MLB The Show 21
Cover art featuring Fernando Tatís Jr.
Developer(s)San Diego Studio
Publisher(s)
SeriesMLB: The Show
Platform(s)
ReleaseApril 20, 2021
Genre(s)Sports
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

MLB The Show 21 is a baseball video game by San Diego Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, based on Major League Baseball (MLB). It was released for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, as well as the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S (a first for the franchise) which included it being on Xbox Game Pass at the release for the first time, with MLB Advanced Media co-publishing digital versions on the latter platforms. This would also be the first MLB game released on an Xbox console since MLB 2K13. The sixteenth entry of the MLB: The Show franchise, it was released on April 20, 2021.[1] San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatís Jr. is featured as the cover star, and at age 22 is the youngest player to do so.[2]

Gameplay

Matt Vasgersian, Mark DeRosa and Dan Plesac return as play-by-play commentators for the last time, Heidi Watney as sideline reporter and Alex Miniak as public address commentator.

New to the series is the ballpark creator feature, which gives players the ability to change ballpark dimensions, wall height, foul territory and other scenery options. This feature also allows players to share and download ballparks that other players have created online. It was exclusive to the ninth generation versions of the game.[3]

Release

For the first time in the series, the game was made available on Xbox consoles, with cross-platform compatibility between the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.[4] It was also announced that the Xbox versions of the game would be available for Xbox Game Pass subscribers at no additional cost at release, a decision made solely by digital co-publisher MLB Advanced Media and not Sony themselves.[5][6]

Baseball legend Jackie Robinson was on the cover of his namesake editions, with $1 donated to his foundation for each copy of the edition sold in the United States.[1]

Reception

MLB The Show 21 received "generally favorable reviews" from critics, according to review aggregate Metacritic.

GameSpot gave the game 7/10, praising the Stadium Creator and changes to pitching but criticizing the lack of additions to Road to the Show and Franchise modes, saying, "Much like its predecessors, MLB The Show 21 is still one of the best sports games available once you step over the foul line."[11] GamesRadar+ gave the game 4/5 stars, calling it "a solid home-run hitter, but not the baseball revolution we were hoping for on PS5 and Xbox Series X." IGN gave it 8/10, saying: "MLB The Show 21 isn't the generational leap forward we might've expected following a new console launch, but it's still the best baseball sim you can play on any platform."

Sales

In the US, MLB The Show 21 was the best-selling digital game across PlayStation and Xbox platforms for the month of April 2021.[15][16] By July 18, 2021, the game had surpassed 2 million sales across all platforms, with the game reaching 4 million players.[17]

Notes

  1. ^ Xbox digital versions
  2. ^ Xbox physical versions

References

  1. ^ a b "Jackie to be on special MLB The Show cover". MLB.com. Archived from the original on 2021-02-03. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  2. ^ "Introducing our MLB The Show 21 cover athlete Fernando Tatis Jr". PlayStation.Blog. 2021-02-01. Archived from the original on 2021-04-02. Retrieved 2021-02-01.
  3. ^ MLB The Show 21 – 4K 60FPS Get the lowdown on Stadium Creator with Coach & Fernando | PS5, archived from the original on 2021-03-23, retrieved 2021-03-23
  4. ^ Good, Owen S. (1 February 2021). "MLB The Show 21 launches on PS5 — and Xbox Series X — in April". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2 February 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2021.
  5. ^ Lyles, Taylor (2 April 2021). "Sony's MLB The Show 21 will arrive on Xbox Game Pass at launch". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2 April 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  6. ^ "MLB reportedly made the decision to bring MLB the Show 21 to Xbox Game Pass". 6 April 2021. Archived from the original on 19 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  7. ^ "MLB The Show 21 for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  8. ^ "MLB The Show 21 for PlayStation 5 Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2021.
  9. ^ "MLB The Show 21 for Xbox Series X Reviews". Metacritic. Red Ventures. Archived from the original on May 31, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  10. ^ Reiner, Andrew (April 22, 2021). "MLB The Show 21 Review – A Familiar Crack Of The Bat". Game Informer. Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  11. ^ a b Petite, Steven (April 20, 2020). "MLB The Show 21 Review - Batter Up". GameSpot. Archived from the original on April 20, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  12. ^ "MLB the Show 21 review: "Strong in so many areas, yet also an opportunity missed"". 21 April 2021. Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  13. ^ "Review: MLB the Show 21 - Hardcore Gamer". 20 April 2021. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  14. ^ "MLB the Show 21 Review - IGN". 21 April 2021. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
  15. ^ Elston, Brett (May 10, 2021). "MLB The Show 21 and Returnal debut, with GTA V and FIFA 21 still going strong". PlayStation Blog. Sony. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  16. ^ Tuttle, Will (June 10, 2021). "Bringing the Joy and Community of Gaming to Everyone". Xbox Wire. Microsoft. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  17. ^ "PlayStation 5 Surpasses 10 Million Units Sold, Remains the Fastest Selling Console in Sony Interactive Entertainment History". www.businesswire.com. 2021-07-28. Archived from the original on 2021-08-12. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
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