NBA 2K21 is on the way, and fans have been excited for the next gen potential.
Let's go over what you should expect from the graphics coming in the newest major basketball game.
Editions
NBA 2K21 will have three editions, but not the usual trio. This time around the game will be divided into the Standard Edition (with a current and next-gen release with different features), and the Mamba Forever Edition.
Standard Edition
The Standard Edition of NBA 2K21 will be broken down into current and next-gen editions. The current gen edition will be available first, as next gen consoles will come some months after NBA 2K21's release.
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The current-gen version will feature Damian Lillard on the cover, and will offer an upgraded 2K experience.
ROOKIE SUPERSTAR: Zion Williamson made the impressive jump to cover athlete as a rookie
The next-gen version of the Standard Edition will have Zion Williamson on the cover, and will offer enhanced features designed for next gen consoles.
That means fans looking for the best graphical experience will spring for the next gen edition, even over playing the other via backwards compatibility on next gen consoles.
Mamba Forever Edition
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Fans that will likely buy both copies or who are looking to enjoy the enhanced rewards will purchase the Mamba Forever Edition, which obviously has the late Kobe Bryant on the cover.
The Mamba Forever Edition will offer the current-gen Standard Edition of NBA 2K21 on release day, and include the next-gen version of the game come next-gen consoles.
This will let fans naturally compare the graphics of each game in different situations.
PS5
CUTTING EDGE- The PS5 is looking to shake things up by drastically changing its console and controller designs - but are the pieces inside as innovative?
The specs of the PS5 give us confidence it will be a huge graphical leap for gaming. This includes an eight-core AMD CPU based on the 7nm Zen 2, and a GPU based on the Radeon Navi series.
We got to see this hardware in action when NBA 2K21 had its official reveal trailer premiere at the PS5 reveal event.
You can watch the trailer below.
This trailer was executed on pre-alpha in-engine graphics for NBA 2K21 according to 2K Games.
Fans made plenty of jokes about the trailer showing more sweat than gameplay. But if this is what NBA 2K21 will look like on the powerhouse PS5, we're in for a treat come release day.
READ MORE: NBA 2K21 Pre-Order: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One & more
Xbox Series X
SIMPLICITY- Xbox Series X hits some very nice simple tones in its design, but it's what's inside the box that matters
We've gotten plenty of news on the technical features of the Xbox Series X and how it will impact player experience.
The highlights include DDR6 RAM that will massively improve resolution and framerates, and support for ray tracing through DirectX 12 Ultimate.
The Xbox Series X is also looking to nearly eliminate loading screen time by optimizing the process. This will cut loading screens to a fraction of their current state, which is great news for NBA 2K21.
While we don't have in-game footage of NBA 2K21 on Xbox Series X just yet, we do have a long stream of gameplay on the console thanks to its premiere on Inside Xbox. You can watch that stream below.
Depending on whether NBA 2K21 is optimized for Xbox Series X, we may see these features brought to life in the next big NBA game.
READ MORE: NBA 2K21 Editions: Price, rewards & more
Gameplay trailer
THE ROOKIE- Our only looks at gameplay from NBA 2K21 are of the exciting rookie Zion Williamson
The NBA 2K21 official reveal trailer is still our longest look into NBA 2K21 gameplay.
It may have featured a little action and unique cinematography, but it's no replacement for a full gameplay reveal trailer.
Unfortunately for fans, though, NBA 2K has a history of holding gameplay trailers until the very last minute.
That means we're unlikely to get a full look at NBA 2K21 gameplay and graphics until very close to the Fall 2020 release date window.