R.B.I. Baseball 21 provides arcade alternative to MLB The Show 21

R.B.I. Baseball has been around for a few years now, but it’s well known that MLB The Show is the best baseball sim on the market. But if there were one advantage R.B.I. Baseball has had over its biggest competitor, it was the fact that MLB The Show was exclusive to PlayStation platforms.

If you were a baseball fan and didn’t own a PlayStation, R.B.I. Baseball was pretty much your only option. And while improvements have been made over the years, it still didn’t compare to the level of authenticity and detail presented in MLB The Show.

That advantage no longer exists, however. As of the recent partnership extension signed between Sony San Diego Studio, Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association, MLB The Show will be available on platforms beyond PlayStation.

For MLB The Show 21, it will be available on PlayStation and Xbox. But it’s possible future games could expand to PC and even Nintendo Switch. Right now, R.B.I. Baseball still holds the advantage there, plus on mobile devices.

MLB Advanced Media released the first look at gameplay for R.B.I. Baseball 21 and, no, it won’t compete with MLB The Show 21 this year. But I really don’t think they are trying to.

Whereas MLB The Show offers unprecedented realism, R.B.I. Baseball 21 is looking to deliver an arcade-style of gameplay to baseball. They are looking to make baseball fun again.

Graphically, R.B.I. Baseball 21 leaves a lot to be desired. The players look like plastic figures. There’s a lack of detail in the stadiums. But it makes up for this lack of graphical detail in other ways.

There’s a create-a-player mode, where you can build a five-tool player. There’s individual Statcast data on every pitcher that actually draws from their real-life form. There are progressive time of day scenarios as well as increased customization options from batting controls to camera angles.

And, for Nintendo Switch — which I suspect will be the game’s most popular platform — there’s no online play for head-to-head matchups.

I’ll always prefer MLB The Show, but if you own a Nintendo Switch or play on your mobile device, R.B.I. Baseball 21 looks like an entertaining alternative. R.B.I. Baseball 21 takes the field on March 16.