10 Best PS4 Flying Games and Plane Games Still Worth Playing in 2026

Updated October 3, 2026. The best PS4 flying games in 2026 are led by Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown for arcade jet combat and the free-to-play War Thunder for realistic plane battles, followed by Star Wars: Squadrons, The Falconeer and seven more PS4 plane games and flight games that still play on PS4 and PS5. We checked every pick's PS4 release, flagged which ones also have a native PS5 version, and noted the big new arrival, Ace Combat 8, which launched on October 2, 2026 for PS5 only.

Our 2020 list had six games. Ace Combat 7, War Thunder, InnerSpace and Air Conflicts: Vietnam still earn a place; How We Soar (a PS VR-only curiosity) and Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers have dropped out. Every game below has a PS4 release, and PS4 games run on PS5 through backward compatibility, so this list works for both consoles.

The 10 best PS4 flight games at a glance

Best PS4 plane games for combat

1. Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

Ace Combat 7 is still the easiest recommendation for anyone searching for ps4 plane games. It launched on PS4 in January 2019 and became the best-selling game in the series, passing 7 million units by January 2026. The campaign mixes dogfights, ground strikes and big set pieces in the fictional Strangereal world, with an arcade handling model that lets you carry dozens of missiles and still feels fast and readable.

The PS4 version also has an exclusive PS VR mode with three VR missions told from the perspective of Mobius 1, separate from the main story. Post-launch DLC added extra aircraft and missions, including a Top Gun: Maverick aircraft set in 2022. It plays on PS5 through backward compatibility.

2. War Thunder

War Thunder is the deepest ps4 flight game you can play without paying. Gaijin Entertainment's vehicle combat game is free-to-play with optional purchases, and covers aircraft (including helicopters), tanks and ships. For pilots, the important part is the three difficulty modes: Arcade for forgiving dogfights, Realistic for proper energy management and Simulator for full flight-model control with a cockpit view.

It came to PS4 in 2013 in Europe and 2014 in North America, and a native PS5 version followed in November 2020, so PS5 owners should download that one. Cross-play means queues stay healthy. Expect a long progression grind if you want late-war or jet-age aircraft without spending money. If you want more free picks, see our best free games on Steam list, where War Thunder is also available.

3. Star Wars: Squadrons

Motive Studio's Star Wars: Squadrons is a cockpit-only space combat game, but it plays like a proper flight game: you manage power between engines, weapons and shields and fly X-wings, TIE fighters and more. It launched on PS4 on October 2, 2020 with PS VR support and cross-platform play.

The single-player campaign alternates between New Republic and Imperial pilots, and multiplayer has 5v5 Dogfight and the objective-based Fleet Battles mode. EA ended new content after launch, so treat it as a complete package rather than a live game.

4. The Falconeer: Warrior Edition

The Falconeer swaps planes for giant warbirds. Built largely by solo developer Tomas Sala, it is a third-person aerial combat game set over the ocean world of the Great Ursee, with an open world, side missions and a distinctive textureless art style. The original 2020 release was mixed, but the expanded Warrior Edition that reached PS4, PS5 and Switch on August 5, 2021 was better received.

5. Aces of the Luftwaffe: Squadron

If you want quick, colorful aerial action instead of simulation, this vertical shoot 'em up puts you in WWII-style planes fighting waves of enemies and bosses. The Extended Edition on PS4 bundles the extra Nebelgeschwader content, and it supports local co-op, which makes it one of the few couch-friendly PS4 airplane games.

6. Air Conflicts: Vietnam Ultimate Edition

Kept from our original list, this 2014 PS4 release sits between arcade and simulation. It has two campaigns, including the "Lost Letters" campaign told from the Vietnamese side, mixes jets with UH-1 Iroquois helicopter missions and supports up to eight players online. It shows its age, so buy it on sale.

Best PS4 flying games for space and strategy

7. Everspace

Everspace is a roguelike space shooter from Rockfish Games. You fly through sectors of rising difficulty, find weapons, craft upgrades, and when you die you spend credits on perks for the next run. The PS4 version launched in May 2018. Its sequel, Everspace 2, is on PS5 but not PS4.

8. Bomber Crew

Bomber Crew is a flight game where you are not the pilot so much as the commander. You lead a British or American heavy bomber crew through a WWII campaign of reconnaissance, supply drops and bombing runs, assigning each crew member to stations and keeping them alive. Death is permanent, survivors learn new skills, and you unlock better equipment as you go. It reached PS4 in July 2018.

Best relaxing PS4 flying games

9. Sky: Children of the Light

From thatgamecompany, the studio behind Journey, Sky is a free-to-play social adventure built around flying. You explore seven realms with a cape that lets you glide and soar, collecting winged light to fly further and meeting other players along the way. It arrived on PS4 in December 2022. It is free to start, with cosmetics and a paid seasonal pass.

10. InnerSpace

PolyKnight Games' InnerSpace is the calm option: an exploration flight game where you fly a shape-shifting craft through inverted worlds, finding relics and piecing together their history. There is no score chase or dogfighting. It launched on PS4 in January 2018 and is often heavily discounted.

On PS5 instead: Ace Combat 8 and Microsoft Flight Simulator

If you have moved to PS5, three flight games are not on PS4 at all:

• Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve launched on October 2, 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, with no PS4 version. It is built in Unreal Engine 5, has 30+ aircraft at launch and tells its story in first person, with you as weapon systems officer. Early reviews have been strong; it is on our October 2026 release calendar.
• Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 launched on PS5 on December 8, 2025. It has over 125 aircraft, a career mode with jobs such as firefighting and search and rescue, and DualSense gyro and touchpad controls. Sony said PS VR2 support would arrive as a free update in 2026. There has never been a PS4 version.
• Project Wingman, an indie jet combat game in the Ace Combat mold, arrived on PS5 (with PS VR2 support) in October 2023 as Project Wingman: Frontline 59. Again, no PS4 version.

Playing these on PS5 and in VR

All ten games on this list are PS4 releases, and Sony says the vast majority of PS4 games run on PS5. War Thunder and The Falconeer also have native PS5 versions, so pick those if you are on PS5.

The VR modes in Ace Combat 7 and Star Wars: Squadrons use the original PS VR headset, not PS VR2. On PS5 the original headset also needs the PlayStation Camera adaptor. If VR flight is your priority on PS5, Project Wingman and the promised Flight Simulator 2024 update support PS VR2 instead.

For a wider view of the PS4 library, see our best PS4 action-adventure games and best PS4 zombie games lists, and our Game Pass vs PlayStation Plus comparison if you are deciding on a subscription.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources checked on October 3, 2026 against the PlayStation Blog, Bandai Namco, Gaijin Entertainment and EA game information, and the Steam store pages for each game.