Madden 25 will be a shell without most new features on PS4 and Xbox One

With the reveal of several Madden 25 new features has come an increasingly familiar asterisk. Many of this year's most exciting additions are exclusive to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC versions of the game. Each year pushes more and more players to make the leap to next generation consoles, and that's only getting more drastic. When the dust settles, it's looking like Madden 25 on PS4 and Xbox One will barely qualify as a new game.

Madden 25 on Xbox One and PS4 won't have most new features

The reveal of multiple Madden 25 features today was understandably exciting with the colorfully named BOOM Tech anchoring gameplay upgrades and additions like Team Builder coming to Franchise Mode. Of course, there is a catch. Almost every new feature is specifically noted as being for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC only.

That means all of the following new features or upgrades will be missing from Madden 25 on Xbox One and PS4:

• New Data-Driven Physics-Based Tackling
• Reloaded Hit Stick with timing-based changes, new sounds, and controller rumble haptics
• New Ball Carrier Balance and Recovery System
• NFL Immersion with improved Gameday Presentation
• Massive Franchise Mode revamp
• Team Builder brings back Custom Teams
• Two new commentary teams
• Crossplay in Head-to-Head, Franchise, MUT, Superstar KO, and Superstar Showdown
• Cross-Platform Progression
• College Football 25 Road to Glory player upload to Superstar Mode
• New archetypes, faces, hair, and tattoos for Superstar Mode players

That's just scratching the surface of what they've already announced. If you were planning to get Madden 25 for PS4 or Xbox One, you're probably wondering what that version is actually getting. It looks like past generation players can look forward to updated rosters, some Ultimate Team improvements, and not much else.

The difference is so stark that not only are they pushing Dual Entitlement, you can't actually buy the PS4 or Xbox One versions of Madden 25 as a stand-alone game anymore. You'll instead have to purchase the Madden 25 Standard Edition for $69.99 on next generation consoles, with the PS5 version including a PS4 copy and the Xbox Series X|S version including an Xbox One copy. While nothing is official, it's looking more likely than ever that Madden 26 will be the one to formally leave past generation consoles in the dust.