Please don't buy FIFA 23 on Switch
Nintendo's console is once again getting a "Legacy Edition" of the popular soccer game – and that sucks
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny
🔜 FIFA 23 is out on September 30
😤 The Switch version is once again getting a “Legacy Edition”
🤷 All gameplay features and modes are the same as FIFA 22 on Switch
❌ You’re paying $40 for new kits, squad updates, more stadiums, and the Barclays FA Women’s Super League (WSL)
Don’t buy FIFA 23 on Switch. EA’s soccer sim might be coming to Nintendo’s hybrid console, but it’s nothing like the game's PlayStation, Xbox, and PC versions. And if you really need a next-gen console, read our in-depth PS5 restock tracker guide and the Xbox Series X price.
Sadly, Nintendo Switch owners will have to make do with another “Legacy Edition,” which means you’re essentially paying $40 for the latest squad updates, some new kits, and the addition of the FA Women’s Super League.
📅 Stay up to date: PS5 2022 games list and Xbox Series X games list
There’s no HyperMotion 2 technology – EA’s fancy motion capture system that makes players seem more lifelike than before – and no gameplay improvements, either. Even FIFA Ultimate Team live content will differ on Switch.
Here’s what EA says about the Switch version of FIFA 23:
“Gameplay features and modes will have parity with FIFA 22 on Nintendo Switch and will feature the same gameplay from FIFA 22 Legacy Edition without any new development or significant enhancements.”
To put it bluntly, you’re essentially buying the same game as last year. However, EA charges a huge premium for an update that could feasibly be achieved via an online update. 🙃
Cynics might say that’s true of every annualized sports game, but FIFA, Madden, and NBA 2K fans will argue that new titles tend to feel notably different from their predecessors. Sometimes the gameplay changes aren’t always welcome, but at least it isn’t the same game repackaged.
🟥 Red card
That’s not the case for FIFA 23 on Switch, though. EA has been offering Legacy Edition versions of the game for several years on Nintendo’s console, which seems counterintuitive when Nintendo has sold over 100 million units of its console. Why are Switch owners being treated like second-class citizens?
🆚 PS5 vs Xbox Series X: which console should you buy?
Of course, the Switch hardware – even if you’re paying for that higher Nintendo Switch OLED price – isn’t at the same level as Sony or Microsoft’s current-gen consoles, but EA pulled a similar trick on PC players last year. FIFA 22 missed all the gameplay and graphics improvements from the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions. Thankfully, the publisher has at least rectified this mistake for FIFA 23 on PC, as it will have parity with the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions.
Unless you’re desperate to have the new kits and roster updates, please don’t buy FIFA 23 on Switch. It’s almost as pointless as the new WD Black SN850 NVMe SSD for PS5…
👋 No more FIFA from next year
Strangely, this will be the last official FIFA game from EA Sports. The company failed to extend its partnership with the world football’s governing body, which means from 2023, the next game will be EA Sports FC.
EA believes it can create a better game of soccer by shedding the shackles of FIFA and that it will retain all the licenses fans are used to, including 19,000+ player likenesses, 700+ teams, 100+ stadiums, and 30 leagues.
“This new independent platform will bring fresh opportunity – to innovate, create and evolve," said Group GM of EA Sports, Cam Weber.
The move away from FIFA will affect players in two ways, however. The name and World Cup content that comes every four years will no longer be included. Everything else, though, should stay the same.