The Madden 21 PS5 and Xbox Series X/S upgrade went live on Thursday. It appears Electronic Arts gave fans of the long-running series a little gift by releasing the update a day early.
The next-generation patch was due out on December 4. Going live a day early, unannounced meant that at first, only a few eagle-eyed gamers downloaded and began playing.
It didn’t take long for first impression videos to start surfacing on YouTube and other social media channels. Those early reviews are … mixed so far.
YouTube user BlackSpace Gaming was among the first to stream the newest version of Madden 21. Playing on the PS5, he answered several questions from viewers who wanted to know if this upgrade really felt like a next-gen boost.
He responded to most saying it did indeed “feel” different. However, those watching the stream complained the graphics didn’t look that much better.
“Almost the same game. They change some cosmetics like play selection so it feels new. But it ain’t,” another wrote.
The YouTuber did say the haptic feedback in the DualSense controller was definitely a welcome addition. He admitted Xbox Series X users didn’t receive that benefit.
Madden 21 Upgrade Hampered By Server Issues
If people were a bit annoyed at what some claimed was a lack of real fidelity enhancements, the fact that Electronic Arts servers were down didn’t help. The servers being down the same morning the upgrade went live had some wondering if the early release was a mistake.
Others said it just felt “on brand” for EA.
Over on the gaming forum, Resetera, the reactions were equal parts hopeful, and skeptical.
Another asked if Madden 21 was famously a “hot mess” this year. One user responded that it was indeed troubled, but the rumors are that it was bad because EA poured all their efforts into the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S version.
