EA is facing a backlash over its decision to make FIFA 22 on PC the last-gen version of the game.
Fans have criticised the move, which was confirmed last night when EA unveiled the game alongside its debut trailer, below.
FIFA 22 has what EA calls “HyperMotion” gameplay, which combines machine learning with 11v11 motion capture to improve how players move during a match.
Here’s the official blurb on the motion capture:
“Xsens suits record every touch, tackle, sprint and duel from all 22 players playing at high intensity for the first time ever, capturing data that powers over 4000 new animations in FIFA 22 to raise the footballing intensity, responsiveness, and physicality of every player in the game.”
And on machine learning:
“A cutting-edge proprietary machine learning algorithm learns from over 8.7 million frames of advanced match capture, then writes new animations in real time to create organic football realism across a variety of interactions on the pitch.”
That all sounds pretty cool – and potentially positive for the way FIFA plays – but it comes with a caveat: HyperMotion gameplay is only on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Stadia. That leaves out PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (and Switch, but I don’t think anyone was expecting anything other than a by-the-numbers legacy edition for Nintendo’s console this year).