FIFA 21: Take to the pitch on next-gen systems this December
FIFA 21 won’t be available on PS5 or Xbox Series X/S at launch but will arrive shortly after.
Soccer fans eager to experience the next evolution of EA’s FIFA franchise will have to wait a bit longer as the next-gen version of FIFA 21 won’t launch until December 4.
Even though the Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5 launch on November 10 and November 12, respectively, EA’s signature soccer franchise won’t be there at the start. It’s important to note that this isn’t simply FIFA 21 being playable via each system’s backwards compatability functionality. This is a full-fledged next-gen version with “blazing fast load times”, “realistic, fluid player movement,” “authentic game day experiences,” and “new player detail” thanks to deferred “rendering and lighting.”
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It’s not exactly the most descriptive explanation of what this next-gen version of the game entails, especially since those same descriptors were also used for Madden 21. Honestly, it sounds like the most noticable improvements for the first iteration of this franchise on PS5 and Xbox Series X will be the graphical enhancements and faster laod times, most of which can be attributed to the better hardware specs in each system. EA will likely build on this more in next year’s game when they won’t have to worry as much about appealing to players on two console generations.
The good news is, players who already own FIFA 21 on PS4 or Xbox One don’t actually have to pay anything to get this next-gen version. Thanks to the Dual Entitlement program, anyone who buys the game on a current-gen system can upgrade to the next-gen version within the same console family for free, as long as they do so before the release of FIFA 22. So you can buy FIFA 21 on Xbox One or PS4 and not immediately have to purchase a Xbox Series X/S or PS5 at launch since you have some leeway.
Next. FIFA 21 Dual Entitlement: How the PS4 to PS5 next-gen upgrade works. dark
When you do upgrade, your progress and content in Ultimate Team and VOLTA FOOTBALL will carry over. More details regarding FIFA 21’s next-gen version will be shared in the coming weeks leading up to its December 4th launch.