NBA 2K21 has already come out on current-gen consoles, and the game is…okay. The core gameplay mostly still delivers, but a lack of significant new features makes it hard to fully recommend (check out my full review here). That said, 2K has promised the real main course will the be the “built from the ground up” next-gen NBA 2K21, and today they finally showed off that version running on PS5 hardware. Check out the trailer for yourself, below.
Looking good! The animations and overall models don’t look that different than the current-gen version of the game, but obviously the textures, lighting, rendering, and the detail of the arenas and crowds has received a major boost. Hopefully, NBA 2K only gets better-looking from here, but this is a good start! Here’s a bit more detail about the enhancements coming to the next-gen version of NBA 2K21:
- An eye-popping leap in graphical advancements: next-gen lighting, textures, physics, animations, and more that push NBA 2K21’s visual presentation to the bleeding edge.
- Rebuilt player movement and player impact, driven by new on-court animation and collision engines that make for a smoother, tougher game.
- The entire arena comes to life, with more than 150 unique AI-driven characters interacting seamlessly to create a groundbreaking Lower Bowl experience.
- An expanded soundtrack with 202 songs at launch and more to come.
2K is promising more information about other next-gen exclusive features coming to NBA 2K21 in the coming weeks. As of now, they’re hinting we can expect animation and collision detection improvements, “next-gen AI,” and updates to MyCareer and MyGM modes.
2K Games is offering a “free” next-gen upgrade to those who bought the $100 NBA 2K21: Mamba Forever Edition on PS4 or Xbox One. If you waited to just buy the next-gen version of NBA 2K21, you’ll still be paying a premium, as the game costs $70 instead of the usual $60.
NBA 2K21 launches on Xbox Series X/S on November 10 and PS5 on November 12 or November 19, depending on whether you live on North America/Australia or Europe.
