NBA 2K26's Got Moves (But Your Old Console Might Not)
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
NBA 2K26 is bringing some fancy new player movement tech, but the good stuff is only for next-gen consoles and PC, leaving last-gen players in the dust. It's a classic case of 'have your cake and eat it too'... unless you're on an old console.
Right, so NBA 2K26 is coming, and apparently, Visual Concepts reckon they've reinvented player movement. According to Game Rant, the big buzz is all about an upgraded 'ProPLAY' system – they're calling it the most significant change since 2K21. Bold claim, eh?
Now, ProPLAY basically translates real NBA footage into the game. Imagine Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's silky-smooth moves replicated perfectly on your screen. Sounds brilliant, doesn’t it? But hold your horses, mate, because here's the catch (and there's always a catch, isn't there?).
This fancy new ProPLAY system, the one that uses all sorts of whiz-bang machine learning to make things look super realistic, it's only available on next-gen consoles (Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and apparently the Nintendo Switch 2) and PC. If you're still rocking an Xbox One or PS4? Tough luck, you're stuck with the old moves. It's a bit like promising everyone a hoverboard but only giving them to people who already own a spaceship.
Okay, so what *are* the upgrades, if you're lucky enough to be on the right platform? Well, dynamic lower-body pose matching is supposed to eliminate that awful 'skating' effect we've all seen in previous games. (Thank goodness, I always thought my players looked like they were ice skating in treacle.) Rhythm Shooting is also getting a tweak, with shot timing and tempo influencing your player's upper body – meaning your stick skills should translate more directly to how the shot looks. Signature Go-To Post Shots are also getting a revamp, aiming to make them viable for a wider range of player types. Nice.
And here's a welcome change: Green or Miss Shot Timing will be universal across all modes. Finally! Should make for a fairer playing field, even if shot timing windows will be scaled by difficulty (which, fair enough, should make the higher difficulty levels genuinely *difficult*).
Remember the drama with the shot meter changes in NBA 2K25? 2K will no doubt be watching player reactions to 2K26 like hawks. It sounds like the new system is heavily reliant on machine learning and AI, so any glitches or weirdness will be magnified. Fingers crossed they've ironed out the kinks.
Of course, if you're not keen on jumping into the deep end with 2K26 right away, NBA 2K25 is still getting support. They even dropped a June update with over 9,000 new animations for the ProPLAY system. (Someone’s been busy!)
So, there you have it. NBA 2K26 promises more responsive and lifelike player movement... as long as you've got the hardware to handle it. It'll be interesting to see if the upgrades live up to the hype, or if it's just another case of shiny new tech being held back by the realities of the gaming landscape. Personally? I'm cautiously optimistic.
**(Sourced from: Game Rant's article "NBA 2K26 Reveals New Player Movement System, But There's a Catch" by Morgan Shaver)**
Tags: NBA 2K26, ProPLAY, Next-Gen Gaming, Sports Games, Gaming News
Original article: Game Rant