Thanks to the backwards compatibility of the new console, you can play against both PS4 and PS5 rivals online
Many people have been lucky enough to move to the next generation of consoles, upgrading from PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5 and from Xbox One to Xbox Series X / S.
As a result, they are now playing FIFA 21 on their new consoles, with improved graphics, loading times, haptic feedback and more.
If you purchased FIFA 21 on a PlayStation 4, you can upgrade for free to the PlayStation 5 version using the EA Sports franchise offer.
However, due to the backward compatibility of PlayStation 5, you can also play the PS4 version of FIFA 21 on PS5.
Can you play against PlayStation 4 FIFA 21 players on PlayStation 5?
In August 2020, EA Sports released a statement saying you can’t play “over token generations” in FIFA 21.
You won’t be able to play across token generations or cross-play # FIFA21.
However, you will be able to carry over your FUT progress from PS4 to PS5 and Xbox 1 to Xbox Series X. https://t.co/mUqU3zcAud
– FIFA Direct Communication (@EAFIFADirect) 10 August 2020
This means you can’t play PS5 FIFA 21 against PS4 FIFA 21, but it’s still possible to play PS4 opponents on PS5 by downloading a PlayStation 4 version of the game on the new console.
You can install both the PS4 version and the PS5 version of FIFA 21 on PlayStation 5, and either use it to play against or with certain online opponents depending on which console is aca.
How to download PlayStation 4 FIFA 21 on PlayStation 5
If you played FIFA 21 on PlayStation 5 before December 3, the PS4 version will already be downloaded to your console as the PS5 version has not been released yet.
If you first played FIFA 21 on PlayStation 4 and then used the full-fledged offer to install the game on PS5, it is possible that the new console will load both versions of the game.
If you haven’t played FIFA 21 on PlayStation 5 until after December 3, you may need to download the PS4 version separately to the new console.
To do this, scroll to FIFA 21 in the Games menu and then scroll down to the “Play” option. You should see three dots next to this. Click on those, and you should be given additional options including “FIFA 21 | PS4.”
Click here and the PS4 version of the game will start downloading. Once downloaded, you will be able to play both the PS4 version and the PS5 version on PlayStation 5.
How to switch between PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 FIFA 21
Once you have downloaded both the PS4 and PS5 versions of FIFA 21, you can easily switch between the two after you switch on the PlayStation 5 console.
From the Games menu, scroll to FIFA 21. The title of the game in the table will indicate which version you are currently playing. It says “PS4” next to the name if it’s the PlayStation 4 version and just says “FIFA 21” if it’s the PlayStation 5 version.
To switch to another version of the game, press down to display the “Play” button and other options. Click on the three-dot icon to open the other options.
One of these options is the other version of the game, either “FIFA 21 | PS4” or “FIFA 21” and if you click on it, that change will change.
If that edit is not yet installed on the console, it will download it before you can play it.