FIFA launches on PS5, Xbox Series consoles next week

It seems EA is late to the party with FIFA 21 on the next-generation platforms. The game will be launching on PS5 and Xbox Series consoles next week Friday, 4 December, nearly a month after the latest Xbox launched. Not launching the game alongside the consoles is an odd move on EA’s part, because the FIFA games are often the reason many players buy consoles.

The power of new generation consoles has advanced the Frostbite engine to enable faster load times, as well as enhanced sights, sounds, and player movement. The sights and sounds of FIFA 21 are updated for next-generation consoles, with the new EA Sports GameCam inspired by the look and feel of top-level football broadcasts. A deferred lighting system called LiveLight Rendering enhances graphical aspects of the on-pitch experience. Thousands of authentic chants captured exclusively from the world’s biggest competitions, including the Premier League, La Liga, and the Bundesliga, deliver a new EA Sports Atmospheric Audio experience, unparalleled in sports video games.

With new Frostbite technology, players can enjoy deeper definition in player physiques, including flexing muscles after strikes and strand-based hair on some of the top footballers, combined with dynamic lighting that accentuates footballers’ faces and kits. New pre-game cinematics such as team buses arriving prior to kick-off and the buzz of fans entering through the turnstiles have been added to further immerse fans in the total matchday experience.

“We’re excited to deliver a new level of authenticity that will immerse players in the game like never before when they step out onto the virtual pitch in FIFA 21,” says Aaron McHardy, executive producer, EA Sports FIFA. “With next level immersive experiences that truly bring the most recognizable stadiums and professional players to life, the technology behind these next generation consoles opens up a world of possibilities for how players will experience the world’s game this year and into the future.”

Players will have their first opportunity to experience the future of FIFA gameplay with blazing fast load times that allow them to get in the game much faster. From Kick-Off to Career Mode, players will never lose focus on the upcoming match as stadium environments will load with blazing fast speed, letting them get to the start of the match in seconds.

For those with PlayStation 5 consoles, PlayStation Activities gets players into the action faster by letting them jump straight from the PlayStation home screen into their favourite game modes.

Players who buy, or who have already bought, FIFA 21 for PlayStation 4 and/or Xbox One can get the PlayStation 5 and/or Xbox Series X|S version of the game for free from December 4.

For more information on FIFA 21, visit ea.com/fifa-next-level.