MLB The Show 21 is out now for the PS4 and PS5, and for the first time ever, MLB The Show is also on Xbox One and Series X/S. The game reportedly performs better on the PS5 than the Xbox Series X, but things are a bit different for last-gen consoles.
The MLB The Show franchise has been developed by Sony’s San Diego Studio since 2006, and as such has been exclusive to Sony platforms until this year. On February 1, it was announced that San Diego Studio would be developing MLB The Show for the Xbox family of consoles as well. While a PlayStation-owned developer making a game for Xbox comes as a shock for many, it was later revealed the decision was outside of Sony’s control, as it was mandated by the MLB organization.
Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry, which specializes in-depth tech and game analyses, released a comparison of how MLB The Show 21 runs on current and previous PlayStation and Xbox consoles. On PS5, gameplay runs at a mostly locked 60 FPS, whereas the Xbox Series X version is “a little less stable." In-game cutscenes are the real issue though, where the framerate on Series X can often dip nine-to-11 FPS lower than dips present on the PS5 version.
The report cites some other minor issues with the Xbox Series X version, like what looks to be a bug in how water outside the stadiums is rendered and a four-second difference in load times. On paper, these variances between the two versions of MLB The Show 21 make sense considering this is the first time San Diego Studio has developed the series for Xbox.
The last-gen systems tell a different story however, as the Xbox One X version runs on average five-to-seven FPS faster than the PS4 Pro version. Neither of the last-gen versions run at a locked 60 FPS, even when the game is running on its 1080p resolution mode. All in all, MLB The Show 21 seems to look and run fine on all platforms from a gameplay standpoint, which is important given MLB The Show 21 has cross-play between all platforms. If one platform underperformed, that could have lead to unfair advantages in online cross-play.
One factor that the Xbox wins on all platforms is how much it costs to play, as MLB The Show 21 is free to Game Pass subscribers. Because of Microsoft’s Smart Delivery, Xbox players who choose to buy the game only have to pay $60 to play on Xbox One X and Series X/S, whereas PlayStation owners need to purchase one of the special editions of the game, which start at $85 USD.
MLB The Show 21 is available now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Eurogamer
