Are Console Exclusives Over? How Xbox & PlayStation Are Shaping The Future Of Gaming

Once defined by exclusive titles, consoles like Xbox and PlayStation are reshaping the gaming landscape by increasingly releasing games across multiple platforms, signaling a strategic pivot toward accessibility and long-term brand engagement. The history of video games is extensive, and the competition between companies through the decades is fierce.

Millions of people¹ in the United States and billions around the world play video games, whether professionally or casually. A single session can span from a couple of minutes of logging in to collect daily rewards to several hours.

In 1972, the first console generation and home video game console were released. The Magnavox Odyssey, the grandfather of gaming consoles that set the standard of a home console, was overthrown in 1977 with the release of the Atari 2600. The reason the Magnavox Odyssey was overthrown by the Atari 2600 is due to the Atari’s more robust set of technology and wider game library.²

The Atari 2600 was the only home console that gave users removable cartridges and exclusive games such as “Pac-Man” (1980), “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” (1982), “Pong” (1972), and “Space Invaders” (1978). This appeal could be seen in the number of units sold. Atari 2600 sold more than 30 million units³ over a span of three decades, becoming one of the most popular and sold home gaming consoles, while the Magnavox Odyssey sold around 350,000 units.

Although it was too early to tell, the power of console exclusives reared its head as the decade continued with the introduction of Nintendo and Sega entering the home console space.

The Power Of The Exclusives

In the late ’80s and early ’90s, the start of the fourth console generation, the release of two home consoles ignited the console wars. On August 14, 1989, Sega released its long-awaited console, the Sega Genesis.⁴

On the other end, Nintendo released the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) on November 21, 1990.⁵ “Super Mario World” (1990) was released alongside the console, showcasing the new power and vibrant visuals the console could output, becoming the console’s best-selling game with more than twenty million copies sold worldwide, and is argued as one of the greatest video games made.

The Start Of The Console Wars — SNES Vs. Sega Genesis (Fourth Generation)

While Nintendo had solidified itself as a top player in the industry, Sega was trailing behind. Releasing with 32 games at launch, the Sega Genesis struggled to gain steam until the release of “Sonic the Hedgehog” (1991).⁶ To find their own mascot and compete with Nintendo’s Mario, Sega created Sonic the Hedgehog.

While it proved to work well enough for Sega, it turned a blind eye to a huge market, children. Sega marketed the Sega Genesis as a console for older teens and adults, and this was a substantial problem until Sonic was born. Sonic proved to be successful and launched Sega to become the leading video game company⁸ during the early ’90s.

Here it began, Nintendo versus Sega. Do you want to play “Super Mario World” (1990), “The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” (1991), “Super Metroid” (1994), “F-Zero” (1990), and “Mario Kart” (1992)? The SNES was the only choice.

Do you want to play “Sonic the Hedgehog” (1991), “Phantasy Star IV” (1995), “Altered Beast” (1988), and “Mega Bomber” (1993)? The Sega Genesis was the console to pick up.

Although both consoles were successful, the SNES shot through the roof with a total of 49 million units sold, while the Sega Genesis sold 30 million units.⁹ While Sonic did help Sega stay in the race and overtake Nintendo for a short time, the sheer power of the SNES and exclusive games such as “Donkey Kong Country” (1994) helped solidify it as the console to have over the Sega Genesis. Video game exclusives divided the player base, helping companies keep players coming back to their consoles and creating their own ecosystem.

By releasing their exclusives on their own platform only, they helped build a fan base that stayed loyal.

Building Loyalty Through Limited Access

The concept of video game exclusives did not stop with the Sega Genesis and SNES. Nintendo released the Nintendo 64 in 1996, and Sega released the Dreamcast in 1998.¹⁰ Sony stepped into the video game space with the release of the PlayStation in 1995. These three consoles all have one thing in common — every console had its own exclusives.

Fifth Generation

While the PlayStation was Sony’s first attempt at a home console, it was immediately clear that the console’s success was set in stone. Selling over 500,000 units on the first day,¹¹ the console was touted for its impressive graphics, sound, and most importantly, exclusive games.

Sony created many games that are highly regarded — “Spyro the Dragon” (1998), “Gran Turismo 2” (1999), “Crash Bandicoot” 1996), and “Silent Hill” (1999). All revolutionary games in their respective genres — and only one place to play them — on a PlayStation. It was the beginning of another console war, but with a third player involved.

It was clear that PlayStation wanted a piece of the pie, and it was not doing so lightly as it completely overshadowed Sega’s Dreamcast. A lackluster gaming exclusive line-up and EA not releasing their sports game,¹² players had no reason to buy the console. Players flocked to their competitors while the Dreamcast continued to decline in sales, only selling 9 million units worldwide,¹³ a fraction of its predecessor, the Sega Genesis.

Nintendo continued to do what it did best: release unique, exclusive games that can’t be found anywhere else. Game exclusives created a rift among gamers. The Nintendo player base latched on to Nintendo Consoles as it was the only place to play as Mario or Link. The PlayStation player base stuck with PlayStation for the same reason that the next generation of consoles was released.

Sixth Generation

The release of the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube showed how dedicated their player base was, but just as Sony entered the video game space last generation, a new company entered the console wars. Microsoft, a company that rose from the creation of its Windows software, created its own home console, the Xbox, in 2001. It was an original device created by an American company since Atari, and it laid the foundation for Microsoft to hit the ground running.

“Halo” allowed Microsoft to revolutionize a feature that is still used today, and that is online multiplayer. Using Xbox Live, it allowed players from around the world to enter the world of “Halo.” It was the reason to own an Xbox, to play online and chat with friends and strangers on Xbox Live.

The PlayStation 2 dominated this generation with games such as “God of War” (2005), “Final Fantasy” (1987-), “Jak and Daxter” (2001), “Shadow of the Colossus” (2005) and “Twisted Metal” (2001) to become the best selling console of all time with 160 million units sold¹⁴. Many attributed its success to its backwards compatibility with the PlayStation, strong game library, and its function as a DVD player.

The Nintendo GameCube was not completely out of this console war at this point and time, as they still offered game exclusives such as “Super Mario Sunshine” (2002), “Luigi’s Mansion” (2001), and much more helped Nintendo sell 21 million units.¹⁵

Seventh Generation

The next generation took a huge turn. With the promising success of the Xbox, Microsoft released its next console in 2005, the Xbox 360. Sony released the PlayStation 3 in 2006.

Sony was favored to dominate this generation, riding the success of their last console, but they had hit a roadblock: the price. Starting at $500, the PlayStation 3 priced out their player base, and many went for the cheaper $400 Xbox 360.

While price was one factor in this shift of opinion, the PlayStation 3 launched with fewer titles and took years to bolster their game library. It made sense for the consumer to choose a cheaper console with more game variety.

The PlayStation 3 launched with a rocky start, but Sony would later right their wrongs with the release of a cheaper PlayStation 3 revision and critically acclaimed games such as “Infamous” (2009), “Demon’s Souls” (2009), and “The Last of Us” (2013).

Both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 sold over 80 million units¹⁶, but the tide turned once again with the release of the next generation — the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Eighth Generation

The PlayStation 4 outsold the Xbox One in more ways than one. This generation was the era of Sony running the show.

Releasing award winning games year after year such as “Bloodborne” (2015), “Marvel’s Spider-Man” (2018), “God of War” (2018), “Death Stranding” (2019), “Horizon Zero Dawn” (2017), “Ghost of Tsushima” (2020) and many more. The PlayStation 4 exclusive games pushed the console’s sales by a large margin,¹⁷ while Xbox would start to see a decline in its player base.

In 2020, both Sony and Microsoft released their ninth-generation and latest consoles, the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, but one thing is changing.

The rise of platform expansion.

The Era Of Platform Expansion

On April 28, 2025, Microsoft’s very own first-party studio, Playground Games, will make an Xbox exclusive game available on the PlayStation 5.¹⁸ “Forza Horizon 5” (2021), a game series that could only be played on the Xbox and Windows PC, will now be able to be played on its rival console. Something that many are still digesting, but it is clear that the future of console exclusives is fading.

The reluctant Sony, which prides themselves on their one of a kind exclusive games, is now expanding their player base to Windows PC. In 2020, Sony released “Horizon Zero Dawn” (2017) to Windows PC. The once isolated Sony is now branching out outside of their ecosystem.

“Horizon Zero Dawn” (2017) would not be the last as every PlayStation game studio¹⁹ will now have a game available on Windows PC. From “God of War” (2018) to “Marvel’s Spider-Man” (2017) are ready to play on another system that is not PlayStation.

While Nintendo is still holding on to their first-party titles, only releasing them on the Nintendo Switch, they are expanding to the mobile market with their popular franchise²⁰ such as “Pokemon” and “Mario Kart.”

It is clear that both Microsoft and Sony want to broaden their audience and increase revenue. This trend is not stopping anytime soon, with rumors of “Halo: The Master Chief Collection“²¹ (2014) coming to PlayStation 5, the long-lasting console wars seem to be coming to an end, as console exclusives are now a thing of the past.

Footnotes

1. Duarte, Fabio. (March 28 2025). How Many Gamers Are There?. Exploding Topics. ↩︎
2. The Strong National Museum of Play. (March 26 2025). Atari 2600 Game System. Museum of Play. ↩︎
3. Wikipedia contributors. (March 19 2025). Second Generation of Video Game Consoles. Wikipedia. ↩︎
4. Hunter, N. (2025, April 23). Every Nintendo Console: A Full History of Release Dates – IGN. IGN. ↩︎
5. Contributors to Nintendo. (2025). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Nintendo; Fandom, Inc. ↩︎
6. History of Sega – Wikipedia. (2015). Wikipedia. ↩︎
7. Contributors to Mortal Kombat Wiki. (April 24 2025). Mortal Kombat (1992 video game). Fandom, Inc. ↩︎
8. Wikipedia contributors. (April 5 2025). Sonic the Hedgehog. Wikipedia. ↩︎
9. Buchanan, Levi. (July 13 2016). Genesis Vs. SNES: By the Numbers. IGN. ↩︎
10. History of the Sega Dreamcast/Development – Sega Retro. (2024, September 18). Sega Retro. ↩︎
11. Staff. (June 18 2012). Sony Pulls in Over $250 Million at Launch. IGN. ↩︎
12. Anderson, Colin. (December 4 2025). 10 Reasons Why the Sega Dreamcast Failed. HowStuffWorks. ↩︎
13. Wikipedia contributors. (April 6 2025). Dreamcast. Wikipedia. ↩︎
14. Wikipedia contributors. (April 10 2025). List of Best-selling Game Consoles, Wikipedia. ↩︎
15. Wikipedia contributors. (April 8 2025). GameCube. Wikipedia. ↩︎
16. Diffen. PlayStation 3 Vs Xbox 360. ↩︎
17. Warren, Tom. (August 15 2022). Microsoft Finally Admits Xbox One Sales Were Less Than Half of the PS4. The Verge. ↩︎
18. Forza Horizon 5 Standard Edition. ↩︎
19. Tolbert, Samuel. (February 24 2025). Every PlayStation Studios Game Available Now on Windows PC. Windows Central. ↩︎
20. Wikipedia contributors. (April 4 2025). Nintendo Mobile Games. Wikipedia. ↩︎
21. Yin-Poole, Wesley. (January 14 2025). Halo Finally Looks Set to Make the Jump to PlayStation This Year. IGN. ↩︎