2025’s Most Downloaded PS5 and PS4 Games: Call Of Duty Dethroned

If you had told me a year ago that a Call of Duty title wouldn’t even crack the top five on the PlayStation Store’s annual download charts, I’d have asked what you were drinking. But the 2025 numbers are in, and they’re a massive reality check for the “untouchable” franchises.

The big story isn’t just who won, but who tripped. Yes, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 didn’t just miss the top spot—it tumbled all the way down to No. 7 in both the US and Europe. Seven. For a franchise that usually treats the No. 1 slot like a birthright, that’s more than an “off year.”

The Year of the Pitch and the Gridiron

So, what are people actually playing? Sports. Lots of sports.

In North America, NBA 2K26 took the crown, while EA Sports FC 26 dominated Europe. It’s predictable, sure, but the real surprise is Battlefield 6. After years of being the “other” military shooter, it landed at No. 2 in the States. It seems gamers finally got tired of the annual CoD treadmill and decided to see if the grass was greener (and more destructible) on the other side.

This feels like a genuine “fatigue” moment. Players are moving toward either the reliability of their favorite sports sim or jumping ship entirely when a flagship title fails to innovate.

The Immortal West and the VR King

The PS4 list is where things get really weird—and impressive. Red Dead Redemption 2 is still the No. 1 most-downloaded game. A game from 2018 mind you and it’s beating out titles released just last month. It just goes to show that if you build something with actual soul and scale, people will keep buying it long after the marketing budget has dried up. Rockstar basically has a license to print money at this point.

And over in the VR corner? Beat Saber is still the undisputed king. It’s the Tetris of our generation, keeping things simple, addictive, and apparently impossible to dethrone.

Local Take: Why Should We Care?

In South Africa, where a new AAA game costs a significant chunk of a monthly salary, these download charts matter because they reflect “staying power.” We don’t have the luxury of buying every single release. Seeing Minecraft, GTA 5, and Helldivers 2 stay high on the list tells me that value-for-money and community are winning out over hype.

The Bottom Line

2025 was the year the “safe bets” stopped being safe. If you’re a developer, the lesson is clear: your name alone isn’t enough to carry you anymore. Gamers are getting pickier, and honestly? It’s about time.

PS5: The Big League

PS4: The Legends That Won’t Die