New PS5 Exclusive Is the Highest-Rated Game of 2026

A new PS5 console exclusive just released is currently tied for the highest-rated game of 2026 on Metacritic. As you may know, the first major release of 2026 is set to be a PS5 exclusive, and it’s out this week. Meanwhile, the likes of Marvel’s Wolverine, Saros, and Phantom Blade Zero all look poised to make a major splash later this year. Before any of this, though, a smaller but apparently quite solid PS5 console exclusive has been released that may be worth checking out.

The highest-rated release of 2026, currently, is Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven, with its 86 on Metacritic. However, this is not a new game, but DLC, which rules it out. As a result, the highest-rated game of 2026 is a tie between two games with an 84 on Metacritic. One of these games is the multi-console game, The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon, which came out back on January 15. The other is a new PS5 console exclusive that was just released on January 29, called Cairn.

84-Rated PS5 Console Exclusive

For those that do not know, Cairn is a realistic climbing simulation game from The Game Bakers, a French studio that has been around since 2010, but who put themselves on the map with 2016’s Furi. It then put Haven out in 2020, and now it has put out Cairn. And this is actually the studio’s highest-rated game yet. Not only is it achieving decent marks with critics, but consumers as well. To this end, it has 4.67 out of 5 stars on the PlayStation Store after more than 4,400 user reviews.

In Cairn — which is only available on PS5 and PC — you have to reach the summit of a mountain, Mount Kami, that has never been completed before. To do this, you will need to plan every move carefully and also manage your resources carefully as well.

For those interested, Cairn is available on the PlayStation Store for $29.99, or $26.99 if you have PS Plus, thanks to an exclusive 10% discount live until February 13. Unfortunately, it does not come with any PS5 Pro enhancements for those on the premium Sony console. Meanwhile, those who decide to check out the new PS5 console exclusive should expect a runtime of about 10 to 15 hours.

All of that said, and as always, feel free to leave a comment letting us know what you think, or join the conversation over on the ComicBook Forum. What is your favorite game of 2026 so far?