NBA 2K25 Takes Real-Life Basketball Footage and Makes It PS5 Gameplay 1

Much like the HyperMotion technology in EA Sports FC 25, developer Visual Concepts is implementing a similar system for NBA 2K25, which will transform real-life basketball footage into PS5 gameplay. The technology, named ProPLAY, analyses professional NBA footage and translates it into movements in the game, resulting in over 9,000 new animations across the board.

These will be accompanied by an all-new dribble engine, which promises the most realistic movement yet. It’s the first time Visual Concepts has overhauled the way dribbling works in over a decade, and it feels confident about the results. Signature moves will give star players more personality, while shot cancelling means you’ll be able to segue in and out of shooting situations to fake out your opponents.

Despite all these hardcore tweaks, a big theme this year is accessibility. After criticism of last year’s game, the shot meter is getting a rethink, with new toggles allowing you to set the level of risk-versus-reward you want to experience. There’ll still be high precision options for those in the upper-echelons of pro play, but there’ll also be easier options for those who just want to kick back and enjoy.

Speaking of which, a new Learn 2K feature promises to teach you all the ins-and-outs of basketball theory, as well as NBA 2K25’s gameplay mechanics. This is something that’s long been missing for casual players, and it features minigames, drills, and much more to help get you up to speed. There’s a lot of content like this on YouTube, but it’s great that it’s finally getting added to the game.

You can find out much more about all the alterations in the latest Courtside Report, or you can just enjoy the trailer embedded above for some stylish on-court action.

One other thing worth noting is that anyone who pre-orders NBA 2K24, irrespective of version, will be eligible for Early Tip-Off, and can start playing from 4th September – two days prior to the 6th September launch. We’re not entirely sure we understand how this differs from the game’s release date being moved forward to 4th September, but we’re just sharing what we’ve been told.

[source nba.2k.com]