Top 10 PlayStation Plus Premium Sports Games

Sports titles are often ignored by most core gamers around the world, but PlayStation Plus Premium has a decent selection of them. While it’s missing key titles like FIFA and Madden, there are still some thrilling sports games out there like Pure Pool, NBA 2K22, and Golf With Your Friends. Sports fan or not, give these PlayStation Plus Premium sports games a go.

10 – AO Tennis 2

AO Tennis 2 will certainly settle your need for a tennis game from PlayStation Plus Premium. It doesn’t have as high of a budget as an EA game, but the court looks detailed and the tennis gameplay controls well. There are many tactical options for you on the court as well like a lob, spike, volley, drop shot, and slice with your racquet. It gives a lot of options while keeping it easy to understand.

Its younger counterpart from Nacon, World Tennis Tour 2, is also available on PlayStation Plus Premium, but this newer offering has a plaguing card-based system that improves players’ stats and a more complex control method that will madden casual players.

9 – Pure Pool

Pure Pool brings a realistic take to the sport on PlayStation Plus Premium. It has four different modes to suit your tastes like the American 8 Ball Pool and online multiplayer. A neat feature of the game is the DNA profile it attaches to you. It creates AI based on your movements, alongside your friends who play with you online. According to the official Steam page, “you can still play against [them], even when they’re not online.” Some have commented, however, that online play is not reliable under the Steam reviews, so the PS4 and PS5 might suffer similar circumstances.

Despite its issues, Pure Pool is quite the striking pool game as it includes depth of field and detailed textures that will delight simulation fans. The reflections off the shiny balls are also gorgeous. The developers call it the “next best thing to real life Pool.” You can see if that’s the case as you can download it as a PlayStation Plus Premium sports game.

8 – Chess Ultra

We know what you’re thinking; chess isn’t a sport. However, the Olympic Committee has recognized it in 1999 under this class, so Chess Ultra counts. This game is one of the best ways to challenge your skills in this strategic game. You have Grandmaster-approved AI, cross-platform online functionality, and many time modes available from Classical and Blitz. The game looks fantastic for what it is as you can play the game in a variety of environments. PlayStation VR functionality is also included, letting you sit beside the chess pieces and grab them. 

“The game is eye-catching enough to warrant some attention, thanks in part to the HD resolutions,” said Robert Grosso in his TechRaptor review. “More importantly, the visual style is elegant in its presentation.”

Chess Ultra has a simple premise, but you can’t beat a classic game like this. It will stay popular for a long time to come, and you can play a version of the classic tabletop game as a PlayStation Plus Premium title.

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7 – Hot Shots Tennis

One of the most underrated sports game from the PS2 generation Hot Shots Tennis is still engaging to this day. The controls are easy to understand, and your timing with each stroke is critical as if you stumble, the ball goes the opposite way you’d like. Unlike many games today, you’ll be able to unlock new characters and stages as you progress through the career mode. 

Hot Shots Tennis is stuck in 4:3, but the art style is charming and makes up for the old-school graphics. Currently, it’s also one of the best classic games on PlayStation Plus Premium. 

6 – Infinite Minigolf

Developed by the same folks who created the Zen Pinball series, Infinite Minigolf features the same sheer creativity within its courses. The haunted house is steeped in its spooky atmosphere, the child’s bedroom brings you to a toy scale, and in some courses, the objects around you tell a story. The mini-golf in this game is controlled well, and what makes this game different is you can utilize different power-ups.

In addition, you can create your own tracks for your friends to play. Infinite Minigolf is pretty feature-packed and will let your creativity go wild. PlayStation VR is also supported in this game. Zen Studios claims on the PlayStation Store listing that “environments spring to life in exciting ways, making Infinite Minigolf the definitive VR golf experience.” Check it out if you have a headset gathering dust in a closet.

5 – PGA Tour 2K21

Classing up this list is PGA Tour 2K21. There are a variety of modes you can play, making the game a definitive golf simulation experience. There’s a career mode that has you competing to get the FedEx Cup, in addition to a suite of customization options for your controller. 2K says on the game’s Steam page that there are “1000s of custom options.” You can also play with your friends in Alt-Shot, Stroke Play, Skins and 4-Player Scramble modes. 

The game has been received fairly well by critics and players with an average 76 MetaCritic score and a Very Positive score from Steam users. That’s likely thanks to its realistic graphics and decent interpretation of the golf scene. 

4 – NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 

Do you wish we had a modern version of the popular NBA Jam? Well, NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is a spiritual successor to the legendary arcade game. There’s no boom shakalaka, but performing a slam dunk in NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 still feels satisfying. You’ll also have to time your shots perfectly to get three-pointers, and there’s some actual challenge in this arcade experience. The game looks pretty gorgeous too with some marvelous outdoor themed areas. 

The one big issue with this game is the microtransaction elements. You’ll have to unlock players as you play the game or pay money to get card packs. It’s a good thing the core game at least is very fun to play.

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3 – Everybody’s Golf

Despite the servers going down in September 2022, Everybody’s Golf still holds an entertaining journey through each course. With an anime-like art style, each environment pops on screen, and developer Clap Hanz were able to deliver plenty of personality with its characters. If you know of the Hot Shots series, Everybody’s Golf is a continuation of it. 

It’s an accessible game that anyone can figure out with only three button prompts, and the developer has implemented a Challenge Mode that will progressively teach you how to master Everybody’s Golf. There are also additional activities you can do in this bonkers sports game like fishing and go karting among others. 

2 – Golf With Your Friends

There’s a lot of golf to be had on PlayStation Plus Premium, but the best out of this sub-genre is arguably Golf With Your Friends. In this mini-golf extravaganza, you have imaginative levels with great core theming, spot-on physics, and a simplicity that anyone can understand. You can play the game normally with your friends or you can turn bouncing on, which lets the ball jump from place to place. 

Many strategies can be utilized while the bouncing feature is turned on, making the simple game of mini golf even more challenging. Add in the creative obstacles that the developer Blacklight Interactive has implemented, and you’re in for a good time with your mates online. 

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1 – NBA 2K22

While EA Sports is entirely absent from this list, 2K makes up for it, especially with NBA 2K22. The graphics are phenomenal with realistic facial animation and impressive sweat physics. This basketball game has many modes to offer, including MyGM, where you play as an executive of a team and MyCAREER, which has you create a custom character and try to be the next Michael Jordan. 

2K has also upgraded dribbling, shooting, dunking, alley-oops, blocks, and contests that arguably makes this game the best sports game on PlayStation Plus Premium by a landslide. Keep in mind that there are some microtransactions in NBA 2K22′s MYTEAM.

The whistle has been blown, and that’s the end of our list of the best PlayStation Plus Premium sports games as of July 2022. Are there any that we missed? Let us know in the comments below.

PlayStation Plus Premium access was provided to the writer by PlayStation Canada.