2K Sports has released the first footage of NBA 2K21 gameplay, running on the PlayStation 5. While this is a heavily edited trailer showing cinematic camera angles, it’s a clear jump compared to the current-gen version. For starts, the character models are wildly detailed, with Steph Curry in particular looking photo-realistic here.
Here's a comparison shot which shows just how much the game has been enhanced on PS5, compared to NBA 2K20 on PS4:
And here are a few more screenshots for you to view once you're done with the trailer. There's a gigantic improvement to lighting and overall detail:
We also see much more detailed court environments, with enhanced crowds and broadcast crews all adding side-line activity to the on-court action. Visual Concepts has said that it’s built the game from the ground-up for Sony’s next-gen console, with a new AI system powering every single person in the arena to really sell the authenticity of the action.
More information will be revealed over the coming weeks, including details on an all-new Neighborhood experience. For now, ogle the insane visuals embedded above.
[source youtube.com]
Comments 49
Wow! This looks incredible. Not sure why the video is encoded in 60fps when some of the footage is 30fps, but I assume that's just a rendering glitch.
Wow - last time I’ve played a sports game was when crowds were pixelated cardboard cutouts that all moved the same way hahaha. We’ve come a long way since the GameCube days.
I’m not into basketball games, nor basketball generally, but man that looks pretty!
This just reminds me of when Activision made a big deal out of COD Ghosts having realistic arm hair and human wrist rendering at the XB1 reveal lmao
It does look pretty damn good, I have to say. Not sure why Conan O’Brien is a manager though.
Looks the same as the PS4 version. Which isn't bad, but no wow upgrade here.
My god, that looks terrific! Been tough to hold out on playing but looks like it'll be worth it!
It's been a few years since I've played a 2K game.
2K is looking really good here.
@Ken_Kaniff What PS4 are you playing on? The current-gen game looks very good, but not THIS good.
You can tell it runs between 5fps to 60fps, hope it's just because it's still unoptimised.
@get2sammyb it's not. To this day NBA 2k plays all cutscenes and camera angle changes to 30fps while the on court gameplay is 60fps to help with fluidity. However, there were years when switching camera from broadcast to 2k would make gameplay drop fps.
WTF this looks incredible! First real next gen title it seems (besides the Wukong game and Ratchet, this last one for different reasons)
@get2sammyb Yea there's a difference but not much of a huge difference like the PS2 to PS3 days. Pretty sure that's what @Ken_Kaniff meant.
@thefourfoldroot same for me but dammmmnnnn this looks so cool and great.
OMG HIS SKIN IS SHINY!!!!!!
0/10 - the Zatarain's logo didn't transfer.
NOTE: Joke
Wowwwwww.the graphics looks so amazing.ps5 is 👑.word ☝ up son
Just wow , that’s looks amazing
@AFCC you weren't impressed with Demon's Souls? I agree though, this looks great!
@Bamila Yeah, sorry. I know they drop to 30fps for cut-scenes, I just meant it feels like it goes even lower than that a few times in this trailer. I guess it's still being optimised.
@Ken_Kaniff you must really be blind
Anyone else wait impatiently for the CGI cutscenes to stop before realising you where watching gameplay?
It looks great overall, but I must admit I'm a little disappointed that you can still make out polygon edges on the jerseys in the screenshots. Still, that doesn't detract from how good it looks in motion.
@TheArt whatever he meant, he definitely didn't say that.
"Looks the same". That's what he actually said.
And it simply doesn't. It's one thing to be negative and another to be factually incorrect.
Nah, those are just pictures of a real basketball game.
@naruball Well to the general public who don't have that keen eye for little details, this and the PS4 might look same to them. We can't dispute the fact that anyone who hasn't held a controller in their life could tell the apparent difference between NFL/FIFA(PS2) & NFL/FIFA(PS3), GTA San Andreas & GTAIV. Everybody could tell the huge jump when we first saw those trailers back in the day.
For those saying this looks as good as the PS4 game, watch this:
I need a PES game that looks this good with all the presentation and licensing of FIFA.
Wow. This looks amazing. Amazing. Night and day with the current gen version. Excited!
@Ken_Kaniff yo man, what's up with the negativity? Almost every post you make it's doom and gloom. Cheer up dude. Your hobby is gaming, derived from the word game. Games are supposed to be fun.
They literally just added some sweat to NBA 2020 and released it as a new game. If you buy sports games you are part of the problem.
A part of me flinches whenever people talk about CGI in videogames. If it's not FMV it's CGI by definition. I know this is really pedantic, but what I'm guessing you mean is whether it's pre-rendered or real-time?
@hi_drnick @get2sammyb Ken Kaniff is an alter ego of Eminem so constant negativity from someone who stole that name isn’t shocking. Just thought I’d let you know
looking forward to shooting some hoops on ps5
I don’t play sport games but this looks good 😃
that looks brilliant!! people acting like it is nothing might need some new glasses!
@Omnistalgic oh yeah that looks great too, but for some reason it didn't seem next gen to me! Maybe it's because of it's fantasy setting, it didn't hit me as hard as this one!
But hey, it looks very good too! (I will not buy it though lol)
Don’t trust 2K Games at all, but if that is what the character models look like in-game (not during cut scenes or trailers), then it’s rather impressive!
Not that im a massive sports fan but imo NBA and NFL games have always looked far superior to football (no its not soccer) Wrestling, Tennis, Golf etc. But i think whats going to bring the emersion is what they will now be able to make the crowds look like and do. That clip looked amazing. Felt like the whole court was buzzing.
That’s a bigger improvement than I was expecting. That Steph Curry model looks so close I though it was a real life photo for a brief moment.
There's been no mention of games, any game, in any of the more dynamic HDR formats such as Dolby Vision.
Games on the next gen consoles should be running at 60fps as standard, that should be a given, not a surprise.
Each day I'm certain I made the right decision to give my pre-order away.
@Ken_Kaniff yo man, what's up with the negativity? Almost every post you make it's doom and gloom. Cheer up dude. Your hobby is gaming, derived from the word game. Games are supposed to be fun.
@hi_drnick EVERY. SINGLE. ONE!!!
Looks cool, but why would the crowd cheer if Curry hits a buzzer beater? Bad AI
Such a shame 2K gave up on the Top Spin series, can only dream/imagine how good a new Top Spin tennis game would look on the PS5.
Top Spin 4 came out on the PS3 nearly a decade ago and still looks better than any tennis game released since and 100% plays better.
Love it, while I don't play sports game this pushed my excitement button. Just thinking about Sony's first party games and how Amazing they will look.
Nothing about that has anything to do with "next-gen" and could be possible on "current gen" as well, but yeah.
@AJDarkstar I don’t like sports games either but yeah this is impressive. Edging closer to photos realism.
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