These New Features Put 'MLB the Show 22' Above Its Predecessors

Those who preordered one of the two special editions of MLB the Show 22 were able to dive into the game ahead of its April 5 release, but if you haven't already purchased the newest installment in the baseball video game series, you may want to reconsider.

While the game has been produced for generations, MLB the Show 22 offers a variety of new features that make it more appealing than its predecessors — and if you're on the fence, here's what you need to know.

Of the 26 games in the franchise, most of the games have only been made available for PlayStation consoles. The newest game's predecessor, MLB the Show 21, was the first to include Xbox consoles in its lineup, but MLB the Show 22 takes that even further. This is the first game in the franchise to also become available on the Nintendo Switch, expanding the game's audience even further.

There will also be new difficulty modes, so players of all expertise can give it a try seamlessly.

Unfortunately, though, despite the demand for the game to come to PC, this new title will not be available at launch for PC, nor have there been any plans announced to bring it to PC.

MLB the Show 22 also comes with full cross-play and cross-progression compatibility, meaning so long as you've connected your game to an MLB account, you can play with anyone on any console and pick up your game across platforms, so long as you have an internet connection.

Of course, a new platform to play on isn't the only new feature the developers have brought to the franchise. With this new installment, players now have three different types of swings they can choose from in the batter's box. You can make a normal, contact, or power swing, though you should also note that there are bigger penalties for whiffs.

There are also different modes to play to add even more variety than previous games. You can make more than one character to play, so you have a choice when going into different play modes.

Players can also track their progress in a battle royale-style progression, giving different daily challenges and bosses to beat to earn more points.

As mentioned before, there will also be online co-op options, allowing players to create teams of two or three to play against others instead of AI opponents.

In addition to all of these features, there's also a new broadcast team. For MLB the Show 22, Jon "Boog" Sciambi and Chris Singleton will be featured as commentators.

According to PlayStation's blog, the two sports commentators recorded over 45,000 lines of audio for the game, and since the two commentators did many of their recording sessions together, hopefully, the title's new conversation system will result in natural banter throughout gameplay.