Two modern Dragon Ball Z games carry the franchise right now: Kakarot, the story-driven action RPG, and Sparking! Zero, the big arena fighter. Here is which one to buy.
If you want to play a Dragon Ball Z game today, two of them matter: Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot and Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero. One is a story RPG. One is a fighter. Pick by what you want to do.
"Dragon Ball Z games" is not one thing. Bandai Namco has put out dozens over the years, from the old Budokai and Raging Blast titles to mobile gachas. But for a new player in 2026, the choice really comes down to those two modern releases, so here is the quick version.
Go with Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot if you want the story. It is an action RPG made by CyberConnect2 that retells the whole anime, from the Saiyan arc through Buu, with side quests, fishing, eating, and open zones to fly around. You play mostly as Goku and other Z fighters, leveling up and unlocking moves. It is the closest thing to living inside the show. The game launched in January 2020 and has since crossed 10 million copies sold worldwide, with DAIMA content added later. On Steam it usually runs about $19.99, often less on sale, which makes it an easy buy.
Go with Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero if you want to fight. It is a 3D arena fighter, the first new game in the Budokai Tenkaichi line in over 15 years, with a roster of more than 180 characters. You dash, beam-clash, and blow up the map in fast over-the-top duels. It came out on October 11, 2024, sold more than 3 million copies in its first 24 hours, and has passed 5 million sold. It is the newer, flashier game, but it is also pricier at $69.99 on Steam, and it is built around versus matches more than a single long story.
So which one is best right now? Ask the community and you get a split. Story and single-player fans lean Kakarot because it has the most content for the money and it nails the anime feel. Competitive and nostalgia fans lean Sparking! Zero because the Tenkaichi-style combat is back and the roster is huge. Neither is wrong. If you only buy one and you are new, Kakarot is the safer pick on price and depth. If you came for the fights, Sparking! Zero is the one.
Where can you play them? Both are on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Kakarot also covers PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. Sparking! Zero added Switch and Switch 2 versions later. Neither is free to play, and there is no free-to-play DBZ console game in this lineup, so plan on buying. Watch sales: Kakarot in particular drops cheap during Steam events, and Sparking! Zero has picked up DLC characters since launch.
Dragon Ball Z is one of the most famous anime ever, and its games keep selling. Kakarot has passed 10 million copies and Sparking! Zero topped 5 million, so the fanbase stays huge.
No. The main Dragon Ball Z games like Kakarot and Sparking! Zero are paid titles you buy on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, or Steam. There is no free-to-play DBZ console game in this lineup.
For story and value, pick Kakarot, the action RPG. For fast fighting and a giant roster, pick Sparking! Zero. Most fans rate one or the other depending on whether they want story or battles.
Kakarot is an action RPG. You play through the DBZ story, level up, do side quests, and explore open zones, rather than playing one-on-one versus matches.
Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is $69.99 on Steam for the standard edition, with pricier Deluxe and Ultimate editions and a separate Season Pass for extra characters.
Both Kakarot and Sparking! Zero are on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam. Kakarot also runs on PS4, Xbox One, and Switch, and Sparking! Zero added Switch versions.