The 10 Best Sports Video Games of the 21st Century

The history of sports video games started some 50 years ago with the release of the mock-table tennis title Pong in 1972. About a decade later, things got more interesting, with then-advanced games like One on One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird in 1983 and Tecmo Bowl in 1987. Since then, the sports video game landscape has grown exponentially. Today, there are tennis games with which you can work up a sweat through the use of wireless controllers, golf games featuring legendary athletes like Tiger Woods, and football, soccer, baseball and basketball games that feel like real life.

Here, we will dive into the best of the past two-plus decades, highlighting the top titles and what makes them special, from growth in graphics to the enjoyment of playing … and winning. All these gaming choices offer engaging sporting experiences with the ebb and flow of competition, and the details in their soundtracks can be equally important for generating emotion, from the crowd noises to the acoustics of the arena itself, particularly if you add the immersive envelopment of surround sound.