Graphics comparison: 2K23 vs 2K25

[AIRJ23]

Re: Graphics comparison: 2K23 vs 2K25

2k23 might look better on a screen shot. But to me 2K25 plays so much smoother and overall looks more realistic during gameplay. The courts are also plenty reflective when you see the actual game. More than it appears in the screenshots and videos we've seen posted.

That’s very fair and I don’t doubt it.

I just think 2K got off lucky by lowering the bar with 24 so much that 25 gets to be compared to it. That’s not discounting how good 25 looks, it’s just highlighting how easy its bar is.

My hunch is that if 23 was put up against 25 in a variety of ways (we already see courts in screenshots but that’s all we got) via detailed video breakdown graphics comparisons, 23 would prove a tough opponent to beat. I could be wrong, but that’s my hunch.

Here is a comparison of 23 and 24. The graphics superiority of 23 here imo looks about as great as the graphics superiority of 25 vs 24. 23 absolutely demolishes 24 across the board and the comments of course agree. Just like 25 demolishes 24 across the board.

Meaning, 24 is beaten by the game that preceded and succeeded in in these comparisons. So let’s get the heavyweights together and see who really comes out on top.

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I don’t think 2K cares about how people view its graphics compared to previous games. But if I’m 2K and I do care, I wouldn’t want people making 23 vs 25 comparisons either. I’m happy to have 24 used as an easy benchmark to beat.

[AIRJ23]

Re: Graphics comparison: 2K23 vs 2K25

Let me add one more here,

It’s not just the COURTS that look better in 23 than 24. It’s the PLAYERS! 24 lowered the bar across the board. It objectively looks worse in every single respect than the game it replaced.

Now, 25 ALSO looks better than 24 across the board. But I wouldn’t downplay the beauty of 2K23. Not only does it hold up, but if I’m 2K25, I’d be hesitant to enter in a graphics comparison against it (and if someone is so inclined, please prove me wrong by making one, as I don’t have 25 yet )

[The 24th Letter]

Graphics comparison: 2K23 vs 2K25

Well, 2K24 is pretty widely considered the worst looking of the current gen, and that’s the game people are acclimated to and comparing to 2K25. So of course 25 will have a walk in the park there.

I’d wager if you showed the pics in this thread of 23 vs 25 courts to regular people with no labels on said pics, the vast majority would pick 23 based on those pics.

That aside, as I don’t have a huge beef with 25’s court reflections (textures look lo fi, crowd too dark, lakers wood too pale and non defined textures, those are my beefs), I just know that comparing it to 2K24 is like choosing to play Bronny James 1v1 instead of LeBron.

I think 25 looks good actually. But I want to see how good. And whether 21, 22, or 23 is the best looking of the current gen before 25 came out (I think 23 looks better than 21 and 22 easily), they all look better than 24, which is the point.

I know everyone hates me for not just jumping on the “it looks so good” bandwagon without visual comparisons to 2K23 or anything pre-24. But I was dogging 24’s graphics a year ago as horrifying, and all of a sudden, whaddaya know, now that 25 came out, all those who didn’t want to admit just how bad 24 looked, are now all over message boards and social media saying how bad 24 looks, “looks like a mobile game,” “I had no idea it looked this bad” clearly it’s seen as the worst looking of the bunch.

Which is the reason I want to see 2K really showcase how good the new graphics are with a real comparison. Not by getting bonus points cause it looks so much better than a game they put out that looked worse than the game it itself replaced.

I don’t think anyone hates you or cares if you join any bandwagons man, it’s just gotten to the point where you’re dragging the topic out. It’s like when you were going on for weeks about how the Bulls red wasn’t accurate in 23 vs. 22 and even going so far to suggest that 2K was adjusting it per video they dropped, lol. These rabbit holes are cool, buts it’s not quite for everyone.

As far as others opinions. If the consensus here was that ‘25 looked horrible, would you still be asking for comparisons? It’s a confirmation bias thing. This forum hasn’t ever held back on speaking about graphics, a case study isn’t required because they aren’t saying what you expected. People have eyes, memory, and perception just like you do. I promise you people here have the capacity to to conclude that 2K25 does something better than 24, but it’s not quite how they liked it in in ‘20. It happens every day here.


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[49UNCFan]

Re: Graphics comparison: 2K23 vs 2K25

2k24 most likely took a step back graphically due to proplay addition honestly. We now have the PS5 Pro coming so that should help out a lot

[AIRJ23]

Re: Graphics comparison: 2K23 vs 2K25

I don’t think anyone hates you or cares if you join any bandwagons man, it’s just gotten to the point where you’re dragging the topic out. It’s like when you were going on for weeks about how the Bulls red wasn’t accurate in 23 vs. 22 and even going so far to suggest that 2K was adjusting it per video they dropped, lol. These rabbit holes are cool, buts it’s not quite for leveryone.

As far as others opinions. If the consensus here was that ‘25 looked horrible, would you still be asking for comparisons? It’s a confirmation bias thing. This forum hasn’t ever held back on speaking about graphics, a case study isn’t required because they aren’t saying what you expected. People have eyes, memory, and perception just like you do. I promise you people here have the capacity to to conclude that 2K25 does something better than 24, but it’s not quite how they liked it in in ‘20. It happens every day here.


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I’m pretty sure it was 21 who’s Bulls red I thought wasn’t accurate lol. But 22 did have good coloring.

All I’m saying is, I know 25 looks good. But 24 is an artificially low bar to make anything look good next to it (look at the screenshots above vs 23).

Do I think 25 can look better than 23? Absolutely. Do I think it DOES look better than 23? I don’t know about that yet, which is why I wish there were detailed comparisons of various in game footage (which I can’t do yet).

Call it a conspiracy, call it assuming people who played 24 for a year and haven’t booted up 23 side by side with 25 maybe forget how 23 just may still be the best overall looking of the current gen. But I just have a feeling if we saw multiple comparisons of 25 vs 23, it would be a close call.

[49UNCFan]

Re: Graphics comparison: 2K23 vs 2K25

Honestly 2k23 doesn't compare to 2k25 PC visually or from a gameplay perspective.

[TarHeelPhenom]

Re: Graphics comparison: 2K23 vs 2K25

Honestly 2k23 doesn't compare to 2k25 PC visually or from a gameplay perspective.

I agree with this. The lighting in 2k23 was good. But, 2k25 is a visual upgrade from any other 2k game that's been made in my opinion.

[AIRJ23]

Re: Graphics comparison: 2K23 vs 2K25

Honestly 2k23 doesn't compare to 2k25 PC visually or from a gameplay perspective.

All bets are off when it comes to PC now being new gen honestly.

I don’t doubt 25 looking very good overall. But I’d just like to see a good comparison is all, to really see how it compares to the closest thing to a current gen console benchmark.

Courts are pretty obvious via the screenshots I posted. 25’s courts are fine but I personally like 23’s better.

And I can already tell by 25’s footage that player models look better lit and sharper. But I’d just love to see with my own eyes how close 23 gets. I feel it’s closer than some may give it credit for.

I guess 24’s terrible graphics regression bugged me more than it did some others. Definely proplay is the reason they had to sacrifice graphics. But just how bad it was, was unacceptable to me to where I went back to 23. So on a personal level it’s kinda annoying to see 24 used as the graphical comparison to 25 as it gives 2K a free pass basically.

[Heisman]

Re: Graphics comparison: 2K23 vs 2K25

Let me add one more here,

It’s not just the COURTS that look better in 23 than 24. It’s the PLAYERS! 24 lowered the bar across the board. It objectively looks worse in every single respect than the game it replaced.

Now, 25 ALSO looks better than 24 across the board. But I wouldn’t downplay the beauty of 2K23. Not only does it hold up, but if I’m 2K25, I’d be hesitant to enter in a graphics comparison against it (and if someone is so inclined, please prove me wrong by making one, as I don’t have 25 yet )

2K24 doesn’t look that bad man. I think you’re nitpicking to be honest. Nothing wrong with 2K24 not being your favorite looking game, but dang.

[Champy123]

Re: Graphics comparison: 2K23 vs 2K25

2K24 doesn’t look that bad man. I think you’re nitpicking to be honest. Nothing wrong with 2K24 not being your favorite looking game, but dang.

It’s not the worst looking game but I understand what AIR means by across the board. Lightning sucked so bad in 2K24 it made the courts and players look dull and lifeless, even though it the player models themselves are the same. Almost makes me think we pay every year for new lighting

[AIRJ23]

Re: Graphics comparison: 2K23 vs 2K25

2K24 doesn’t look that bad man. I think you’re nitpicking to be honest. Nothing wrong with 2K24 not being your favorite looking game, but dang.

You really think so? 2K24 legitimately looks like a PS4 game there compared to 23 looking like a PS5 game in respect to lighting and textures (basically.. graphics). I mean look at the skin textures and courts! 24 zero reflections on courts and also players look like chalk. No skin texture. How much worse can it get?

Mind you that’s not compared to a game that replaced it. That’s compared to a game it replaced!

I love tons of things about 2K. But them letting that come into production looking like that made me lose a lot of trust into them. It’s the first game I bought then shelved to go back to a prior game.

[mfdoom911e]

Re: Graphics comparison: 2K23 vs 2K25

2K24 doesn’t look that bad man. I think you’re nitpicking to be honest. Nothing wrong with 2K24 not being your favorite looking game, but dang.

2k24 as so bad that is the reason i even regret buying PS5 in the first place because that graphics was so dead. court dead lighting dead players dead.

I didnt even play that game after wards waiting is OS if the court reflection and bleachers lighting was fix.

[nitsujneal]

Re: Graphics comparison: 2K23 vs 2K25

AIR I highly suggest you go ahead and cop the game. Don’t punish yourself by sticking with 23 for another year (servers about to get cut off anyway). In terms of visuals, courts aren’t as reflective but I promise everything else looks better. Vids and screens don’t do it enough justice. You have to see it for yourself, on your own television.

Also if you’re into player and roster creation , there’s a whole lot more customization this year. Not to mention, quite a few guys have gotten hair and face updates. 23 is so outdated in comparison.

[AIRJ23]

Re: Graphics comparison: 2K23 vs 2K25

AIR I highly suggest you go ahead and cop the game. Don’t punish yourself by sticking with 23 for another year (servers about to get cut off anyway). In terms of visuals, courts aren’t as reflective but I promise everything else looks better. Vids and screens don’t do it enough justice. You have to see it for yourself, on your own television.

Also if you’re into player and roster creation , there’s a whole lot more customization this year. Not to mention, quite a few guys have gotten hair and face updates. 23 is so outdated in comparison.

Yeah Ima definitely cop it at some point. Question is how long do I wait and do I get it on sale.

Thing is I spent so much time on my 23 rosters and have them absolutely perfect, and also the game plays soooo good for me and reliably (don’t have to worry about patches that put me down endless rabbit holes of re tweaking sliders etc. honestly that alone made last year so peaceful for me playing an older game). But yeah I’ma get 25. I know it won’t be a dealbreaker like 24 was where I’ll rush back to 23. But it’ll have to be a considerable upgrade for me to really invest the same time into it that I did 23 into getting it just right. Which is why I’m being so picky. But I definitely will get it.

[Champy123]

Re: Graphics comparison: 2K23 vs 2K25

Yeah Ima definitely cop it at some point. Question is how long do I wait and do I get it on sale.

Thing is I spent so much time on my 23 rosters and have them absolutely perfect, and also the game plays soooo good for me and reliably (don’t have to worry about patches that put me down endless rabbit holes of re tweaking sliders etc. honestly that alone made last year so peaceful for me playing an older game). But yeah I’ma get 25. I know it won’t be a dealbreaker like 24 was where I’ll rush back to 23. But it’ll have to be a considerable upgrade for me to really invest the same time into it that I did 23 into getting it just right. Which is why I’m being so picky. But I definitely will get it.

If it’s like that then I’d suggest just wait till 2K25 goes on sale. I’m still playing 2K24 for pretty much the same reason you’re playing 2K23, my rosters are complete, the gameplay is the gameplay and I’m content. Nothing about 2K25 screams I have to get it right now.

Even if the servers go down for 2K23, as long as you got your rosters saved, shouldn’t be an issue if you’re playing just offline. It’s really up to you my man.