“Of 2020” needs a distinction: the PS5 launched in select markets on November 12, 2020, with its rollout continuing on November 19, but that does not establish that a particular survival game was available on PS5 that year. The games below are recommendations from PlayStation’s current PS4-and-PS5 survival guide, not a verified ranking of 2020 PS5 releases. For a true launch-year list, each game’s platform availability on a specific date would need to be confirmed.
Which PS5 survival game fits your style?
| Game | Best fit | Survival pressure | Play style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subnautica: Below Zero | Exploration in an alien arctic environment | Manage oxygen, freshwater and warmth while navigating hostile wildlife | Exploration and crafting |
| The Forest | Survival horror and cooperative play | Scavenge, build shelter, use stealth and face threats in caves and the forest | Open-ended survival, with co-op |
| No Man’s Sky | Wide-ranging science-fiction exploration and base building | Its dedicated Survival mode limits resources and puts inventory at risk on death | Expansive exploration with a more demanding mode |
These descriptions follow PlayStation’s guide, which groups games by theme and mechanics rather than ranking them. Your best choice depends on whether you want environmental management, horror, or a large science-fiction sandbox.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
7 Days to Die – Console Edition Survival Bundle - PlayStation 5 | $47.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
No Man's Sky - PlayStation 5 | $23.28 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
ARK: Survival Ascended - PlayStation 5 | $27.51 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Metro Exodus: Complete Edition - PlayStation 5 | $22.69 | Buy on Amazon |
Subnautica: Below Zero for cold-weather exploration
Choose Subnautica: Below Zero if you want survival pressure tied to exploration. Its alien arctic setting makes warmth part of the challenge, alongside oxygen and freshwater, while hostile wildlife adds danger to trips away from safety. Crafting equipment helps you venture farther and investigate the world.
PlayStation describes the original Subnautica as an open-world survival adventure and confirms it is available on PS5. The PS5 version’s listed release date is May 13, 2021, so it is not evidence of a 2020 PS5 release. The original game offers four modes: Survival, Freedom, Hardcore and Creative. Those modes belong to Subnautica; do not assume they are the exact mode options in Below Zero. Check the PS5 store listing for your region and the precise edition before buying.
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- Explore – Huge, rich environments, with unique biomes and worlds up to 100 square kilometres in size.
- Craft – Handcraft and repair weapons, clothes, armour, tools, vehicles, with hundreds of recipes and schematics.
- Build – Design your fort with traps, electricity, auto turrets, and gadgets to survive in a fully destructible and mouldable world.
- Cooperate or Compete – Work together to build settlements or against each other in a wasteland where zombies and outlaws rule the land.
- A must-have for collectors and fans of Open-World Survival Horror, the 7 Days to Die – Console Edition Survival Bundle includes the following: An exclusive Artbook with over 100 pages showcasing never-before-seen illustrations of the zombie apocalypse, a CD featuring the haunting Original Soundtrack (OST) of the game, a double-sided poster, Fine art prints x3, Sticker sheets x 3, the physical game, and a collectible tuck-in box housing all the contents.
The Forest for horror, stealth and co-op
The Forest starts with a plane crash and turns survival into a tense mix of scavenging, crafting, traps and shelter-building. Caves and stealth contribute to its horror atmosphere. It is the clearest fit here if you want to survive alongside other players: PlayStation’s guide identifies co-op as an option.
Endnight Games developer Anna Terekhova described the open-ended approach on PlayStation Blog: “The game doesn’t tell you what to do, so everyone will experience their own version of the story.” The cited PlayStation Blog post concerns the game’s PS4 announcement in 2018; it does not establish a PS5 release in 2020. Verify the current platform and edition in the store for your region before purchasing.
Rank #2
- Embark on an epic voyage, find your own destiny in this epic space adventure
- Includes 6 years of updates
- An entire universe to explore on the go in the palm of your hands
- For the first time ever, PlayStation 5 physical edition as well as Nintendo Switch (physical & digital)
No Man’s Sky for broad exploration and survival mode
No Man’s Sky is the pick for science-fiction exploration and base building across a broad universe. Its dedicated Survival mode increases resource pressure and risks your inventory when you die, making it a more demanding option than simply playing for exploration. If you mainly want a focused survival-horror story or a compact wilderness challenge, the other two recommendations are a closer match.
PlayStation’s survival guide describes the game and its Survival mode, but the cited material does not establish a specific 2020 PS5 availability date. Confirm the current PS5 store listing, edition and regional availability before buying.
Rank #3
- ARK: Survival Ascended has completely recreated and redesigned the artwork and worlds of ARK to take advantage of the latest in videogame technology, Unreal Engine 5, using high-end graphics features such as fully dynamic Global Illumination (“Lumen”), so that light bounces realistically of off surfaces and provides realistic reflections, and advanced mesh streaming (“Nanite”) of hundreds of millions of triangles for extreme detail.
- Advanced new physics systems such as dynamic water so that every creature creates waves, ripples, splashes, and bubbles as they move through fluids, and fully interactive physical foliage where every blade of grass, bush, and tree reacts to characters, explosions, projectiles, and physics objects.
- ARK: Survival Ascended includes access to all of ARK’s worlds, including Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, ARK Genesis Part 1, ARK Genesis Part 2, and more. The Island is released now, with the subsequent expansion worlds to be added at no additional cost on a regular basis.
- Thorough Quality of Life revamps in every area: redesigned User Interfaces, dynamic navigation for intelligent creature pathfinding, Wild Babies, Photo Mode, new Camera systems, new Map system, Tracking System, new Structures and Items, new Creatures, and much more.
- Cross-Platform Modding: Download & play new custom content created by players, including new maps, creatures, items, and game modes, through a dedicated new Mod-bowser directly within the game! Enjoy an endless stream of new ARK content as the creativity and talent of the community is fully unleashed for the first time ever across gaming platforms!
What “of 2020” can—and cannot—mean
Sony announced that PS5 launched on November 12, 2020, in seven markets, followed by a wider rollout on November 19. That establishes 2020 as the console’s launch year, not as the release year for the three recommendations above. The list is therefore best read as PS5-relevant survival-game guidance, not as a documented list of survival games playable on PS5 during 2020.
PlayStation’s current guide covers PS4 and PS5 and is organized by themes and mechanics; it is not a numbered ranking. It supports these games as useful examples, but not a claim that they are objectively the most recommended or best-rated survival games.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- Enhanced for PlayStation 5 - optimized for platform specific features including 60 FPS up to 4K resolution, Ray Traced lighting and DualSense Haptic Feedback support
- The Complete Package - includes Metro Exodus and all DLC content - The Two Colonels and Sam’s Story
- Experience Sandbox Survival - flee the shattered ruins of dead Moscow and follow a gripping story that links together classic Metro gameplay with huge, non-linear levels
- Deadly combat and stealth - scavenge and craft in the field to customize your arsenal of hand-made weaponry, and engage human and mutant foes in thrilling tactical combat
- Explore a hostile world - embark on journey that spans an entire year through spring, summer and autumn to the depths of nuclear winter - Discover the Russian wilderness, brought to life with day / night cycles and dynamic weather
Sources
- PlayStation: The best survival games on PS4 and PS5
- PlayStation: Subnautica
- PlayStation Blog: The Forest crashes onto PS4 November 6
- PlayStation Blog: PS5 launches in November, starting at $399
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.
