Highlights

  • The PS5 and Xbox Series X have been on the market for over three years now, with games like Elden Ring and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 showcasing their capabilities. However, the sports genre, including games like MLB The Show, has yet to fully leverage the new hardware.
  • MLB The Show is a yearly release sports franchise that has seen marginal improvements in graphics over the years. Baseball is a sport where even the smallest details matter, and a graphical refresh on par with today's hardware could make the upcoming MLB The Show 24 a must-play for fans.
  • While it may be unreasonable to ask for a complete reinvention of the game, implementing tweaks like more vibrant ballparks, greater attention to detail in recreating jerseys and equipment, and improved player models could significantly enhance the immersion and make MLB The Show 24 a visually stunning entry in the series.

The PS5 and Xbox Series X have been on the market for over three years now, and in that time, many developers have leveraged the hardware in exciting ways. AAA games are as expansive and detailed as ever, with games like Elden Ring and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 demonstrating just what the PS5 and Xbox Series X are capable of. Not all genres have been able to properly leverage this new hardware, however, with the sports genre still living a few years behind in some respects. MLB The Show is one such sports franchise that has improved marginally but has yet to make a proper leap to today's standards.

MLB The Show is one among many series that relies on yearly releases. This development model has a long list of advantages and disadvantages, and one of the key disadvantages of yearly sports games in particular is their minimal graphical changes year after year. There often comes a time in the middle of a console's life cycle when graphics receive an overhaul, and it may be time for the upcoming MLB The Show 24 to finally take that next step. Baseball is a sport where even the smallest details matter, and a full graphical refresh befitting today's hardware could make The Show 24 a must-play entry for fans.

MLB The Show 24 Two Cover Athletes
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MLB The Show 24 Should Make Room for Two Cover Athletes

The most talented players in MLB become cover athletes of The Show, and The Show 24 may need more than one to showcase the league's biggest stars.

It's Time For MLB The Show To Embrace A Graphical Overhaul

Now Is Time For MLB The Show to Make its Next-Gen Upgrade

MLB The Show's first next-gen entry was in 2021, and not only did it bring the series to PS5, but PlayStation-exclusive MLB The Show made its way to the Xbox Series X as well. Developer San Diego Studio marked this next-gen entry with a litany of new features, including a custom stadium creator and a new pinpoint pitching system. Many of the same features returned in The Show 22 and The Show 23, but the one area that has yet to receive the same amount of care is the series' graphics.

High-profile players like Mike Trout and Mookie Betts have highly accurate face scans, and each MLB stadium is close to a 1:1 recreation. After enough innings played, however, it becomes apparent that The Show's graphics are still living in the last console generation. Outfield grass and infield dirt often look flat, and ballparks like Wrigley Field, which are known for having lush greenery, struggle to live up to their real-world counterparts. Though players are often unmistakable in their likeness, the smoothness of their features can also create an uncanny effect that's in stark contrast to today's standard for face models.

Why a Graphical Enhancement for The Show Could Change Everything

To ask SDS to reinvent The Show and try to deliver the most graphically impressive game on the PS5 and Series X would be unreasonable. That said, there are several tweaks it can make to help The Show 24 feel like the most stunning entry in the series yet. More vibrant and lively ballparks, as well as a greater amount of detail put into recreating things like jerseys and equipment could significantly increase the game's immersion. With player models that verge on photorealism added into the mix, The Show 24 could be a must-play for baseball fans based on its improved graphics alone.

MLB The Show has been one of the best baseball franchises for years, but for it to truly exemplify what current hardware is capable of, a sizable graphical update is overdue. There are a number of challenges that come with making such changes to a yearly series, especially when developers also have to worry about updating gameplay mechanics. Hopefully, by the time MLB The Show 24 is ready to be revealed, SDS will have been able to square away enough time to make the new entry look even more like an actual MLB game.