FIFA 14 shows what the new game consoles can do with visuals

Many of the video games already available for PS3 and Xbox 360 will also have PS4 and Xbox One versions in the coming days.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Injustice: Gods Among Us, Need for Speed: Rivals, and Skylanders: Swap Force are among them, and for the most part, the PS4 and Xbox One games are the same as their earlier console counterparts.

What differs is the visual fidelity of the experiences. The animation and graphics on games made for PS4 and Xbox One are stunning, and one game above all others shows that dramatically: FIFA 14.

Today (November 12), at Sony’s press event to show off the PlayStation 4 entertainment console in New York, I saw first-hand how the developers at EA Canada have been able to more realistically re-create the experience of being at a true soccer match.

As a strike by a virtual Lionel Messi was heading toward the goal, I watched the crowd in the stadium, and thought I was watching a real audience.

Some people were already on their feet, cheering. Others were leaning forward, anticipating the goal. There were already arms extended in the air.

This was a digital crowd, but they looked—and responded—as if they were real people. It was the most dramatic and obvious example I’ve seen of what the new gaming consoles are able to deliver.

Sony’s PlayStation 4 is available on Friday (November 15). Microsoft’s Xbox One is available the following Friday (November 22).