We are only a matter of months away from the release of Sony’s next-gen video games console, the PlayStation 5. Football fans across the US are already frothing at the mouth at the prospect of what the PS5 will be able to achieve with the visuals and gameplay of EA Sports’ Madden franchise. The PS5 is already shaping up to be a supremely powerful console, one that would compete well against some of the better desktop gaming PCs. In fact, its eight-core AMD CPU will utilize much of the same architecture as the leading Ryzen gaming PC processors.

With only the 2020 Super Bowl remaining in the current NFL season, the attention of all fans – other than of those supporting Kansas City and San Francisco in Miami – is already turning to what delights EA Sports have in store for Madden 21.

Typically, NFL fans have had a sneak peek of what the new Madden video game looks like each year in April-May, with the first trailer showcasing the gameplay then following on in June once the Draft has taken place. The Draft is always one of the biggest talking points of an upcoming NFL season, particularly among football bettors that want to steal a march on the sportsbooks. Today, there are dozens of different wagers you can make ahead of the season, with the NFL futures markets gaining in popularity by the year.

Once the 2021 NFL Draft is done and dusted, we’ll literally be weeks from the release of Madden 21, which is almost certain to be in August just like its predecessors. There are plenty of unanswered questions about the prospects for Madden 21 on the PS5, which we’ll do our best to handle in the remainder of this article.

Contenders for the Madden 21 cover

It was no surprise to see Patrick Mahomes secure the spot as cover athlete for Madden 20, after securing the MVP spot in his rookie year with the Kansas City Chiefs. Some might wonder whether Mahomes could feature again in Madden 21, particularly if the Chiefs go on to win their first Super Bowl in 50 years this year. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was rated as the NFL’s top quarterback for this season, which could put him in pole position for the role should EA Sports deem it unnecessary to use Mahomes two years running.

A wish-list for Madden 21 features

The greatly enhanced graphics of the PS5 will surely taken Madden 21 to a whole new level. With new ray tracing functionality, the field and stadium environments will be more detailed and in-depth than ever before, taking you closer to the action. Many anticipate the PS5 specs to result in considerably more intelligent AI, ensuring a more realistic gameplay experience that resembles the real thing more than ever.

The one bugbear from Madden 20 among most fervent gamers is EA Sports’ constant pushing of Madden Ultimate Team (MUT) rather than playing Franchise. The game’s intrusive pop-ups exasperated many, who are keen to see them disappear in Madden 21 in favor of a more relaxed approach to pushing EA’s cash cow.

There’s no doubt that the Franchise game mode of Madden 20 was a huge step forward compared with Madden 19. For those that enjoy the thrill of managing and playing their favorite franchise all the way to the Super Bowl, it’s easily the best single-player mode, but there’s plenty more EA can do to enhance the gameplay. Whether it’s improving the choice of scenarios, unexpected player retirements, team fallouts and tense contractual negotiations, all of this would create a more immersive Franchise experience in Madden 21.

Last but by no means least, most Madden 20 fans have been left frustrated at the defensive gameplay on offer; particularly those gamers that consider themselves ardent button mashers. Most would agree that playing in defense on the latest version is like taking a stab in the dark. Blocking is inconsistent and you simply can’t be sure whether your player will move like a normal human being. Hopefully the next-gen PS5 will help athletes to look more life-like and responsive to those around them.