NBA 2K24 Review: Is This the Year You Finally Bench Real-Life Basketball?

You fire up your console after work, ready for a quick game of basketball that actually feels like basketball. Instead, you’re stuck in menus, grinding for badges, getting cooked by players who clearly spent more on VC than you did on your entire game library. It’s not fun. It’s a second job.

If you’ve played past NBA 2K entries, that scenario probably hits a little too close to home. You want fluid gameplay, smart AI, and a MyCareer that feels like your story — not a wallet inspection. You want to hoop, not hustle for microtransactions.

This is where NBA 2K24 steps in and says: let’s try this again.

The Solution: What NBA 2K24 Tries to Do Differently

NBA 2K24 is 2K’s 25th-anniversary entry in the series and the one built around the legacy of Kobe Bryant. It leans heavily into realism, fresh-gen tech, and the promise of more intuitive gameplay, especially on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S with the refreshed ProPLAY tech and improved physics.

On paper, NBA 2K24 aims to solve some of the long-standing frustrations:

• More realistic movement and animations that actually look like the NBA players they’re based on.
• Refinements to shooting, contesting, and dribbling so skill matters more than cheesy exploits.
• Crossplay on current-gen, so your friends’ hardware doesn’t kill your squad dreams.
• A new Mamba Moments mode that lets you relive key Kobe Bryant performances instead of just watching highlight reels on YouTube.

The big question: does it feel meaningfully different from NBA 2K23 and 2K22, or is it another yearly roster update with a shiny cover?

Why this specific model?

NBA 2K24 isn’t just “the new one” — it’s the entry where 2K doubles down on authenticity. On current-gen consoles, 2K leans into its ProPLAY technology, which uses real NBA footage to inform animations. That means jumpers, footwork, and body movement pulled from actual players instead of only hand-animated moves. In practice, it makes stars like Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, and, of course, Kobe feel startlingly true to life.

Here’s how that translates into real-world benefits for you:

• More believable gameplay flow: Drives, pull-ups, and off-ball movement look less robotic and more like an actual televised game. You spend less time feeling like you’re fighting the engine and more time reading the floor.
• Skill-based shooting refinements: 2K24 tweaks timing windows and contest impact, especially on higher difficulties. When you learn your jumper, you’re rewarded; when you take bad shots, you feel it.
• Improved defensive tools: On-ball defense feels tighter and more measured, allowing you to cut off angles and stay in front of opponents without spamming steal or block.
• Crossplay on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S: For the first time in the series, current-gen players can hoop together across platforms in compatible modes. If your crew is split between Sony and Microsoft, that friction finally starts to disappear.
• Mamba Moments mode: A curated, challenge-based celebration of Kobe Bryant’s biggest on-court moments. It isn’t a 50+ hour story mode; it’s more like a playable documentary highlight reel.

Underneath the marketing, NBA 2K24 is still a live-service sports game with virtual currency baked into MyCareer and MyTeam. That hasn’t changed, and it’s important to go in with eyes open, especially if you’re sensitive to grind-heavy progression.

At a Glance: The Facts

Feature	User Benefit
ProPLAY technology (current-gen)	More realistic animations based on real NBA footage, making stars and role players move like their real-life counterparts.
Crossplay on PS5 & Xbox Series X|S	Play online with friends across major current-gen consoles, reducing fragmentation in your squad or community.
Mamba Moments mode	Relive iconic Kobe Bryant performances through tailored in-game challenges for nostalgic, story-driven gameplay sessions.
MyCareer & The City (current-gen)	Create and develop your player in a shared online hub, combining RPG-style progression with social basketball experiences.
MyTeam mode	Build a customizable fantasy roster of past and present NBA players and compete online or offline.
Multiple editions (Kobe Bryant & Black Mamba)	Choose between base and premium editions with varying digital bonuses, letting you decide how much head start you want (or don’t).
Multiplatform release (PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch)	Play on your preferred system; next-gen consoles get the most advanced visual and gameplay features.

What Users Are Saying

Checking user discussions and Reddit threads around “NBA 2K24 review” paints a familiar but nuanced picture.

The praise:

• Many players on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S like the smoother, more grounded feel of gameplay compared to 2K23. Movement, foot planting, and contests feel less arcade and more simulation.
• Kobe fans genuinely appreciate Mamba Moments as a playable tribute, even if they wish it were longer.
• Crossplay is widely viewed as a overdue but very welcome addition, especially for dedicated Park/Rec players.

The criticism:

• VC and monetization remain a major sticking point. Many players complain that progression in MyCareer feels slow without spending extra money, especially if you want to compete online early.
• Some community members say that, on last-gen consoles, the jump from 2K23 to 2K24 feels mostly incremental and not worth full price.
• Balancing tweaks post-launch can be hit or miss; shooting and defense can feel “great this week, questionable next week” depending on patches.

Overall sentiment from engaged fans: 2K24 is a strong on-court product and an improvement in feel, especially on current-gen, but still weighed down by aggressive microtransactions and a sense that the series plays it safe year to year.

Alternatives vs. NBA 2K24

In 2026, NBA 2K24’s biggest “competition” is actually its own older siblings and the occasional indie or arcade-style hoops title. There’s no major licensed NBA sim rival right now, so the real question is whether you should upgrade or stick with what you have.

• NBA 2K23: Still very playable and cheaper. If you’re on PS4 or Xbox One and mostly play offline, the jump to 2K24 may not feel transformative enough to justify full price.
• NBA 2K22 and older: Servers and online modes become less reliable over time. For serious online play, especially in The City/Neighborhood or MyTeam, eventually you’re pushed toward newer entries.
• Arcade basketball games: Great if you want pick-up-and-play fun, but they don’t offer the realism, depth, or licensed NBA ecosystem that 2K24 brings.

Where NBA 2K24 clearly wins is in current-gen realism: visually, animation-wise, and with crossplay. If you just bought a PS5 or Xbox Series X|S and you love basketball, this is the edition that truly feels “next-gen” rather than simply prettier.

Behind the game is publisher Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., the company also known for Rockstar Games and 2K labels, listed on the market under ISIN: US8740541094. That corporate lineage explains both the ultra-polished presentation and the live-service, monetization-heavy design that defines NBA 2K24.

Final Verdict

NBA 2K24 is, in many ways, the most refined version of the modern 2K formula. On-court, it’s the best-feeling basketball simulation you can buy right now, especially on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S with ProPLAY-driven animations and smarter-feeling gameplay systems.

If you’re a longtime fan who plays daily, runs in Pro-Am, or lives in The City, upgrading to 2K24 is easy to justify: crossplay, better feel, and fresh seasonal content keep the ecosystem moving forward. If you’re a Kobe fan, Mamba Moments is a heartfelt, if not exhaustive, way to interact with his legacy.

But if you’re allergic to microtransactions or mostly an offline, casual player on last-gen hardware, you may find the improvements more evolutionary than revolutionary, and the VC-driven grind as frustrating as ever.

So, who is NBA 2K24 for?

• Buy it now if you have a current-gen console, care about online play, and want the most realistic digital basketball experience available.
• Wait for a sale if you’re on PS4/Xbox One, mostly play offline, or already feel burned out by yearly upgrades.
• Skip it if heavy monetization is a deal-breaker and you’d rather stick with an older entry you already own.

When it’s at its best, NBA 2K24 delivers those moments every hoops fan chases: a perfectly timed stepback three, a lockdown defensive stop, a fast-break alley-oop that makes your party chat explode. If that’s the experience you’re craving — and you can live with the grind that comes with it — NBA 2K24 is still the undisputed king of virtual basketball.