FIFA 21 will be one of the best-selling games on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in 2020-21 as football fans get a chance to play as their favourite players and teams.
Online play is hugely popular in FIFA 21, with game modes like FIFA Ultimate Team, Online Seasons and Pro Clubs pitting people around the world against each other.
You can play against or with friends online on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, but this is the first year in a few seasons where people will be split heavily across different generations of the console.
Contents
- Can I play FIFA 21 on PlayStation 5 against PlayStation 4 players?
- Can I play against Xbox Series X players using FIFA 21 on PlayStation 5?
- How can I upgrade FIFA 21 from PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5?
- Will my Ultimate Team copy across from PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5?
- Can I still play with my Ultimate Team on PlayStation 4 after playing on PlayStation 5?
Can I play FIFA 21 on PlayStation 5 against PlayStation 4 players?
Playing against your friends or even with them using Co-Op mode is one of the most fun ways to play FIFA 21.
Pro Clubs is also hugely popular as you can create a team of 11 players, all playing online at once against other clubs from all over the world.
Co-Op has been introduced into FIFA Ultimate Team for FIFA 21, meaning an online guest can drop in and help you control your side in FUT.
EA Sports initially confirmed that you can not play "across console generations" in FIFA 21.
However, you can download the PS4 version of FIFA 21 on your PS5 and then play against or with your friends using the older version of the game.
To switch to the PS4 version of FIFA 21, scroll to the game in the main console menu, then press down and click on the three dots symbol.
There, you will see an option to play the PS4 version of FIFA 21 (or download it if you had not previously downloaded to your console).
You can switch back to the PS5 version at any time by following the same steps.
Can I play against Xbox Series X players using FIFA 21 on PlayStation 5?
Unfortunately, as well as not being able to play against PlayStation 4 players using the PS5 version of FIFA 21 on PlayStation 5, you will not be able to play against FIFA 21 gamers on Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S.
Cross-play is not supported in FIFA 21, but future versions of FIFA may have cross-play where multiple consoles can play together or against each other online.
Other games on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X support or will support cross-play, including Destiny 2, Chivalry 2, Fortnite and Worms Rumble.
Worms Rumble was free to PlayStation Plus subscribers in December and gave players a chance to try out cross-platform play against players on Xbox and even PC.
How can I upgrade FIFA 21 from PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5?
Anyone who has purchased FIFA 21 on PlayStation 4 can download FIFA 21 on PlayStation 5 using EA Sports' Dual Entitlement offer.
You can upgrade at any time during the season by either logging on to the PlayStation Network account where you purchased the PS4 version or by inserting the PS4 disc into the PS5 disc drive.
However, anyone who purchased the physical copy of FIFA 21 for PlayStation 4 can only upgrade to PlayStation 5 if they have the disc version of the new console.
Will my Ultimate Team copy across from PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5?
Using the Dual Entitlement offer, you can upgrade your copy of FIFA 21 from PS4 to PS5 and bring some of your progress across to the new console.
This allows you to carry your Ultimate Team progress and Volta progress onto the PlayStation 5.
However, progress you have made in Online Seasons and Career Mode cannot be copied onto the new console.
Pro Clubs and Co-Op Seasons progress is also set to one console only and is not transferrable from console to console.
Can I still play with my Ultimate Team on PlayStation 4 after playing on PlayStation 5?
As cross-console play is not allowed in FIFA 21, many people may still wish to play the PlayStation 4 version of FIFA 21 against their friends despite having bought a PlayStation 5.
Luckily, Ultimate Team progress can be carried forward and back through PS4 and PS5, meaning you can still play Co-Op Ultimate Team using your FUT team even after upgrading to the new console.
"All progress you make or content you acquire within FIFA 21 Ultimate Team (including players, items, coins, FIFA Points, match record, and leaderboard placement), as well as all progression in Volta... will transfer from PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5 and back, or Xbox One to Xbox Series X and back," EA Sports confirmed.