Choose NBA 2K20
Choose NBA 2K20 if it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 61.4% positive across 10,195 reviews.
NBA 2K20 vs NBA 2K21
NBA 2K20 and NBA 2K21 both land in Sports, Simulation on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Sports, Simulation on Steam. NBA 2K20 (2019) is 1 year older than NBA 2K21 (2020). NBA 2K20 scores higher on Steam reviews (61.4% positive) than NBA 2K21 (53.6% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose NBA 2K21
Choose NBA 2K21 if it matches what drew you to this matchup. 7,840 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both NBA 2K20 and NBA 2K21 sit in Sports and Simulation on Steam and both list Multi-player, Shared/Split Screen, and Online PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 NBA 2K20 |  NBA 2K21 | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2020 |
| Genres | Sports, Simulation | Sports, Simulation |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Verified | Deck Verified |
| Price | Price unknown | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 61.4% positive (10,195 reviews) | 53.6% positive (7,840 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op |
| Developers | Visual Concepts | Visual Concepts |
Side by side
- Both share Sports, Simulation on Steam.
- NBA 2K20 (2019) is 1 year older than NBA 2K21 (2020).
- NBA 2K20 scores higher on Steam reviews (61.4% positive) than NBA 2K21 (53.6% positive).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Both are Deck Verified.
NBA 2K20 vs NBA 2K21 — FAQ
- Which is better, NBA 2K20 or NBA 2K21?
- On Steam reviews NBA 2K20 scores higher (61.4% positive) than NBA 2K21 (53.6% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, NBA 2K20 is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play NBA 2K20 or NBA 2K21 first?
- If you want chronology, NBA 2K20 (2019) came out before NBA 2K21 (2020). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are NBA 2K20 and NBA 2K21 similar?
- They overlap on Sports, Simulation on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both NBA 2K20 and NBA 2K21 have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: NBA 2K20 ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op; NBA 2K21 ships Online Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op.
- Do NBA 2K20 and NBA 2K21 both run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — both are Steam Deck Verified, meaning Valve confirms they run with full controller support, legible text, and default settings out of the box.