For a third consecutive year, I’m happy to see the appearance of Football Manager Console Edition. The 2023 instalment is here and returns to Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S and for the very first time is arriving on PlayStation 5. It makes me delighted that the franchise is clearly performing well in the console space since it didn’t go quite well back in the Xbox 360 era. For us lucky Xbox folk, the game is available on Xbox and PC Game Pass with the Console Edition also available on the cloud.

Introduction

Football Manager 2023 Console Edition is back again and hopes to build on the fantastic groundwork of the previous 2022 version. Whilst the 2021 outing was a super clunky affair with the controller, we steadily saw improvements since then and to be fair it was the first Football Manager sim on the console for almost thirteen years. If you have never indulged in this magnificent series, then you will need to get your management head-on as there is no direct gameplay on the field like the FIFA or Pro Evolution Soccer titles. You will be at the helm of a club of your choosing and in control of the logistical elements throughout with the board to please.

You’ll be responsible of course for the first team squad, but also for your reserves team and youth prospects, the financial affairs of the club along with everything else the beautiful game throws at you to make your hairs turn grey or fall out. Obviously, you’ll want to draft in staff or keep the members already there to help with everything from training exercises, scouting new talent, managing the second team and even negotiating player contracts if you can’t be bothered yourself. It is as in-depth as you want it to be or casual if you choose and whilst it isn’t as hugely rich as the PC version, it isn’t far off with more than 120 leagues to choose from including scenario-based modes and online play if you want to dive in with your mates.

What’s New?

I’d imagine it is really hard for the teams responsible for the game to keep evolving and changing a game that is so concrete and almost perfect already. Believe it or not, there are thousands of people across the world who are gathering data and feeding it back to the development teams to construct the most accurate game humanly possible and it’s an incredible feat. Whilst I find changes are always minimal between each season’s offerings, they always do it with the mindset to improve on what is already there rather than changing the formula that works already.

New Selection Wheel

Being a stats junkie and the awesome football manager I am, I spend literal hours absorbing player statistics, behaviours and analysing their player history. Over the past few games, it has been honestly a little fiddly to get to some of the screens you want, often several buttons presses to access the information required. The addition of the new selection wheel is present throughout the game and gives you more options with just one action. It gives you much more fluidity with the controller and makes for much easier navigation.

Team Talks Are Back!

Something that has been lacking in the console versions is the ability to speak to the squad at half-time and after the game has finished. Sure, you can bark orders from the touchline, but now you’ll really be able to give your squad the hairdryer treatment if they aren’t delivering you those precious three points. Whilst I’d have liked a few more options and a bit more conversation in this area, it is a good start and has been absent from previous versions, so I welcome the addition with open arms.

Dynamic Manager Timeline

It’s always nice to look back on success and pivotal moments in your career, isn’t it? Well in the footballing world it is no different. Whilst you can still access all the personal achievements and information on your management progress from the main hub, there is a new dynamic timeline. Here you’ll be able to scroll through and see all the good stuff from the date you started such as managerial appointments, landmark signings, manager of the month achievements and much more. It is something that I will personally love to look through after I have smashed through several seasons as I do every year.

Whilst I didn’t test these out, the development team have added all new accessibility options such as colour blind modes. Different pacings can be chosen so that the games can pause at important moments giving you the time to make decisions and alterations.

Graphics

When you spend the majority of the time looking at screens rammed with data, it is difficult to go deep into context in the visuals department. If you religiously play the game every single year, then it is pretty to see the difference and there are improvements across the board. With a fresh dash of colours throughout the theming and some additional screens here and there, it creates a much more immersive and atmospheric management experience. I started with Plymouth Argyle in Sky Bet League One and the licencing blended into all the transitional screens before, after and during the game are really well done.

The in-match logistics have also massively moved on with tactics so much easier to perform on the fly. Other information has been moved onto a tablet which you can whip out at any point if you want to keep your eye on what the other scores are in the league in real time alongside other data. The match engine looks superb as ever with more attention to detail with seemingly more player animations on the pitch. On Xbox Series X I have piled in around 20 hours of playtime and haven’t experienced any issues whatsoever when it comes to how the game runs, everything is silky smooth with super quick loading times when skipping days and saving the game. When it comes to the audio, there is no in-game music, and it is just crowd noise that you can hear which can be turned off if you desire.

In Conclusion

Football Manager 2023 Console Edition is perhaps one of those games that many look at and say it’s the same every time. I can tell you that it has drastically improved year after year with controller functionality and its incredible performance on Xbox Series X. Whilst the Windows PC version with a high-end rig and the ability to modify the game will always be the optimum way to play. The Console version has enough depth and historical statistics to consume you for an unlimited amount of hours. 

If you’re someone who lives and breathes football and has never indulged in a Football Manager title, then you are missing out. The experience has never been better on these shiny plastic boxes under the TV. With a generous sprinkling of new features and some nice enhancements to the layout with improvements to navigation, it is absolutely a management sim you won’t want to miss