MLB The Show 23 vs MLB The Show 24

San Diego Studios debuted their MLB The Show series in 2006 and has dropped a sequel yearly since. The MLB The Show 23 is their latest installation, and with Major League Baseball a couple of weeks away, the PlayStation developers have announced a release date for MLB The Show 24. So, will the upcoming release be a hit like its prequel? Let’s find out in this MLB The Show 23 vs MLB The Show 24 comparison. 

What is MLB The Show 23?

MLB The Show 23 is San Diego Studio’s eighteenth installation of the MLB The Show series. The long-standing series debuted in 2006 to continue the MLB titles that started in 1997. The 2023 release, MLB The Show 23, launched on March 28, 2023, by the series’ publisher Sony Interactive Studios.

This latest installment in the highly acclaimed Major League Baseball simulation video game series introduces exciting new gameplay features that set it apart from its predecessors. Baseball enthusiasts can now step into the shoes of a player or manage an entire team, putting their skills to the test in thrilling ways.

Team players are talents drawn from all baseball eras, including remarkable names like Buck O’Neil, David Wright, Hank Thompson, Carlos Pena, and more.

What is MLB The Show 24?

Slated for release on March 19th, 2024, MLB The Show 24 will be the 19th edition of the MLB The Show series. The PlayStation Studio developer and publisher Sony Interactive sets the game’s release just in time for the Major League Baseball season set to kick off on March 20-21.

Like with the prequels, MLB The Show 24’s gameplay revolves around Major League Baseball gameplay. The game comes with variable modes where players can run a team for a particular game, a season, or several seasons.

Based on the pattern followed in the previous MLB The Show series releases, fans can expect new features in MLB The Show 24. Usually, the additions include new game modes, new baseball legends, and new leagues. The developers, however, intend to reveal more of the game’s specifics, such as player ratings, through February and March, pending the title’s release.

Gameplay; MLB The Show

The gameplay remains the same in all MLB The Show releases. Only a few developer tweaks, like adding features and functionalities, make the experience slightly different in each subsequent title. With MLB The Show 23, San Diego Studios added more than 5,000 new gameplay animations for efficiency and urgency. The core gameplay is still a simulation of professional baseball, with players choosing to manage a team, play an individual character, or control an entire team. New players, however, can choose to play the casual style that comes with tutorials and AI aid to help them grasp the basics of the game. Other game modes are also available, each providing a unique gaming experience.

You can choose any team from the 30 MLB teams in any game mode available in MLB The Show 23. You can also pick up to 6 players from special teams, like the American League and the National League. Also, players can create their avatars using their faces and include the player in their team. 

As the default style in all head-to-head games, you can expect the same competitive playstyle in MLB The Show 24 once the game premieres. However, the game engine, like with MLB The Show 23, could be revamped for better pitcher-batter dynamics. The playstyle remains close to the standard baseball game basics and strategy and guarantees success for players consistent with good input and vice versa.

Game Modes

MLB The Show 23 was San Diego Studio’s most immersive installation of the only baseball simulation video game, thanks to its game modes. Players have enough game modes to try out, including the lauded Diamond Dynasty and the newly added Storylines: A New Game Experience. You can also play the standards of Franchise, March to October, Road to the Show, Online Co-Op, and more.

In the Diamond Dynasty mode, you can build your dream baseball team and select the best to face off with other Diamond Dynasty players. With this mode, the gameplay feels much like playing FIFA with the FIFA Ultimate Team. It also includes multiple playstyles, including co-op, conquests, mini-seasons, and more. 

The Franchise mode is among the standard and basic modes to create a team and draft your history as you play up to the World Series. It was a complete overhaul in MLB The Show 23 for the signing and draft scouting systems. MLB The Show 24 could also come with additional game modes or revamp existing modes, but for now, fans are only sure about the Negro Leagues and the cross-progression and crossplay’s comeback. 

Features

San Diego Studios always finds the perfect cover athlete that leaves fans anticipating what their upcoming release feels like. After having Miami Marlin’s Jazz Chisholm Jr. grace the cover for MLB The Show 23, Vladimir Guerrero Jr is the cover athlete for the MLB The Show’s 2024 installation. Baseball fans eagerly await the game’s release, but unlike the case with the 2023 game, there will be no technical test in MLB The Show 24. 

However, the show’s fanatics can gear up for an action-packed gaming experience with the ability to move across different gaming platforms while maintaining their inventory of cards. You can play from anywhere. The prequel, though, came with pretty exciting features, such as the face scan, the ability of batters to finetune certain locations at the Strike Zone, the in-game direction button, and more.

Platforms

Both MLB The Show 24 and its predecessor will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch, with no PC versions expected.

Verdict

For now, MLB The Show 23 still holds its mantle as the most immersive installation of the MLB The Show series. However, it could only be for the time before MLB The Show 24’s full features launch, after which the MLB The Show 23 vs MLB The Show 24 comparison becomes more apparent. Besides, the fact that the developers will not introduce any new features in a tech test is a break-away from the norm and only builds anticipation about what the full game holds.

So, what’s your take on our MLB The Show 23 vs MLB The Show 24 discussion? Which game do you think is better? Let us know your thoughts here on our socials.