EA has explained why only the last-gen version of FIFA 21 has been released on PC, and it sort of makes sense.
The transition from one generation of consoles to another is always a tricky time for game developers. Some tough decisions need to be made. For example, if they're releasing a game anywhere near the launch of the new consoles, developers need to decide whether to release that game on the current systems, the new ones, or both.
A lot of developers have broken the mold this go-around by introducing a free upgrade. So anyone who buys a particular game on PS4 or Xbox One will get a free copy of that game on PS5 or Series X as and when they need it. EA is one of the developers to have implemented that offer with a number of its recent releases.
When FIFA 21 is released on next-gen systems this December, anyone who has bought the game on PS4 or Xbox One will be entitled to a free next-gen copy. However, those of you playing FIFA 21 on PC may well feel a little left out in the cold. There's no free upgrade for you, of course, as that system isn't needed for PC players. However, there is no next-gen version of FIFA 21 on PC at all.
When asked about why PC players are being left behind in gen four at a next-gen FIFA 21 preview event, EA's executive producer Aaron McHardy offered up an explanation. "So that we can open the doors and be inclusive to everybody who wants to play FIFA," is EA's official word on the matter. "In order to run the gen five game, our min spec would have been at a spot that would have left a lot of people out in the cold," McHardy added.
On the surface, the decision actually makes a lot of sense. Console games upgrade their systems by buying a new one every half a decade or so. It isn't that simple for PC gamers. However, those with systems powerful enough to run the fully up-to-date version of FIFA 21 will likely be pretty peeved by this news. There also has to be a cut-off point, even for PC. EA could feasibly say the same thing next year when it releases FIFA 22 this time next year.
Source: Eurogamer