For the first time since 2015, when Rory McIlroy was the one-time patron for a PGA Tour Electronic Arts takes up the bat again and this time saves both a title star and the year in the name – a live service concept is now the order of the day. You can’t complain about what’s in the package at the beginning: 30 courses, which (almost) all reproduce real, prominent role models with great attention to detail, as well as all the important official PGA tournaments are a big deal. The squad of licensed players (among them, oddly enough, some “rebels” who have meanwhile migrated to the Saudi LIV tour) is not that outstanding. But since you command your self-made athlete in the central game modes such as career or online tournaments (both of which require a connection to the EA servers), that’s bearable.
Visually there PGA Tour handsome, but pays for it with a conservative 30 fps. The controls are based on quite demanding analog stick swings (thankfully a three-click system has now been added), which can be adjusted in many details. This is attractive for ambitious console golfers, but for lack of a reasonable explanation you have to work out most of it yourself. And if you want to put a packaged version on the shelf, you have to look abroad – a USK version is only available as a download.