After three PSP iterations of the franchise developed at EA Canada, development duties for Madden NFL 10 returned to series main developer EA Tiburon. The game features all the modes of the previous version, and also adds several new features.

Returning game modes include play now, franchise, mini-camp and practice. Superstar Challenge mode also returns (with all-new situations from the 2008 season), but offers an additional twist: in addition to playing the "Hero", players can also play the "Spoiler" and prevent the historical moments from happening. A play designer has been added that allows players to create plays and formations for use in the game's playbooks. Created plays can be uploaded to the PS3 version.

On the field, a mini-game for fumble recovery has been added, similar to the one seen in other versions: when during a fumble, both teams are in range of the ball, who gains possession is decided by a quick-time event, requiring both mashing of buttons and hitting the correct buttons in sequence. Another addition is a player momentum system: depending on their performance during a game, individual players have hot or cold streaks, influencing their further performance. The game also features newly-recorded commentary by Tom Hammond and Cris Collinsworth.