessibility.
Black Myth: Wukong: mythology and build flexibility
What sets it apart
The PlayStation Store places Black Myth: Wukong in Chinese mythology and bases its world on Journey to the West. Its combat pitch is about combining spells, abilities, weapons and equipment around staff techniques. That gives the game a distinct identity before you decide whether the Soulslike label applies.
The practical buying question is whether you want to experiment with combinations. A player attracted to changing a toolkit of abilities may find that premise more compelling than a game chosen solely because a community calls it a Soulslike. The source material does not provide a like-for-like difficulty ranking against Demon’s Souls or Elden Ring, so avoid treating anecdotal claims that it is “easier” or “harder” as established fact.
Who should buy it
- Players drawn to a Chinese-mythology setting and a Journey to the West foundation.
- Anyone who wants multiple spells, abilities, weapons and equipment to combine.
- Buyers comfortable with an adjacent action-RPG identity rather than a strict genre definition.
What to verify before checkout
Read the current PlayStation Store listing for the exact PS5 edition, included content and any region-specific information. The current PlayStation Store listing does not establish current street prices, retailer stock or subscription-catalog availability, all of which can change.
Elden Ring: mystery and an atmospheric fantasy journey
The official positioning
PlayStation’s PS5 owners’ guide calls Elden Ring “an atmospheric action/fantasy epic that will provide ample mystery and challenge to all brave enough to dive in.” The wording points to mood, discovery and demanding play, rather than a simple checklist of hardware features.
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That description is useful for choosing by atmosphere: if uncovering a mysterious fantasy world appeals to you, the game belongs on your shortlist. It does not establish a comparative difficulty score, nor does it prove that the game is the right first choice for every newcomer.
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- Players who prioritize an atmospheric fantasy setting.
- Those who want mystery to be a central reason to explore.
- Buyers willing to accept challenge as part of the experience, without relying on an “easy” or “hard” label supplied by forum anecdotes.
Compare the three games on the questions that affect a purchase
World and exploration
World structure is one of the most important differences between Soulslike games, but the official material available here does not fully document every candidate’s map design or progression path. Do not infer a precise linear-versus-open structure from a genre tag.
Instead, decide what you want to investigate before buying:
- Do you prefer a tightly directed sequence of areas, or do you want the freedom to choose where to investigate next?
- Would you rather replay a compact set of demanding encounters, or spend more time following clues and discovering optional routes?
- Are you comfortable learning the game’s route through experimentation rather than receiving constant direction?
Check the current product description and representative gameplay for the edition you intend to purchase. This is a safer approach than assigning a world-structure label that the official sources do not establish in a like-for-like way.
Combat emphasis
Think in terms of the actions you want to perform repeatedly. Some buyers look for the satisfaction of dodging, blocking or parrying; others prioritize weapon and build variation; others want spells and abilities to change how an encounter is approached.
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The clearest documented distinction in this set is Black Myth: Wukong’s emphasis on combinations of spells, abilities, weapons and equipment around staff techniques. The supplied official descriptions do not provide a comparable feature-by-feature combat specification for the other two games, so a table that assigns unsupported mechanics would be misleading.
Challenge tolerance
Difficulty is subjective. Your prior action-game experience, willingness to repeat encounters and comfort with reading enemy behavior can change how demanding the same game feels. The available sources describe Demon’s Souls as challenging and Elden Ring as offering mystery and challenge, but they do not publish a comparative ranking. Treat community recommendations as personal experiences, not measurements.
A practical test is to ask how you react after a failed attempt. If learning a pattern feels rewarding, a demanding design may be a good fit. If repeated failure makes you stop exploring, choose based on setting and combat tools first, then confirm the current difficulty options and accessibility information in the product listing.
PS5 presentation
Demon’s Souls is the only game in this comparison with the cited, specific PS5 presentation list: 4K Mode, High Frame Rate Mode, fast loading, haptic feedback and Tempest 3D AudioTech on compatible headphones. A 4K display is required for 4K gameplay. No equivalent feature list is established here for Black Myth: Wukong or Elden Ring, so do not assume parity or difference without checking their current listings.
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Check the exact PS5 product before paying
- Confirm the platform. Make sure the listing explicitly identifies the PS5 version rather than a PS4 edition, a cross-generation bundle or a soundtrack-only product.
- Confirm the edition name. Compare the standard, deluxe, director’s-cut or other edition labels shown by the retailer and the PlayStation Store. Included content can vary by edition and region.
- Choose physical or digital deliberately. A physical copy requires a disc-capable PS5; a digital purchase requires access to the account and storage used for the download. The correct format depends on your console and sharing preferences.
- Check the current price and stock. Prices, discounts and retailer inventory change. The information available for this article does not verify a current street price, Amazon participation or subscription availability.
- Match your display and audio equipment. For Demon’s Souls 4K gameplay, verify that your display supports 4K. For Tempest 3D AudioTech, verify that your headphones are compatible.
- Read the current store page on the day you buy. Confirm region, language, required storage information, included bonuses and any upgrade terms shown for that exact listing.
What the sales estimates can—and cannot—tell you
Video Game Insights’ October 2025 report lists estimated PlayStation units sold for games released after January 1, 2015. The report says its figures are based on VGI data, so they are estimates rather than official publisher disclosures. Its broad “Souls-like” chart label also does not mean every listed game is universally classified as a Soulslike.
Best Value
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| Game | Estimated PlayStation units sold | Report qualification |
|---|---|---|
| God of War | 48.3 million | Video Game Insights estimate, 2025 |
| Ghost of Tsushima Director’s Cut | 34.3 million | Video Game Insights estimate, 2025 |
| Assassin’s Creed Valhalla | 25.6 million | Video Game Insights estimate, 2025 |
| Monster Hunter: World | 19.2 million | Video Game Insights estimate, 2025 |
| Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order | 19.0 million | Video Game Insights estimate, 2025 |
| Elden Ring | 16.3 million | Video Game Insights estimate, 2025 |
| Dark Souls III | 10.4 million | Video Game Insights estimate, 2025 |
| Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice | 8.1 million | Video Game Insights estimate, 2025 |
| Bloodborne | 7.7 million | Video Game Insights estimate, 2025 |
| Demon’s Souls | 7.7 million | Video Game Insights estimate, 2025 |
Use these numbers only as a broad indication of market reach. They cannot tell you which game is the best introduction, how difficult it will feel to you, or whether a particular PS5 edition is currently in stock.
Decision paths for common buyers
“I want the most PS5-specific experience.”
Choose Demon’s Souls if the documented combination of remake presentation features, fast loading, haptics and compatible-headphone 3D audio is central to your purchase. Budget for a compatible 4K display if you specifically want 4K gameplay, and expect a challenging experience as described by PlayStation.
“I want mythology and combat combinations.”
Choose Black Myth: Wukong if its Chinese-mythology setting and Journey to the West foundation appeal to you more than a strict genre label. Its documented focus on combining spells, abilities, weapons and equipment gives you a concrete reason to consider it.
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Choose Elden Ring if PlayStation’s description of an atmospheric action/fantasy epic with mystery and challenge matches the mood you want. Do not use the sales estimate or online difficulty anecdotes as substitutes for that preference match.
“I am buying on a tight budget.”
Compare the exact prices of the PS5 editions available in your region on the day of purchase. No current price, retailer inventory or subscription inclusion is established by the available information, so an older recommendation can be wrong after a sale ends.
Quick Recap
Common buying mistakes
- Choosing a universal winner. The available reader discussion contains conflicting recommendations. Treat that disagreement as evidence that preference matters, not as a reason to copy the loudest opinion.
- Assuming every candidate is a conventional Soulslike. Black Myth: Wukong is best understood from its own store description rather than an unqualified genre claim.
- Calling one game objectively easy or hard. Official descriptions establish challenge as part of the identity of Demon’s Souls and Elden Ring, but no comparative ranking is provided.
- Buying the wrong edition or format. Verify PS5 labeling, edition contents and physical-versus-digital compatibility before checkout.
- Expecting old price or stock information to remain valid. Store listings, subscription catalogs and promotions change; recheck them immediately before paying.
- Assuming 4K without a 4K display. The cited Demon’s Souls 4K feature requires a compatible 4K screen.
A compact pre-purchase checklist
- Identify your priority: PS5 presentation, mythology and flexible abilities, or atmospheric mystery.
- Accept that challenge is part of the advertised experience, especially for Demon’s Souls.
- Verify the exact PS5 edition and whether your console supports its physical or digital format.
- Check today’s regional price, stock, discounts and any subscription listing.
- Confirm display and headphone compatibility if Demon’s Souls’s 4K or 3D-audio features matter to you.
- Use sales estimates as context only, never as a quality or suitability score.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
