Top Sports Video Games 2021 for Holiday Gifts Include NBA 2K22, PGA Tour 2K, and Madden 22
With the holidays upon us again, video game consoles, accessories, and games continue to be popular gifts. Many shoppers will be looking to buy the top sports video games to give as 2021 holiday gifts. We’ve got a look at some of the best video games which really bring the look and feel of sports to life, virtually speaking. Among the options are top choices like NBA 2K22, Madden 22, PGA Tour, and more. Check out our five best games below along with helpful buying tips.
NBA 2K22 among top sports video games
Each year, a brand new edition of the popular NBA 2K series arrives for video game consoles. With NBA 2K22, they’ve added more unique features to an already popular game. It already presents a realistic basketball simulation with updated rosters featuring all the top stars. However, the variety of modes in the game gives something for everyone.
There’s a mode for gamers to create their own custom “MyPlayer” and guide them to basketball success. Gamers can select a college to play for and attempt to go high in the NBA draft. From there, venture into The City or Neighborhood for competition and various quests to earn rewards.
The game also features other great modes such as NBA 2K’s MyTeam where gamers can build their own dream squads of past and present players, or Franchise, where gamers manage a team’s season. There’s even a selection of casual offline modes to practice or play virtual hoops.
NBA 2K22 is currently available for PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PCs. See more details here about the various versions of the game.
EA’s Madden, NHL, and FIFA also popular with fans
Electronic Arts is known for its variety of realistic sports simulation games including Madden (football), FIFA (soccer), and NHL (hockey). EA brought out new versions of each of these games in 2021.
They’re each available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or the newer PS5 and Xbox Series consoles. Several of these games are available for other consoles or Windows PCs. The newer PlayStation and Xbox consoles bring next-level experiences to these games in terms of the look, sound, and feel of playing sports.
Each of these games also continues to present updated rosters with the latest rookies and stars from the professional leagues. Madden and NHL have added special X-Factor Abilities for many of the league’s top stars which allow these players to unlock special skills in games.
All three games continue to use innovative graphics and gameplay to upgrade how the players look and move when competing. It can make for an exciting and entertaining experience.
Just like NBA 2K above, all of these games allow for creating custom players to use in games with the ability to advance their skills. They also offer “Ultimate Team” and Franchise modes, among others, to really take sports game management to that next level.
To learn more about the EA Sports video games and their availability, visit EA’s website here.
Also consider: PGA Tour 2K and MLB The Show 21
It’s possible the sports video game fan on your holiday gift list is a fan of baseball or golf. If that’s the case, there are two other excellent games to consider. They are PGA Tour 2K21 and MLB The Show 21.
With PGA Tour 2K21 golf fans can create their own customized golfer and then compete in various tournaments. Advance to the PGA Tour level and go up against a selection of pro golfers. Additionally, the game offers competitive online modes and even an expansive course creator to create some amazing golf courses! Check out PGA Tour 2K21 here.
Last but not least is San Diego Studio’s MLB The Show. Baseball fans can enjoy every strikeout, home run, and big play in the outfield with this amazing simulation experience. It’s also possible to create a customized sports star and then level them up through the game.
In addition, The Show offers a wide variety of game modes including the popular Diamond Dynasty to build that ultimate fantasy roster! There’s even a stadium creator available for the newer consoles to create some wild places to play ball! See more details about MLB The Show 21 here.
Top sports video games 2021 buying tips
When shopping for the top sports video games, always keep an eye on various retailers to find the best deals. We recommend top websites like Amazon’s video games page, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and GameStop. These retailers generally have competitive prices for their games. They’ll sometimes offer discounts so keep an eye out each week.
Remember to set up watchlists at sites such as Amazon, so they’ll alert you if a certain sports video game has a lower price. Also, the best deals will probably arrive in November and around the popular Black Friday shopping day.
Thankfully, you can mostly shop online so you don’t need to rush out to the stores. However, sometimes there are those early bird deals to take advantage of in person. Sometimes stores offer bundle packages or special incentives along with the games too.
As always, be vigilant, because you may need to be quick to take advantage of a great price on a game before it sells out completely. However, by keeping track of multiple places to buy, you should have no problem finding that sports video game to give as a gift.
Visit VGR’s video game news page to see more guides and news about the latest games.