With the release date for MLB The Show 22 fast approaching, it may be worthwhile for fans of the series to look into the game's wide array of different editions up for pre-order. There are both physical and digital copies available for most versions. Some are geared primarily toward next-gen consoles, but each comes with unique digital downloads, physical collectibles, and gameplay bonuses. That said, it should be noted that the availability of each MLB The Show 22 edition may vary across consoles, so players should keep that in mind while debating which version of the game to pre-order.
Currently, the game is set to release on April 5, though some different versions of MLB The Show 22 come with a four-day early access window that will technically push its release up to April 1 instead. Additionally, for the first time in the franchise, MLB The Show will be coming to the Nintendo Switch alongside its PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One releases. Other notable features in MLB The Show 22 include cross-platform play and progression, though players will need to be subscribed to each console's respective online services to access this element of gameplay, as well as new gameplay styles and difficulty settings to make MLB The Show more accessible for new players.
A complete list of the features coming to MLB The Show 22 can be found on the official MLB The Show website, which also lists out various purchasing options for the game's many editions in greater detail. News regarding the game also appears there so that players can keep up with development progress ahead of April. For example, those who participated in February's tech test, which helped determine how well MLB The Show 22's co-op servers handled a large player load, could find details about it on the site in advance. If there happens to be any future playtests, they'll likely be announced similarly. Ahead of that, though, there's at least plenty of information to be found concerning pre-orders.
MLB The Show 22 - Standard Edition
The standard version of MLB The Show 22 is available in two different variations, one for current-gen consoles and one for next-gen. The current-gen edition will work on the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Players looking to switch an existing copy of the standard edition to a next-gen console later on will need to pay a $10 fee to digitally upgrade from, say, PS4 to PS5. The current-gen standard edition comes with just the base game and 5K Stubs, which serve as MLB The Show's virtual currency and can be used for most in-game transactions.
The next-gen standard edition for MLB The Show 22 likewise comes with the base game, but much like the pre-order bonuses from MLB The Show 21 last year, includes five The Show packs and an additional 10K Stubs. Both versions of the standard edition can be purchased physically or digitally. The pricing for MLB The Show 22 standard edition does vary slightly depending on console, as current-gen copies of the game cost $59.99 and next-gen versions can be purchased for $69.99 instead. Next-gen editions of MLB The Show 22 also have access to exclusive features such as 60fps at 4K resolutions, a new and improved Stadium Creator interface, and night games.
MLB The Show 22 - MVP Edition
Much like the standard version of the game, MLB The Show 22's MVP Edition comes in physical and digital forms, and both contain similar features. Namely, the content that remains the same across both of MLB The Show 22's special editions is as follows:
- 4 days early access
- 1 Diamond Choice pack
- 2 Gold Choice packs
- 1 Ballplayer pack
- 10 The Show packs
- Cover athlete themed bat skin
- 10K Stubs
Dual entitlement is offered for any player who purchases the MVP edition regardless of whether it's bought in physical or digital form, though users who buy a physical version of MLB The Show 22 will simply receive a voucher for a digital purchase instead of another disk. With dual entitlement, MLB The Show 22 can be played on both the PS4 and PS5 or, for Xbox users, the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. MLB The Show 22 includes crossplay as well as cross-progression, which allows progress to carry over between multiple consoles, making the inclusion of dual entitlement significantly more beneficial for players utilizing two different platforms.
Furthermore, both digital and physical copies of MVP edition will provide players with access to double daily login rewards. The only other difference between the two is that MLB The Show fans who purchased the game physically will receive a limited edition SteelBook case to store it in. MVP editions of MLB The Show 22 can be purchased for $84.99.
MLB The Show 22 - Digital Deluxe Edition
The digital deluxe edition is the most expensive version of this year's MLB The Show game, at least out of those announced ahead of MLB The Show 22's official release date, and as the name implies, it is only available for digital purchase. It works on both current and next-gen consoles and, like the MVP edition of the game, comes with dual entitlement. On top of that, there's a whole array of other virtual bonuses:
- 4 days early access
- 1 Diamond Choice pack
- 1 Cover Athlete Diamond Choice pack
- 5 Gold Choice packs
- 20 The Show packs
- 1 Ballplayer pack
- Double daily login rewards
- Cover athlete themed bat skin
- 25K Stubs
Obviously, which version is best for any particular player likely depends on their price range and their investment level in MLB The Show as a franchise. Though the digital deluxe edition of the game certainly holds the most benefits as far as extra content and MLB The Show's otherwise hard-to-earn Stubs, players who only have one console or don't plan on spending a lot of time in MLB The Show 22 either in single-player mode or while utilizing online features will probably be just fine with the standard edition of the game. The digital deluxe edition costs $99.99.
Xbox Game Pass subscribers will be able to play MLB The Show 22 for free when it launches, too, as was the case for last year's MLB The Show 21. Of course, this will presumably only be for the standard edition of the game, and players won't have access to many of the digital bonuses or the four-day early access window offered in other releases. Whether this means it will also come to PC eventually is unknown for the time being. Still, it's a good opportunity for those unfamiliar with MLB The Show or other baseball games to check out the series before committing to purchasing the latest entry in the franchise.
Source: MLB The Show