SEGA and Sports Interactive released multiple versions of Football Manager 2024 across different platforms earlier this month. While that has always been the case for the different versions of the game as the series expanded to more audiences, this year sees it arrive on even more platforms than in recent years, and even gives us an interesting situation with one version of Football Manager 2024 on Apple Arcade (Touch) with another on Netflix (Mobile). I always planned on covering the game this year, but decided to go all the way and treat this as a learning experience for myself as well as I played it on different platforms. So, I’ve been playing Football Manager 2024 on Steam Deck, Football Manager 2024 Touch on Switch and Apple Arcade, Football Manager 2024 Mobile through Netflix, and even Football Manager 2024 Console on PS5 and Xbox Game Pass. I’m going to try and help you understand which version is best for you while also covering the different versions of the game in this combined review that will be slightly different.
As someone who doesn’t really watch football, I’ve been playing almost every main release of Football Manager since 2014 or so. That might sound weird, but I never cared for the FIFA games at all, but still love Sports Interactive’s games. I ended up watching a few videos of Football Manager games from lollujo who has been one of the best resources for the series ever and have been enjoying most of the games since. Anyway, back to Football Manager 2024, it is now available on mobile exclusively through two subscription services. I didn’t play much of last year’s games barring launch week on Apple Arcade and completely skipped the main PC game. Football Manager 2024 has been even better for the most part. It feels like this is the year to come back to the game if you skipped the last few as well, and I mean that for most platforms. With next year’s game changing things up quite a bit, now was the time to check out all current versions of Football Manager 2024 and see how Sports Interactive dealt with different platform hardware restrictions and input options.
If you’re looking for a more-detailed review covering what has changed this year compared to last year’s game on different platforms, this is not that. I’m going to focus on how the current version of the game looks and feels on multiple platforms, while covering the individual versions at the end of this feature. There are a few notable features that are included in all versions of the game, with the new content and features being implemented slightly differently based on the platforms. The one feature that applies to all versions is J.League from Japan finally arriving in the game. This is also the first version of Football Manager to have Japanese language support in-game.
On launching Football Manager 2024 PC, Touch, or Console, you now have the option to play as Football Manager Original mode, Real World mode, or Your World mode. Original is if you want to play Football Manager 2024 like traditional entries. Real World is a new option if you want to get an up-to-date experience for players and clubs. This mode will have players start as they were at the start date of this Career with them moving to the new clubs like in real life on the same dates. Your World will have players, clubs, and more accurate to the start of the 23-24 season, but no real-life transfers happening after that date. This gives you more freedom than ever before for each career save.
Speaking of saves, on Apple Arcade, your older save loads normally in Football Manager 2024 Touch. On Football Manager 2024 Mobile through Netflix, older saves aren’t compatible sadly. They do load for console and PC though. Sports Interactive also said that they aim to have this working in Football Manager 2025 which is a good sign to ensure people are more invested time wise knowing things carry over with the ability to access the new features and not have to start over.
If you’ve been playing the games for many years or just want to know what is available on each platform version in Football Manager 2024, the official website has a handy comparison going into details of how much of a specific thing is included and what level of detail or speed is available for careers. Check that out here.
Having not really bothered with last year’s entry, the new features here and general polish across most platforms make Football Manager 2024 really feel like a game that has been years in the making. Whenever I play the WWE or NBA games each year, you can tell when big strides have been made in a specific year versus just adding on to prior releases in other years. I usually always recommend getting every second game in a yearly series if you aren’t someone who exclusively plays a specific game. With Football Manager most of the community is hardcore, and they play each game, but thanks to more platforms, entry points, subscriptions, and more this year, there has never been a better and easier time to sample one of SEGA’s best modern franchises.
If you’re completely new to the world of Football Manager, the games usually go in the following descending order when it comes to features and complexity: Football Manager, Football Manager Console, Football Manager Touch, and finally Football Manager Mobile. The differences, detailed above in the link, get closer usually each year on the Console and Touch side, with Mobile being the most-streamlined version with the least features. With Football Manager 2024, that holds true, but I’ve come away very impressed with the Football Manager 2024 Console version on PS5, and Football Manager 2024 Touch version on Apple Arcade this year.
Football Manager 2024 is a paid game on PC, but also available on Game Pass. Football Manager 2024 Console is available as a paid game on PS5 and Xbox, but also included in Xbox Game Pass. Football Manager 2024 Touch is a paid game on Switch, but available on iOS, iPadOS, macOS, and tvOS through Apple Arcade. Football Manager 2024 Mobile is exclusively available through Netflix Games on iOS and Android. There is no standalone paid version of it.
Balancing different careers across platforms has been interesting and difficult since launch, and despite having access to the Netflix Mobile version and PC version on Steam Deck pre-release, I wanted to wait for the public versions on all platforms before properly starting to compare and experience Football Manager 2024. For the rest of this feature, I’m going to go into individual platform impressions and short reviews with a score on portable versions.
Football Manager 2024 Console impressions
While I dipped my toes into Football Manager 2024 Console last year through Xbox Game Pass, I was more interested in the PS5 version this year to see if the game had any PS5-specific features. Having now played all versions of Football Manager 2024, Football Manager 2024 Console feels like an upgrade over Football Manager 2024 Touch, but not at par with Football Manager 2024 (PC) yet in its complexity and features. There is some silver lining though. Having tested Football Manager 2024 Console on my TV and my monitor on PS5, the interface is very good for a controller.
Visually, it looks great and the load times are super fast. In fact, Football Manager 2024 Console on PS5 seems to load faster than all other versions of the game I have access to including the PC version on an SSD. It unfortunately does not have any DualSense features, but does have PS5 Activity Card support. You can press into the left stick to bring up a virtual cursor option which is good to have for some menus. Speaking of controls, SEGA really needs to partner with Sony and Microsoft to officially sell the controllers they use for promotion here.
Football Manager 2024 Console on PS5 isn’t perfect, but I think the team has nailed the experience of bringing as much of Football Manager 2024 to console as possible while keeping things more complex yet accessible on a controller. This is a big step above Football Manager 2024 Touch for sure. I just dislike the fact that this is a full-priced game and there are multiple consumable microtransactions included. This might sound like the old man yelling at cloud meme, but it does feel bad seeing these purchases available when you have Football Manager 2024 Touch on a subscription without any added purchases.
Football Manager 2024 Touch Apple Arcade Review
This is the version I was most excited to check out. When it arrived as an update to Football Manager 2023 Touch, I started playing a new save and also loaded an old save to see if that works. I focused on playing this version with touch controls on my iPhone 15 Pro and iPad Pro, but also tried it with my Razer Kishi V2 on iPhone 14 Plus. Football Manager 2024 Touch on Apple Arcade played on my iPad Pro is my favorite version of Football Manager 2024 for sure. I cover the Nintendo Switch version of Football Manager 2024 Touch later on in this feature.
I didn’t have this one early, so came into Football Manager 2024 Touch on Apple Arcade and Switch after playing the PC version and Football Manager 2024 Console for a good amount of time. There are cutbacks compared to those versions, but I’m impressed with the state of Football Manager 2024 Touch on iPad Pro. Going over to the iPhone version, I was curious to see how the UI scaled since that was touted as one major improvement this year. While it is much better, Football Manager 2024 Touch still feels very much like a game perfect on iPad.
Football Manager 2024 Touch on Apple Arcade supports touch controls and controllers. I used my Razer Kishi V2 on an iPhone 14 Plus to test out the controller interface and stuck to touch controls on my iPad Pro. I also tried touch controls on my iPhone 15 Pro. The team has done a great job here with the interface and load times. On the visual and performance side, Football Manager 2024 Touch runs and looks great on modern devices with fast loading.
I’m curious to see how Sports Interactive and SEGA handle updates to this version because Football Manager 2023 Touch got updates adding things like a boost to bank balance, one-time only Dream Transfer item, and more. Since this is on Apple Arcade, there are no microtransactions either.
If you do have Apple Arcade, Football Manager 2024 Touch is worth your time. I’m impressed with the improvements to the iPhone version as well this year. The added features and the ability to Load your save from the old version (as this is an update over FM23 Touch) make Football Manager 2024 even better. Not only is Football Manager 2024 on modern iOS and iPadOS devices drastically better than the Switch version, but this is the version of the game I will spend the most time in for sure. Easily the best portable platform to play Football Manager 2024 on.
Football Manager 2024 Touch Apple Arcade Review Score: 4.5/5
Football Manager 2024 Touch Switch Review
Football Manager Touch on Switch has been my goto version of the game because I enjoyed dipping in and out of it as a break from other longer JRPGs or games I was covering. Football Manager 2024 Touch on Nintendo Switch retains everything the Apple Arcade version has, but it sees cutbacks to visuals, performance, and has much longer load times.
On the control side, you can use touch controls in handheld mode, but it isn’t as responsive as the Apple Arcade version. The match engine also doesn’t look close to how it does on my iPad Pro or iPhone 15 Pro as expected. As of this writing, there is no mention of paid DLC like the PS5 and Xbox versions of Football Manager 2024 Console either, and there is no mention of the in-game editor being added.
I’d only recommend Football Manager 2024 Touch on Switch if you want to own a version of the game and don’t want to be tied to a subscription. The downgrades in all areas are too much to recommend this over the Apple Arcade version if you have that option on a modern iOS or iPadOS device.
Football Manager 2024 Touch Switch Review Score: 3.5/5
Football Manager 2024 Mobile Review
Football Manager 2024 Mobile is the most curious of the bunch this year, because it takes a paid game that has microtransactions, and brings it to Netflix Games on iOS and Android. In fact, this new Netflix version of Football Manager 2024 even includes the in-game editor, something available as paid DLC in prior versions, and something not included in Football Manager 2024 Touch. As with other games only available on mobile through Netflix, I try and think of whether this one is worth subscribing to Netflix for. Football Manager 2024 Mobile is literally not available without Netflix. Football Manager 2024 Touch is on Switch as well.
Football Manager 2024 Mobile still uses the 2D match engine unlike the other versions of the game. It does, however have the fastest and most-streamlined game flow. When it comes to other downgrades, it supports about half the playable nations and a bit over half the playable leagues compared to Football Manager 2024 Touch. It does include Challenge mode, which is something I’m surprised isn’t on PC yet, but is in other versions.
I don’t think this is the game worth subscribing to Netflix for. A lot of other ports are good to play if you subscribe for a month or so, but Football Manager 2024 is a long term game. We don’t even know if Football Manager 2025 will be on Netflix or on mobile, so I can’t even speculate whether saves will carry over. Right now, this is a great value add for existing Netflix subscribers.
If you own an iOS or iPadOS device, I’d only recommend Football Manager 2024 Mobile if you do not have or will not subscribe to Apple Arcade. It is more streamlined and a great intro to Football Manager 2024, but isn’t representative of the full game like the other versions are. I hope Football Manager Mobile gets closer to Touch next year, or that we eventually get to a point where the same game is scaled differently across platforms. Football Manager 2024 Mobile is only worth your time if you already have a Netflix subscription. If you don’t, focus on playing the other versions of the game.
Football Manager 2024 Mobile Review Score: 3.5/5
Football Manager 2024 Steam Deck Review
Since Football Manager 2023 was Steam Deck Verified, I had high expectations of Football Manager 2024 on Steam Deck. It doesn’t have a rating from Valve yet, but I am impressed and disappointed with Football Manager 2024 on Steam Deck right now. It brings the full PC experience to a portable and handles things well, but the controls are not ideal. Even with the official layout right now, it doesn’t feel remotely as nice as the console or Touch versions of Football Manager 2024.
If you play Football Manager 2024 on PC or macOS and also own a Steam Deck, this is a great additional way to experience the full depth of Football Manager 2024, but I won’t recommend it as your only version of the game until the controls are improved. If you, like me, are used to using the trackpads and dealing with PC-specific games on Steam Deck like I do with Victoria 3, you will get used to the controls here. Sports Interactive is close to making the Steam Deck my favorite way to experience Football Manager, but until then, it remains a modern iPad.
Football Manager 2024 on Steam Deck is a very disappointing experience when it comes to controls. I was hoping the game would have proper controller support, but it does not feel great to play on Steam Deck without a mouse (or using the trackpads). The interface doesn’t scale down too well on the smaller screen either. Don’t get me wrong, Football Manager 2024 PC is a fantastic version of the game, and one of the best we’ve seen from the game in years, but I do not recommend playing it on Steam Deck without big control and interface caveats. It runs very well and the match engine looks great, but I hope future patches can bring in proper controller support and an interface that actually scales down better for the platform.
Football Manager 2024 Steam Deck Review Score: 4/5
Hopefully this new format helps you decide which version of Football Manager 2024 you should get or try if you have access to multiple game subscription services or platforms. I am glad I ended up playing the game on almost all platforms this year, because it showed me how Sports Interactive can scale its complexities, features, and visuals across devices. Next year sounds very exciting, but this year’s games are better than ever before, at least for Touch, Console, and PC. I just hope we see more optimization on Switch, improvements for Steam Deck, and Mobile seeing an overhaul for Football Manager 2025.
