To run NBA 2K17 effectively on PC, the game required a modest setup by modern standards, making it highly accessible to a wide range of hardware configurations. Minimum Requirements

Progression in MyCareer was intentionally slowed down to encourage the purchase of VC. To upgrade a player to a respectable level, players were looking at hours of grinding or opening their wallets. This introduced a "Pay-to-Win" stigma that has plagued the franchise ever since.

The settings menu included customizable options for ambient occlusion, anti-aliasing, texture quality, and depth of field.

The gameplay prioritized physics over canned animations. Contact in the paint felt weighted, collision physics determined turnovers, and momentum dictated how players transitioned from a sprint to a pull-up jumper. The artificial intelligence also saw a massive upgrade, executing realistic defensive rotations and adaptive coaching strategies during timeouts. MyCAREER: The Journey of "Pres" and "Orange Juice"

Complete conversion mods that turn the entire game into a specific historic season, such as 1995 or 2003, complete with accurate court floors, jerseys, and television broadcast overlays.