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NBA 2K21: First look at next-gen sweat on PS5

By Matthew Liebl

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 06: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts against the Miami Heat during a game at the Smoothie King Center on March 06, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 06: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts against the Miami Heat during a game at the Smoothie King Center on March 06, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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NBA 2K21’s first teaser on PS5 features plenty of sweat.

While EA has continued to push back the reveal of Madden 21, 2K used Sony’s PS5 reveal event to show off what NBA 2K21 will look like on a next-gen console.

NBA superstar Zion Williamson introduced the game. Could this be indication that the New Orleans Pelican star rookie will be the cover athlete? He’s certainly a big enough star — and talented enough — to warrant the honor.

In any case, Zion Williamson alongside Visual Concepts co-founder Greg Thomas formally announced that NBA 2K21 will be coming to the PlayStation 5 (and presumably Xbox Series X). Thomas detailed that Visual Concepts has been working hard from home in an effort to make NBA 2K21 the “best basketball game ever.”

https://twitter.com/NBA2K/status/1271206019486478336

After showing off just how quickly NBA 2K21 will load on next-gen consoles, we got our first look at pre-alpha in-game footage. Despite being just 30 seconds in length, the teaser — which featured Williamson warming up on a court — gave us plenty to get excited about.

Most noticeable was the graphical leap from current-gen systems. You could actually make out the beads of sweat dripping down Williamson’s body. It looks incredibly realistic.

In addition to the improved graphics, it looks like NBA 2K21 will have much smoother animation. In the teaser, Williamson dribbles the ball and drives to the basket in such fluid motion. If this is an indication of how ball control will be when NBA 2K21 launches, then I think this is a huge step forward for the franchise.

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NBA 2K21 is said to have been built from the ground up for next-gen consoles with improved graphics, faster load times, and more power. It definitely shows, and one has to assume it will look similar, or even better, on the Xbox Series X.

Unfortunately, the 30 second teaser was all we got to see and much of the game’s details remain a mystery. 2K didn’t share any details pertaining to modes and features, and a release date has still not been announced.

The NBA 2K games typically release in September ahead of the start of the NBA season. However, the 2020-21 season could be impacted by the coronavirus, which has already caused the 2019-20 season to be postponed. The NBA is attempted to restart the current season at the end of July with hopes of getting in a playoff tournament to declare a season champion. The details are still being ironed out but whatever happens could also impact the start of the 2020-21 season, which means the release of NBA 2K21 could be in flux.