The best PS5 games with friends turn a normal evening into a proper night out at Bamboo Gaming Center & Bar in Ekkamai 22.
The PS5 is a powerhouse for playing with friends. Stunning graphics, deep competitive games and couch multiplayer that still brings a room together in a way solo gaming never can. The catch is that not everyone owns one, and squeezing a group around a home setup gets old fast: two spare controllers between five people, someone perched on the arm of the sofa, and a screen that is always a little too far away for the folks at the back. A gaming lounge solves all of that neatly. You turn up, the big screen is already glowing, the controllers are charged, and the drinks come to you.
That is exactly what we have built at Bamboo Gaming Center & Bar in Ekkamai. It is a modern, premium lounge tucked into Ekkamai 22, a short trip from BTS Ekkamai and just around the corner from Thonglor, fully indoors and open late. Here are five PS5 games built for friends, all ready on the big screen and easy to rally a group around, whether you are seasoned button-mashers or a crew that has not touched a controller since school.
EA SPORTS FC 26
Football is the universal language, and FC 26 is its video game. Nothing starts a rivalry faster than a one on one match with bragging rights on the line. Run a quick knockout cup with your friends, pick your favourite clubs and let the drama unfold, last minute winners, controller gripping penalty shootouts and all. It is the easiest game to rally a group around, because almost everyone has an opinion about football and a team they will defend to the end.
Picture the scene: two mates who support fierce rivals finally settling it on the pitch, the rest of the table split into camps and roaring at every near miss. A penalty shootout in FC 26 has a way of going quiet, then erupting. Set up a group table where everyone draws a club out of a hat, and suddenly the person who swore they were rubbish is defending a one goal lead in the ninetieth minute with the whole room behind them. It is competitive without ever being unwelcoming, which is exactly what you want to kick off a night.
If your group is new to it, keep the half length short and the difficulty friendly for the first few matches. Fast games mean more turns, more shootouts and more chances for an underdog to steal the trophy before anyone has warmed up.
Tekken 8
Every group needs a fighting game, and Tekken 8 is the gold standard. It is a spectacular, accessible brawler where button mashing beginners can still land the occasional jaw dropping combo and feel like a hero. Set up a winner stays on format and watch the challengers line up. The one on one drama, the comebacks and the upsets make it perfect for a crowd, with everyone weighing in on who should take on the reigning champion next.
It is also endlessly rewatchable. Even friends sitting out a round get pulled in by a tense final, shouting advice and calling the next challenger. A good Tekken set turns the whole table into commentators.
The genius of winner stays on is that nobody is ever really out of the action. Lose a round and you are straight back in the queue, plotting your revenge and studying the champion for weaknesses. Because Tekken 8 is generous to newcomers, the beginner who picks a flashy character and hammers buttons will occasionally topple the friend who thinks they are an expert, and that upset is the best thing that can happen on a lounge night. It is loud, it is fast, and it rewards nerve as much as skill. On the big screen, every dramatic knockout lands with the full cinematic weight it deserves, and the whole room feels it.
Gran Turismo 7
For petrolheads and casual players alike, Gran Turismo 7 delivers gorgeous, competitive racing. Set up a championship, pick your cars and battle through the field together. It looks incredible on the big screen and gets seriously tense in the final laps. Pair it with our racing simulators for the full experience, and you have a motorsport night that hooks even the friends who claimed they were not interested in racing.
There is something about a multi race championship that turns a casual group into rivals with a grudge. Points carry over, so the friend who spun off on lap one is chasing redemption for the rest of the night, and the leader is defending nervously into every corner. Give everyone the same class of car so it comes down to nerve and racing lines rather than machinery, and watch the last lap tension build.
The real magic is the crossover. Run a few championship rounds on the PS5, then move the front runners across to our racing simulators with their real wheels and side by side seats, and the whole thing steps up a level. Feeling the wheel fight back and racing shoulder to shoulder against a friend, with a leaderboard to settle the argument, is what converts the sceptics. By the end of the night, the person who insisted they do not do racing games is usually the one demanding one more session.
It Takes Two
Not every PS5 night has to be cut throat. It Takes Two is a brilliant two player cooperative adventure, perfect for when a pair of friends wants to team up rather than compete. It is inventive, genuinely funny and impossible to finish without real teamwork, which makes every solved puzzle feel like a shared win. A great change of pace when the group fancies something other than a tournament.
It is a lovely reset for the room. After an hour of shouting at football and fighting games, two friends can settle in with It Takes Two while everyone else grabs a drink, watches the puzzles unfold and chips in with wildly unhelpful suggestions. Because progress depends entirely on the two players actually cooperating, the miscommunications are as funny as the successes, and a section that has one of you doing something the other cannot see makes for brilliant spectating. It is warm, clever and a genuine crowd-pleaser, and it proves that the best gaming nights are not always the most competitive ones.
Rocket League
Football meets rocket powered cars, and somehow it works perfectly. Rocket League is easy to understand, ridiculously fun and instantly chaotic in the best way. Two on two matches are a riot, the rules take ten seconds to explain, and the spectacular goals and own goals keep everyone laughing. It is the ideal game for a mixed group, since a total beginner can score a wonder goal entirely by accident and never let anyone forget it.
This is the great equaliser of the five. There is no long learning curve, no combos to memorise, just cars, a giant ball and total mayhem. Split the group into pairs, run quick matches and rotate the teams so everyone plays with everyone, and the leaderboard means nothing because the funniest moments are the mistakes. Someone will boost the wrong way and smash the ball into their own net, someone else will fluke an outrageous aerial they could not repeat in a hundred tries, and both will be talked about for the rest of the night. It is the perfect game to close on, or to reach for the moment the mood needs a lift.
Why your PS5 nights are better at a lounge
Gaming with friends at home means one person hosts, one TV gets hogged and someone always ends up cleaning up. At a lounge, everyone shows up equal. You get a big screen, plenty of controllers, comfortable seating and a bar that brings food and drinks to you, with no setup and no host stuck in the kitchen. When you want a break from the PS5, the Switch and racing simulators are all right there.
It scales, too. Whether it is two friends or a big group, the space and the games flex to fit, and staff keep everything running so the night never stalls. No hunting for a spare controller, no arguing over whose turn it is to sort the snacks, no untangling cables under someone’s telly. You choose the game, and the rest is handled.
And because everything is in one place, a PS5 night never has to be only a PS5 night. The moment the group wants a breather, the bar is a few steps away with cold beer, drinks and snacks, and the Switch is right there for a round of party games when the mood turns lighter. You can start on FC 26, drift over to the racing simulators, come back for a Tekken 8 tournament and finish on Rocket League, all without leaving your seats or splitting the group up.
How to plan the perfect group session
A little structure makes a big night. If you are building an evening around these five, a natural running order works a treat: open with FC 26 to get everyone warmed up and talking, roll into a Tekken 8 winner stays on set once the competitive edge kicks in, then break the tension with a two player run at It Takes Two while the rest of the group refuels at the bar. Save Gran Turismo 7 and the racing simulators for the middle of the night when everyone is invested, and close on Rocket League when you want to end on laughter rather than rivalry.
A few practical tips. Keep individual matches short so more people get a turn and nobody is stuck spectating for long. Mix the teams up between games so the same pair does not dominate all night. And do not feel you have to stick to one title, half the fun is the freedom to switch the second the room fancies something different. If you are organising for a birthday, a work social or a bigger celebration, it is worth planning ahead so the group can settle in together and keep the night flowing.
We are open every day from 14:00 to 02:00, so there is plenty of room to build the evening at your own pace, whether that is an early after work session or a late one that runs well past midnight.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I play PS5 with friends in Bangkok? Bamboo Gaming Center & Bar in Ekkamai has PS5 stations on big screens, alongside Nintendo Switch, racing simulators and a full bar. It is central, fully indoors and a short trip from BTS Ekkamai, and it is open every day from 14:00 to 02:00.
What is the best PS5 game for a group? For sheer accessibility, FC 26 and Rocket League are hard to beat, since almost anyone can join in. For competitive drama, Tekken 8 and Gran Turismo 7 shine, and It Takes Two is perfect when a pair wants to team up instead of compete. The best choice depends on your crew, and you can easily switch between them on the night.
Can a big group play at once? Yes. We set up rotations, brackets or multiple stations so a big group stays involved, and the private room is ideal for keeping everyone together. Nobody has to sit out for long.
Do we need to book ahead? For a couple of friends dropping in you can often just turn up, but if you are bringing a bigger group or coming at a busy time, it is well worth booking your session in advance so your spot is ready and waiting.
Can you host a private gaming event? Absolutely. If you are marking a birthday, a work social or any celebration, we host private events so your group gets the space to itself, with the games, the big screen and the bar all set up for you.
What if some of us are not really gamers? That is what makes these five so good together. FC 26, Rocket League and It Takes Two need almost no experience, and Tekken 8 is famously kind to beginners, so the friend who has never held a controller can still land a wonder goal or a lucky knockout. The mix of games means there is always something for everyone.
Rally the squad
Round up your friends and pick a couple of these to build the night around. Read more about our gaming lounge in Bangkok, then book your session and bring the squad.
PS5 Games With Friends at Bamboo Gaming Center & Bar
Come and experience PS5 games with friends at Bamboo Gaming Center & Bar, open daily 14:00-02:00 in Ekkamai 22, near Thonglor and BTS Ekkamai. Find the venue on Google Maps, book at bambooesc.com, or message LINE @bambooesc.
