Updated daily · 20 Oct 2026
Player reception, side by side
NBA 2K27 vs NBA 2K26
Players rate last year’s 2K26 above NBA 2K27, which they find too close to it, and the same complaints about VC, shooting and PC play run through both.
In short
As of 20 October, 51% of 2,690 player reviews recommend NBA 2K27, and 67% of 25,932 recommend 2K26. Offline players get the most from either game. 2K27’s draw is this season’s rosters and a promised fix for shooting, and players who skip online play see little reason to move up from 2K26 at full price.
NBA 2K27: recommend it
51%of 2,690 reviews, as of 20 October97
2K26: recommend it
67%of 25,932 reviews, as of 20 October160
Side by side
The two games at a glance.
What players praise
What players like most.
NBA 2K27
Offline modes earn the kindest words.
Players who enjoy it play MyNBA and The W, or simply like the basketball.
A shooting patch is on the way.
Patch 2.0 reworks contests and shot timing ahead of Season 2, the change players ask for most.
NBA 2K26
The basketball itself feels solid.
The pace and the stats match the modern NBA, with better movement and passing than the year before.
Offline modes carry the praise.
MyNBA, the story mode and the single-player campaign get the most credit.
MyCareer can be played without spending.
Players say an overall above 90 is reachable through play alone, though it takes a long grind.
What players criticise
What players complain about.
NBA 2K27
Shooting feels random.
The same release timing can miss or score, and open threes go in too easily online.
VC drives the progression.
MyCAREER and MyTEAM feel built around buying VC or grinding for many hours.
Players find little new.
The hubs, commentary, animations and menus feel unchanged, and the new features feel cosmetic.
PC players can’t join console friends.
PC is kept apart from PS5 and Xbox, with a small player pool of its own.
NBA 2K26
PC lobbies are thin and laggy.
With no crossplay, PC lobbies are slow to fill and latency turns shot timing into a guess.
VC pressure runs through the game.
VC gates upgrades, looks and MyTeam packs, and spenders pull ahead in MyCareer and MyTeam.
Crashes hit PC players hard.
Crashes mid-game and freezes make PC play unreliable, and some updates broke the game for a stretch.
Which to pick
Which one is for you.
NBA 2K27
Pick NBA 2K27 if you play offline in MyNBA or The W, want this season’s rosters, and can wait for a sale.
More on NBA 2K27NBA 2K26
Pick 2K26 if you mainly play offline, want the cheaper game, and don’t need this season’s rosters.
Questions
NBA 2K27 vs NBA 2K26, in short.
Is NBA 2K27 better than 2K26?
Should I upgrade from NBA 2K26 to 2K27?
Players who play offline see little reason to at full price, and many suggest waiting for a sale. Online players are waiting on Patch 2.0, which reworks shot timing and contests.97
Is NBA 2K pay to win?
Do NBA 2K26 and 2K27 have crossplay on PC?
Each game’s figure is the share of all its player reviews that recommend it, counted daily. Praise and complaints come from our own reading of its reviews, each judged from what the player wrote.
Sources
- 97Steam: NBA 2K27, store page and user reviews (opens in a new tab) Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- 982K on Steam: NBA 2K27 advanced access and official tip-off on 4 September, 26 August (opens in a new tab) Accessed 10 Oct 2026
- 160Steam: NBA 2K26, store page and user reviews (opens in a new tab) Accessed 20 Oct 2026