Not only is MLB The Show making its Xbox debut with this year’s MLB The Show 21, but it’ll be on Xbox Game Pass from the game’s launch on April 20.
It’s a surprising move, considering that The Show is a Sony first-party series that, until now, has only ever been available on PlayStation platforms. In February, MLB, Xbox, and PlayStation announced that The Show 21 will be coming to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One, with cross-platform play. That wasn’t entirely unexpected, given the league’s previous announcement of a “multi-year, multi-platform partnership” for The Show‘s future, but I don’t think many would have anticipated a Game Pass appearance, and certainly not on launch day. (I don’t think anyone expected the Orioles to start off their season by sweeping the Red Sox, either, but hey, good things come from surprising places.)
Xbox Game Pass will include the standard versions of MLB The Show 21 for both Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will also be able to stream it on Android devices via the Xbox Cloud Gaming beta in places where that’s available (which, sadly, excludes New Zealand).
MLB The Show consistently delivers one of the deepest, most authentic baseball simulations on the market. Even if last year’s game was a bit of an off-year in terms of improvements on the year before, The Show 21‘s jump to new-generation consoles is promising “the fastest, deepest, and most intense moment-to-moment baseball action yet … with pinpoint pitching, brand new fielding mechanics, and gameplay styles.”
It’ll also support cross-platform play and progression, meaning people will be able to play with friends regardless of console choice, and anyone who moves platforms will be able to take their progress with them—even between Xbox and PlayStation.
MLB The Show 21 launches April 20 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.