FIFA 21 is releasing for Xbox One and will be playable on Xbox Series X thanks to EA's Dual Entitlement - but how will the two versions differ?
Keep reading for everything we know about FIFA 21 on Xbox One and Xbox Series X.
Latest News - EA Play Live
FIFA 21 is now available on EA Play, although members of the subscription service will only get 10 hours of gameplay.
With the game out, Ultimate Team is already underway with loads of objectives to complete.
Check out the full Season 1 Objectives here.
Release Date
EA has confirmed that FIFA 21 will launch on current-gen consoles on Friday, 9 October.
Xbox Series X Pre Orders
If you are opting for the Series X for your FIFA fix, then you better get your alarms set!
The Xbox Series X pre-orders will go live on September 22 (TOMORROW).
Here are those all important release times:
- US (8AM PT)
- Canada (8AM PT)
- UK (8AM BST)
- Australia (8AM AEST)
- New Zealand (8AM AEST)
- Europe, Middle East and Africa (9AM CEST)
The Series X will be released on Tuesday, 10 November.
Free Upgrade to Next Gen
It has officially been announced that purchasing FIFA 21 on PS4 and Xbox One before FIFA 22 is released will earn you a free upgrade to the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of the game. This is called dual entitlement.
DUAL ENTITLEMENT- Fans won't have to choose between purchasing FIFA 21 for current or next gen consoles thanks to dual entitlement
This solution solves a huge issue for gamers stuck choosing between immediately jumping to next gen and playing the game on current gen consoles instead.
In addition, you’ll be able to carry over your FUT and VOLTA progress from one console to the next!
Next-Gen FIFA 21 Game Features Confirmed
Following EA Play, EA has announced a series of Next-Gen game features for FIFA 21!
Key features on Next-Gen consoles include:
Gameplay
- Blazing fast load times – get to kick-off in seconds
- Controller haptics (PS5 only) – feel every shot, kick, pass, and tackle in your hands
Graphics and Visuals
- Deferred Lighting and Rendering – a new lighting system creates more detail in every part of the stadium
- Re-imagined player bodies – next-gen technology takes players to a whole new level of realism
NEXT LEVEL: EA has confirmed several new features for Next-Gen
Player Animations
- Enhanced animation technology – new animations create ultra-responsive and realistic player movement
- Off-ball humanisation – from adjusting shin pads to screaming for passes, feel all the emotion of football at the highest level
READ MORE: FIFA 21 EA PLAY – everything you need to know
Next Level Atmospheres
- Gameday immersion – contextual player, bench, and fan reactions let you feel the explosive passion of a last-minute winner
Xbox Series X vs Xbox One
FIFA 21 will likely be an amazing game regardless of whether you play on current or next gen consoles. But there will be some differences in technological capabilities and features designed specifically for next gen.
The Xbox Series X version of FIFA 21 will have incredibly short load times, a more immersive lighting system, enhanced animations for on-ball players as well as off-ball players, better background rendering enhancing crowds and bench players, and better-looking environments.
There will also be the added potential for 60 fps 4K graphics and DirectX Raytracing on the Xbox Series X, though this isn't confirmed just yet for FIFA 21.
READ MORE: Unreal Engine 5 could change the future of FIFA
While Xbox One will be the way most players begin their FIFA 21 journey thanks to the free next gen upgrade from dual entitlement, the difference players will experience making the next gen leap will be extremely noticeable.
To see the graphical capabilities of games that are optimized for the Xbox Series X, you can watch the trailer below.
Graphics
The graphics will undoubtedly be better on the Next Gen
consoles.
One of the main selling points of the new consoles is the improved graphic capability, so you would be disappointed if the game looked the same as on the Xbox One.
CRISP! The graphics on FIFA 21 should be insane.
However, that is not to say the graphics will not be
excellent on Xbox One too.
EA improves on its graphics year on year so the game on your current console should still look incredible without the huge improvements and innovations on the way with Xbox Series X.
Gameplay
The gameplay in any FIFA game is crucial.
Last year, certain aspects of the game such as set pieces and drop back defending drew criticism from the FIFA community.
READ MORE: Everything we know about the FIFA 21 Demo
Whatever changes EA make for FIFA 21, expect the gameplay to
be similar on both Xbox One and Series X.
It is unlikely that the gameplay will be massively different
on the consoles, although the Xbox Series X may run just that little bit
smoother as it is a more powerful console.
Cross-Platform
More and more games are enabling cross-platform compatibility in their online game modes.
So far, FIFA has not, however EA has announced its first cross-platform compatible game in Need for Speed Heat.
TEAMWORK! Will we be able to play cross-platform in online game modes?
Ultimate Team and Pro Clubs are two game modes that could
massively benefit from cross-platform play.
The FUT Transfer Market is an area that could prove tricky,
with prices varying on each console, but fingers crossed EA make it happen!
Backward Compatibility
Xbox claim that Xbox Series X will be their most compatible console
to date.
Players were able to play their favourite Xbox 360 games on their Xbox One, and this will be no different when the Xbox Series X is released.
READ MORE: What will FIFA 21 look like on PS5?
Xbox have also stated that games from previous consoles will run even better on the new console!
This is especially handy with dual entitlement offering a free next gen upgrade after purchasing the game for Xbox One.
Pre-order
If you pre-order the FIFA 21 Ultimate Edition or Champions Edition you’ll be able to play from Tuesday, 6 October.
There are also a ton of in-game bonuses you'll be interested to know about, and we've got you covered for the full breakdown of what's in each edition.
Head over here to find out how to be literally, ahead of the game...
The EA Access (PS4, Xbox One) and Origin Access (PC) Play First Trials are now live, so get playing now!
READ MORE: Everything we know about FIFA 21’s Editions