Right from the start of MLB The Show 25, you’re given the chance to go through the various difficulty settings the game offers. There are a few different sections of difficulty settings, though, and it can be confusing to go through them all, especially if you’re a newer player. There are general difficulty settings, gameplay style settings, and individual settings for both hitting and pitching.

If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by all the settings and how they affect the difficulty of your game, don’t worry too much. The settings are fairly easy to understand once you know what they’re changing and just how difficult they make your experience in MLB The Show 25.

To see all of the difficulty settings laid out and explained, keep reading the guide below. I’ll also offer some recommendations on what settings to pick if you’re not sure.

All Difficulty Settings In MLB The Show 25

I’ll go through the different difficulty settings, explain how they work, and offer a suggestion for which setting you should pick below.

Gameplay Styles

The first difficulty setting you’ll be able to select in MLB The Show 25 is under the tab called “Gameplay Style.” Here, you’ll pick your general difficulty curve that affects the overall experience you’ll see across all game modes.

If you select one of the lower settings, you’ll be able to see more tutorials and a higher emphasis is placed on learning all of the basic mechanics of the game. However, choosing one of the higher Gameplay Styles means you’re in for a truly authentic experience that feels like you’re actually playing in a Major League game (well, not really, but you get the point).

Here are the three Gameplay Styles offered in MLB The Show 25 and what each one does:

• Casual: This is the most relaxed Gameplay Style MLB The Show 25 offers. It places a higher emphasis on a “pick-up experience” rather than trying to simulate a real MLB game. This setting allows you to learn the fundamentals of MLB The Show so you can understand the basic mechanics and how to play.
• Simulation: The Simulation Gameplay Style allows you to see a true-blue MLB experience across the board. Your players play true to form, meaning if they have a low OVR rating, they won’t be able to hit, pitch, or field as well even if you do everything correctly. Even if a player has a high OVR rating, though, you still need to perfect your fundamentals to have a shot at competing at a high level.
• Competitive: This is the default online Gameplay Style in MLB The Show 25. The Competitive style solely relies on user input, meaning that if you have a perfect swing every time, you can expect to see a ton of liners and homers. However, if you make even a small mistake, that can completely mess up a pitch, hit, or fielding decision. Using this Gameplay Style separates the Minor Leaguers from the Major Leaguers.

With only three options to choose from, your selection should be pretty easy to make just based on your experience with MLB The Show. If you’re a new player or someone who’s returning to the series after a hiatus, then you likely want to pick Casual and go from there. However, players who have been playing the series for years should start on either Simulation or Competitive.

If you tend to play more offline game modes in MLB The Show 25 — such as Road to the Show or Franchise — then Simulation is usually the better way to go. It helps to compensate for lower OVR players. However, if you’re playing any online mode, Competitive is really your only choice.

Hitting And Pitching Difficulty

Next up, you can set your starting difficulty level in MLB The Show 25. There are 10 total difficulty options in MLB The Show 25, and from the start of the game, you can select one to begin with.

After you pick your setting at the start, though, you’ll find that the difficulty settings are actually split up into two categories: hitting and pitching. Each facet of baseball has its own difficulty setting, allowing you to customize your experience based on your prowess in either skill. The 10 difficulty settings are the same for hitting and pitching and you can change both by going to the settings in MLB The Show 25 and then selecting the “General” tab.

Below, you can see what to expect from all 10 difficulty settings:

• Beginner: The first difficulty setting, you should only use this if you’re brand new to MLB The Show.
• Dynamic: This difficulty setting evolves as you play. The better you do, the higher the difficulty setting you experience. It starts at Beginner and goes up or down based on your performance. So if you start to hit better, your Dynamic difficulty will be raised to a new level. If you perform poorly, though, the difficulty will go back down. It fluctuates often to match your current skill level.
• Amateur: Another beginner-friendly difficulty setting that players with some experience in baseball should select.
• Minors: A slightly tougher difficulty setting that newer players who want a challenge should pick. You can also graduate to this setting whenever you enter the Minor Leagues in Road to the Show.
• Rookie: The last of the beginner-friendly difficulty settings. This is closer to an authentic MLB experience but still caters to newer players.
• Veteran: If you’re an experienced player looking to relax in MLB The Show 25, then Veteran offers a balanced mix of difficulty and casual gameplay.
• All-Star: Now we’re getting to the harder difficulty settings. Choose All-Star if you want a more punishing experience on the mound or at the plate.
• Hall of Fame: Choose this difficulty setting if you want a harsh experience, but not one that looks to completely destroy your confidence.
• Legend: The penultimate difficulty setting in MLB The Show 25. Only select this setting if you’re not ready for the final boss.
• G.O.A.T.: The final boss of difficulty settings. This experience is downright impossible in some circumstances. Try hitting a knuckleball on G.O.A.T. difficulty and you’ll truly see the power MLB The Show 25 has to offer.

Unlike Gameplay Styles, there are a plethora of difficulty options for both hitting and pitching in MLB The Show 25. As such, it’s hard to say what you should pick since each setting is dependent on your skill level in both areas of baseball.

Generally, though, new players should start at Beginner difficulty in both settings. You can also go with Dynamic if you want your difficulty to accelerate with your skill level as you improve. Dynamic is also a solid option for players who want a custom experience in a mode like Road to the Show, as your difficulty increases as your created player gets better.

From there, it’s really about how good you think you are at MLB The Show. Players can go right to G.O.A.T. difficulty if they’re tired of Legend and want to try the new hardest difficulty, but most of the time, even veteran players should stick with something like All-Star or Hall of Fame. G.O.A.T. difficulty is not for the faint of heart, however. This setting makes it extremely hard to hit pitches, as pitches match their real speed and movement while opposing hitters can mash even your most well-placed pitches.

I highly recommend going into a practice session in MLB The Show 25 and playing around with all of the different hitting and pitching difficulty settings. See what setting you feel the most comfortable with in both areas and then stick with the one that allows you to have a moderate amount of success. You usually want to select a difficulty setting that’s tougher so you can improve your skills.

Of course, setting the difficulty lower and having a more enjoyable time in MLB The Show 25 is also an option. You might not improve, but at least you can have some fun blasting homers and throwing Perfect Games. In the end, it’s all up to you and what you want your experience to be. I still recommend practicing with different settings to see what you prefer, though.