Despite hitting its 20th anniversary and arriving fully on next‑gen consoles, MLB The Show 25 has drawn criticism for feeling visually stagnant. Fans lot of mlb 25 stubsexpected major visual upgrades to match current hardware, but many believe the game remains rooted in past-gen design.

Critics highlight the lack of noticeable progress in player models, stadiums, crowd detail, and environmental textures. One review bluntly stated that while gameplay and features improved, the visuals “still don’t look the way you’d expect the premier baseball simulation in 2025 to look.” Player models and environments “need to be upgraded to meet the standards… outstanding feature set.” Complaints also focus on a muted color palette that feels flat compared to other sports titles.

Players report encountering texture flicker, fuzzy signage and ads, pop-in issues, and low‑resolution crowd models. One fan complained, “This game is *** in the graphics department,” citing blurry outfield ads and poor anti‑aliasing even on high-end setups. Another described landscapes as “pixelated and blurry” on Xbox Series X in 4K/120hz, despite proper display settings. Stadium outfield mountain backdrops are often misrendered or low res, breaking immersion.

Comparison with other sports games exacerbates frustration: NBA 2K, Madden, and NHL release annual graphical leaps, yet MLB The Show appears stuck. A Reddit thread bluntly reminded fans: “It looks straight out of the PS3 era,” and “not like a PS5 game.” Many believe San Diego Studio is hamstrung by a dated engine and last-gen platform constraints, limiting texture quality, physics, animation fluidity, and lighting realism.

Even Sony’s own reviews of 25 acknowledged minimal visual upgrades. A critic noted that, while players and hair physics improved, the underlying engine remains ancient in many assets, and high-end PS5 Pro enhancements were scrapped at launch. Overall, there’s a sense that next-gen console power is not being fully leveraged.

Nevertheless, voices in the community advocate prioritizing gameplay over graphics. One perspective holds sports games succeed through mechanics and feature depth, not engine finesse. Another Reddit user stated: “Game mechanic wise it had an overhaul which is more important than graphics … would you rather play a game that looks awesome but runs terribly or a game that runs awesome and has decent graphics?” For many, smooth performance and new modes outweigh pixel-perfect visuals.

In a nutshell, MLB The Show 25 delivers top-tier gameplay and content but fails to deliver the visual leap expected in 2025. With fans accustomed to seeing sports titles evolve graphically, the lack of visual innovation here feels like a missed opportunity. The sentiment is clear: the engine needs modernization. Whether Sony San Diego will respond in future updates, or hold off until last-gen support ends, remains a hotly debated topic among the fanbase.