Skip to main content

PS5 trophies: Everything you need to know

Reach the platinum plateau: Everything you need to know about PS4 trophies

Since video games were in their infancy, players have bragged about their achievements to their friends. Some of these were fabricated, such as unlocking a secret boss after Bowser in Super Mario Bros., but skilled players needed a way to prove their genuine victories. On PlayStation 5 (PS3, PS Vita, and PS4), they can do that with “trophies,” virtual rewards given for beating games, finding collectibles, or completing certain tasks. But just how do PS5 trophies work, and how can you earn them? Here is everything you need to know about PS5 trophies.

Recommended reading:

What are trophies?

Image used with permission by copyright holder

PlayStation systems have used trophies to reward players for their gaming accomplishments since 2008. The system was not present at the beginning of the PlayStation 3’s lifespan but was introduced in 2008 in response to the Xbox 360’s “achievements” scoring system.

Players unlock trophies simply by hitting specific milestones set in each individual game and app. As you acquire them, you see a notification window pop up in the corner of your screen, informing you of the trophy you got as well as its type — bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. The majority of the trophies you acquire will fall into the first two categories. The platinum trophy is typically only awarded once you’ve earned all other trophies in a game — we’ll discuss the exceptions later on — and smaller games often don’t have a platinum trophy at all.

Trophies are not separated by PlayStation console, but by the account they were earned on. The trophies you earned on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita will count toward the total number of trophies you have listed on your PlayStation 5, and provided that you’ve synced your trophies by occasionally visiting the trophy app on your console, you won’t lose them if you have to get a new system.

Trophy levels

As you earn trophies, you’ll see an increase in your “trophy level.” This is a ranking determined by both the number of trophies you’ve earned as well as the “points” associated with particular types of trophies: You earn 15 points for a bronze trophy, 30 for silver, 90 for gold, and 300 for platinum (platinum trophies used to be worth 180, but this changed to make them more valuable). This number is for documenting your awards within all of your games and is comparable to the total achievement score Xbox players see when they view their profile.

Each level will take more points than the one that came before it. Sony used to have an old calculation in place that would determine your trophy level, but it has since changed. This is what it looks like now, per PSNProfiles:

  • Levels 1-99: 60 points (4 bronzes) per level-up
  • Levels 100-199: 90 points (6 bronzes) per level-up
  • Levels 200-299: 450 points (30 bronzes) per level-up
  • Levels 300-399: 900 points (60 bronzes) per level-up
  • Levels 400-499: 1,350 points (90 bronzes) per level-up
  • Levels 500-599: 1,800 points (120 bronzes) per level-up
  • Levels 600-699: 2,250 points (150 bronzes) per level-up
  • Levels 700-799: 2,700 points (180 bronzes) per level-up
  • Levels 800-899: 3,150 points (210 bronzes) per level-up
  • Levels 900-999: 3,600 points (240 bronzes) per level-up

How to earn trophies

Image used with permission by copyright holder

To begin earning trophies in your current PlayStation 5 game, all you need to do is play the game as you normally would. You’ll see trophies eventually pop up in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, for instance, just for completing the story. In Demon’s Soulsyou’ll gain trophies for defeating the game’s bosses, as well as for finishing the game.

These don’t require any sort of research, but in order to really boost your trophy count, you’re going to want to look up games’ trophy lists in advance. From the PlayStation 5’s home screen, scroll over to the right and select your profile image. Then, a small menu will appear with the Trophies sub-menu. Click on this and you’ll find a list of your games, as well as your earned trophies and those you have yet to unlock. This section will also contain information on trophy rarity, so you can see what percentage of players have managed to unlock them — giving you an indication of just how tough a certain trophy is.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Select the game you’re currently playing, and you’ll see not just the trophy names, but also the requirements for unlocking these. The majority of these requirements will be written out, but a few will be “hidden” in order to preserve an in-game secret, such as a story spoiler. If you click on the trophy and press Square, you’ll see these hidden details directly on your console. If you prefer to research in your web browser first, the website PlayStation Trophies has a comprehensive list of trophies for PlayStation 5 games, including hidden trophies.

When you earn any trophy on PlayStation 5, your console will automatically take a screenshot of the moment. Some of these end up showing off your exciting gameplay, but more often than not, the actual frame captured will be on a loading screen or a pause menu — for those truly memorable trophies, we recommend taking a screenshot yourself by holding down the Create button on the DualSense controller for a few seconds.

Trophy percentages and earning platinum trophies

PlayStation's Best & Easiest Platinums of 2020 - The Trophy Awards

Scroll through your list of PlayStation 5 games in the trophy sub-menu, and you will see a percentage listed to the right of each one — this displays how much progress you’ve made toward total completion in a particular game. Once you’ve reached 100%, you will have unlocked every trophy in the game and be rewarded with a final platinum trophy.

However, these percentages can be deceiving, depending on when a game was initially released, and whether the meter includes post-launch content released for the game, which you may need to purchase to access. In Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, for instance, the percentage shown on this screen will be for the base game and all additional DLC that’s added on or after the game’s launch.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you click on the game, you’ll see the actual percentage for the base game alone, and this is what you need to complete in order to unlock a platinum trophy. Even if you purchase a game well after its launch and there are several expansions available, you do not have to complete them to unlock the platinum trophy.

Why should I care about trophies?

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Do trophies hold real value? Do they give you any tangible rewards? Sony did implement the Trophy Pass program, which awarded you with points that could be turned into real PSN currency, but the service has been discontinued. That doesn’t mean you should stop going for trophies, though. There are a lot of reasons why trophies are still important to the community. Earning the platinum in some games, like Bloodborne for example, gives you an exclusive PS4 theme — and there are other games like this!

Aside from pure bragging rights, earning a platinum can be fun. It can give you much more mileage when you play games, encouraging you to play in a way you might not have otherwise. For instance, some trophies are tied to optional in-game sequences that you might’ve missed out on if you skipped going for the trophy. Trophies also document when you played a certain game, giving you a timeline of your history with PlayStation.

From a developer point of view, trophies can serve as an indication of how many players actually completed a certain task. This can help when developing a sequel or game with similar mechanics. If only a small percentage of players have the trophy for completing a game’s main story, a developer could look at that as useful data for future projects.

And sure, earning a platinum trophy is a way to show off your skills or dedication to a certain game. Some players pride themselves on finishing games to 100% completion to show their dedication to playing without any cheats or shortcuts. At the end of the day, they’re an optional feature that can enhance your fun with a game. Other times, going for certain trophies can be a pain, so just know that they’re not required and can be skipped entirely.

PlayStation username changes may mess with your trophy count

If you don’t want to use your original ID, you’re finally able to change your PSN name in a new feature recently released by Sony. While that’s great news for those who have been stuck with a terrible name for a decade or more, beware that name changes could affect your trophy progress. It sounds strange, but name changes aren’t just a superficial display change, so you might lose game progress and work you’ve completed towards earning trophies. 

Specifically, Sony said, “You may lose progress within games, including game saved data, leaderboard data, and progress towards Trophies.” If you have a lot of achievements under your belt, you might want to skip testing out this new name change feature at the risk of losing all of your hard work.

Editors' Recommendations

Gabe Gurwin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…
Bethesda finally confirms that Hi-Fi Rush is coming to PS5
Key art for Hi-Fi Rush.

Microsoft and Bethesda finally confirmed that Hi-Fi Rush is going multiplatform. In particular, it was announced that the rhythm action game is coming to the PS5 next month.

Rumors of Hi-Fi Rush going multiplatform began in January, spurring some discourse about a change in Microsoft's first-party strategy. Although Xbox eventually addressed the concerns in a February 15 podcast, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer would not say then if Hi-Fi Rush was one of the games; instead, he only teased that four games were going multiplatform and that the announcements were coming soon. During the Nintendo Direct: Partner Showcase this morning, we learned that Obsidian Entertainment's Pentiment and Grounded were coming to Nintendo Switch on February 22 and April 16, respectively.

Read more
Best PS5 bundles: Which PlayStation 5 bundles to buy today
The Playstation 5 system standing upright.

Gamers who are thinking about finally buying the PlayStation 5 should consider getting one of the many PS5 bundles, which will give you more value for your hard-earned money. With more PS5 exclusives on the way, now's a great time to finally purchase the console or to upgrade from the PlayStation 4. Check out the PS5 bundles that we've gathered here, just make sure that you hurry with your purchase because stocks may run out at any moment.
What are PS5 bundles?
Every purchase of the PlayStation 5 comes with a DualSense controller, but if you go with PS5 bundles, you'll be getting more. The extras come in the form of a copy of a game, so you already have something to install right after setting up your new console. Stocks of bundles can come and go though, so if you see one available, it's highly recommended that you proceed with the transaction immediately.
PlayStation 5 Slim Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III bundle -- $500

The PlayStation 5 Slim Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III bundle coincides with the launch of the PlayStation 5 Slim, an updated version of the console with a slimmer design and more storage space. This bundle comes with a copy of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III, which is the latest entry in the popular first-person shooter series. The game's campaign features the return of Task Force 101 as they go up a ruthless Russian terrorist named Vladimir Makarov, though most players would probably focus on its multiplayer modes.

Read more
PS5 themes: Can you customize your homescreen?
A person plays Crash Bandicoot using a PS5 DualSense controller.

There's a lot to love about PS5, but it's missing one key feature from the old PS4 -- themes. On the old console, themes were used as a way to customize your homescreen and were often inspired by iconic games or beloved characters. Unfortunately, themes aren't available on PS5, though Sony has implemented a cool new feature that modifies the background as you browse your collection of games.

Here's a comprehensive look at how you can customize your PS5 homescreen and whether you can change its background.
Does the PS5 have themes?

Read more