Before doing anything at the plate in MLB The Show 22, make sure to get the hitting settings right. While it might seem trivial at first, the right hitting settings allow users to see the ball better and, more importantly, should help with timing the pitch better. So, which settings do we recommend? Let’s take a look.
Hitting Difficulty
If you’re new to MLB The Show, it’s probably best to set this to a low setting, like Beginner or Rookie. This will allow you to get better acclimated with the game, but more importantly, the speed. At higher difficulties, the fastballs move quicker, which means less reaction time. Additionally, lower difficulties also mean a larger PCI (which we’ll get to in a second). A larger PCI generally means more room for error.
For offline players only, pick the difficulty that best suits your experience level. But if you do plan on playing online, you’ll want to get experienced with higher difficulties like All-Star and Hall of Fame. Those two difficulties are the standard settings for most Diamond Dynasty play.
Hitting View
Go with something close to the plate. This will allow you to be able to see the ball faster and be able to react to it quicker. Most prefer the Strike Zone view, and it’s one that we use.
Hitting Interface
We highly recommend going with zone, as opposed to directional hitting. Zone allows users to get more precision by moving the indicator to exactly where it needs to be.
As far as the input settings go, stick with the buttons. This will allow users to hit with the buttons on the various platforms, as opposed to an analog stick.
PCI Anchor
There’s no reason anyone should have the PCI Anchor off in MLB The Show 22. For those unfamiliar with the PCI Anchor, this year’s new addition allows users to select from one of nine different pre-set locations for the PCI zone interface. This is perfect for those who struggle with locating pitches thrown at a particular area.
Plate Coverage Indicator
We’ve talked about it briefly, but let’s get more detailed about the PCI (Plate Coverage Indicator). This interface is the indicator that users can move around to locate the ball before finally swinging at it with either the buttons or the analog sticks. Here’s an example of what it looks like:
Users can change the colors, the shapes of the center icons, and the looks of the PCI in the settings. Ideally, you will want to change these settings to something that can be easily seen (high transparency percentage), a bright color — and not something like green or black —that won’t meld with the backgrounds, and most importantly, to keep it on.
The PCI offers added precision to hitting, something that everyone can use. It will take some time to get used to if you’re new, but it’s worth it.
