In recent years, the rapid development of aviation industry, low temperature superconductivity, hydrogen energy power and other fields has increased the demand for the reliability of equipment operation in low temperature environment. Low temperature will cause the failure of lubricants and the deterioration of mechanical properties of metals, resulting in increasingly terrible lubrication problems. Metal materials are confronted with the severe service environment of dry friction at low temperature. Therefore, the excellent friction and wear performance of the material is a key factor to ensure the long-term stable operation of the mechanical equipment at low temperature. This paper describes the challenges of low temperature lubrication, including low temperature lubrication failure and metal ductile-to-brittle transition. Then we introduce the common low temperature friction environment of metal materials. Finally, the steel, titanium alloy, aluminum alloy and multi-principal element alloy with excellent properties at low temperature are introduced, and the future development trend in this field is prospected.