Is College Football 25 available on PC? What about PS4 and Xbox One? Why not? – Daytona Beach News-Journal
EA Sports dropped College Football 25 for those who preordered. But you have to have the right gaming console. And it does have to be a gaming console.
Fans who have the current generation of the PlayStation and Xbox have been going nuts on Dynasty Mode and Road to Glory since Monday. But it’s not just PS4 and Xbox One gamers who are upset about the highly anticipated game’s exclusivity: PC gamers are also left without a way to play the first new college football video game since NCAA Football 14 more than a decade ago.
PC gamers make up a significant portion of video game players. According to GameDev Reports, a 2023 study by TikTok and Newzoo showed there were 892 million PC gamers worldwide compared with 629 million console players. A 2021 study by Statista claims there were more than 1.7 billion PC gamers around the globe.
So why wouldn’t Orlando-based EA Sports make a PC version of the game?
Let’s start here: No, College Football 25 does not have a PC release. Let’s see how PC gamers are taking it:
EA Sports hasn’t spoken officially on its decision to eschew a PC release for College Football 25, but there is some speculation. One is legal: A ScreenRant story mentions that while EA Sports has gotten permission for each athlete included in the game, modders inserting other athletes into the game could make the company susceptible to lawsuits.
This largely depends on what you’re looking for in your video game experience. While a PS5 and Xbox Series X cost about $500, the Xbox Series S Starter Bundle can get you the barebones modern gaming experience for $300. A good gaming PC will run you north of $1,000, and setting one up to your specific wants and needs takes a lot more time and technological knowhow than simply unpackaging a gaming console, plugging it in and turning it on.
However, the extra effort pays dividends. The framerate is much better on PC, meaning games run faster and more cleanly. There’s also a much wider swath of games available, including emulators to play some of the most popular current and modern console-exclusive games (but you should still buy the originals or else it’s pirating!). The customization opportunities are just about limitless, from personalizing your keyboard and other controllers to modifying the games themselves (NCAA Football 14 kept its popularity because players kept inputting current rosters and making the mods available for others to download).
Basically, if you just want to sit back and play games with your friends without too much fuss, a console will work best, but if you’re into customizing and optimizing your gaming experience, the PC is the way to go.
There’s no timetable yet for a potential PC release for College Football 25. EA Sports’ Madden NFL franchise returned to PC in 2018 after 11 years of being console-exclusive. And Madden 24 last year was the first installment made with current-gen features.
College Football 25 is also not available on PlayStation 4 or the Xbox One. While both systems are still used by those who can’t afford the more up-to-date PlayStation and Xbox models, the previous generation of gaming consoles are not able to play the game.
College Football 25 is available only on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
EA Sports College Football 25 is available to play now if you preordered. For everyone else, the game will be available Friday, July 19.
The standard version of the game is $69.99. The deluxe and MVP editions are still available via preorder through Thursday, July 18. The deluxe edition costs $99.99, and the MVP bundle, which includes Madden NFL 25, costs $149.99.
