FC 27 head to head: Switch 2 closes in on PS5 and leaves PS4 behind

EA Sports FC 27 is already playable thanks to early access for the Ultimate and Ultimate Plus editions, and as happens every September, that opens the season for platform comparisons. The channel ElAnalistaDeBits has put the PS5, PS4 and Nintendo Switch 2 versions side by side, and as reported by Vandal, the overall takeaway is fairly clear: Nintendo's hybrid lands much closer to PS5 than to last generation's console, although it doesn't manage to match it in everything.

Why does this matter to us at Underworld Lordz? Because EA's football game isn't just something to kill an afternoon with: it's one of the biggest competitive disciplines on the planet and a content machine for creators. Knowing which console looks best, how many frames it runs at and which modes are left out of each version is information that carries weight when deciding where you're going to compete and where you're going to record from.

What you need to know

• PS5 runs at 4K and 60 fps; PS4 and Switch 2 stay at 1080p and 30 fps.
• In areas such as the pitch, facial fidelity or global illumination, Switch 2 is closer to PS5 than to PS4.
• The players' hair is where PS5 clearly wins on detail.
• The The Grounds mode only exists on the current generation: it doesn't appear on PS4, Xbox One or the original Switch.
• The official launch is set for September 25; until then, only those with the Ultimate or Ultimate Plus editions get to play.

Three consoles, two generations and an obvious gap

The ElAnalistaDeBits comparison goes through several elements of the game that usually make the visual difference in a football sim: the pitch, face quality, global illumination and hair, among others. The conclusion Vandal highlights is that Switch 2 positions itself as a current-generation version, not a cut-down port in the style of PS4, although PlayStation 5 remains ahead when it comes to hair detail.

The hardest-hitting figure, however, isn't in the textures but in performance. PS5 is the only one of the three that offers 4K and 60 fps, while both PS4 and Switch 2 run at 1080p and 30 fps. In other words: in terms of smoothness, Nintendo's new console is on par with the 2013 machine, not the 2020 one, no matter how much better its image is.

Content also divides the generations

Beyond pixels and frames, there's a second dividing line worth keeping in mind. According to Vandal's information, the current-generation versions (PS5 and Switch 2 in this comparison) include additional perks such as The Grounds mode, which simply doesn't exist on PS4, Xbox One or the original Switch. Anyone still playing on a last-generation machine won't just see an uglier game: they'll see a game with less to do.

Our take

Let's be clear: for a competitive player, the quality of a striker's haircut is irrelevant. What decides matches is how the game responds, and there the difference between 60 and 30 fps is enormous. The fact that PS5 is the only one of the three versions compared that reaches 60 fps makes the graphics debate secondary: if you want to compete seriously, Sony's platform is the obvious choice among those analysed, and everything else is a matter of nuance.

That said, the work on Switch 2 deserves recognition. A hybrid console getting close to PS5 on pitch, faces and lighting is good news for anyone who wants to play anywhere, and it shows that EA has taken Nintendo's machine seriously. But we struggle to understand why it remains stuck at 30 fps. In a game where timing is everything, that performance ceiling is a real limitation, and we'd like to see EA explain whether it's a technical decision or a priority that could change with patches.

For content creators, the message is twofold. On one hand, recording in 4K and 60 fps from PS5 is what audiences expect today on YouTube and in livestreams. On the other, the PS4 version is starting to feel like a leftover product: without The Grounds and at 30 fps, it makes less and less sense to recommend it unless there's no alternative. If your community is still playing on the last generation, it's time to tell them honestly that they're getting a different game.

What do you think?

The comparison makes it clear that there are three different experiences under the same name, and we want to know where you'll be stepping onto the pitch from this year. Is a Switch 2 at 30 fps good enough for you for the convenience of playing anywhere, or is there no competitive football below 60 fps as far as you're concerned? Tell us in the team chat or on our Discord.