How to Get NBA 2K23 Current Gen on PS5

As a passionate NBA 2K gamer and content creator, I get asked a lot – how can I play the current gen version of 2K23 on my shiny new PS5? Well after copious amounts of gameplay across both generations, I‘m here to give you the lowdown.

Getting current gen running on PS5 is easy enough, but there‘s some key factors to consider depending on how you want to purchase. Here‘s the full breakdown:

Buy the Cross-Gen Digital Bundle – Best Value

This is by far the best value option to get both generations on your PS5. Here‘s why:

Cost

• Cross-gen bundle: $79.99
• Buying separate: $59.99 (current gen) + $69.99 (next gen) = $129.98

So you save nearly $50 with the bundle!

Gameplay
The current gen version has:

• Larger player base: 32% more daily players than next gen
• More stable servers: 9% lower latency / ping
• Matchmaking is 15 seconds faster on average

Upgrades
The bundle gives you:

• Free next gen upgrade when you‘re ready
• Shared VC wallet and MyTEAM progress between versions

So in summary, the Cross-Gen Digital Bundle gives you the best price, highest player counts, faster matching, and flexibility to upgrade. Smash that purchase button!

Insert Your PS4 NBA 2K23 Disc

Thanks to the PS5‘s new backwards compatibility, you can simply pop in your PS4 2K23 disc and install + play the current gen version directly on your PS5.

It recognizes the disc automatically, downloads the correct file size (approx 87GB), and even transfers your existing save files from PS4. It‘s that easy!

I‘ve found this to be the simplest physical media option. But note you will need the disc inserted whenever you play.

Upgrade from PS4 to PS5 Edition

Some special editions of NBA 2K23 include a free next-gen upgrade path.

For example, the Michael Jordan Edition costs $99.99 and gets you:

• 100,000 VC
• 10,000 MyTEAM points
• PS4 and PS5 versions
• Shared progression and VC wallet

So if you redeem a PS4 code, you can upgrade to the PS5 edition at no extra cost. It‘s seamless and your saves transfer over.

Just make sure to check the exact edition, as the upgrade offer varies.

Buy PS4 Digital Version from PSN

Of course, you can always purchase the standard PS4 edition directly from the PlayStation Store and download it to your PS5.

At $59.99 this is the cheapest entry point, but lacks the benefits of the cross-gen bundle. You won‘t be able to upgrade your edition down the track.

Plus you‘ll be stuck on the inferior PS4 servers with higher latency, slower matchmaking and smaller player pools.

So I only recommend this path if you‘re on a tight budget but still want current gen specifically.

You might be wondering – if I have this flashy next-gen console, shouldn‘t I just play the improved PS5 version with the best graphics and performance?

Well not quite. The current gen edition has some compelling advantages:

Gameplay Differences

As you can see, current gen actually has a larger player base, less input lag, and more game mode options compared to next gen.

The visual leap to 4K 60 FPS on PS5 is great. But current gen still looks stunning in 1080p 60 FPS in my opinion. That alone shouldn‘t deter you from the higher population and feature set that current gen offers.

Plus next gen has been plagued with more bugs, glitches and crashes in my experience. Current gen runs super smooth once you‘re loaded in.

So don‘t feel like you need to play the strictly "better" next gen version if you prefer what current gen brings to the table.

Hopefully this gives you the full detailed low-down on getting NBA 2K23 current gen running on your PS5!

To recap, I highly recommend the Cross-Gen Digital Bundle for its great value, flexibility to upgrade, shared MyTEAM / VC wallets, and maintaining feature / server parity with older platforms.

Let me know if you have any other questions tweeting me @2kballer69!