This could be a warning sign for PlayStation and Xbox. However, perhaps it’s no coincidence that they’re heading in this direction again.

Over the past few years, the number of console-exclusive games has dropped significantly. While Nintendo has continued to limit its games to its own systems, Sony and Microsoft have begun releasing their most popular PlayStation and Xbox intellectual properties, IPs, on PC and other consoles. This signals that the era of console-exclusive games is coming to an end. However, both companies appear to be turning away from a multiplatform strategy, and the reason is clear: many gamers choose one console over another based on exclusive games.

According to Circana’s first-quarter 2026 consumer survey, reported by Chris Dring of The Game Business, the number one reason American gamers play on consoles is exclusive games. Forty-one percent of respondents cited this as the main reason they play on consoles. Though this figure represents an 8% decrease compared to last year’s survey, it remains significant. Additionally, 38% of respondents cited the consoles used by friends and family members as a reason for purchasing a particular system.

In recent weeks, reports have emerged that both PlayStation and Xbox are preparing to revamp their multiplatform strategies. It now seems certain that the dominance of exclusive games as the main driver of console sales is behind the decision to potentially return to a strategy that was all but abandoned. While the impact on Sony was minimal, according to former PlayStation executive Shuhei Yoshida, which is not surprising, given Sony‘s strong position in the console market and the fact that their PC ports sometimes appeared years after the game’s console debut and did not achieve significant market success, Microsoft’s “everything is an Xbox” strategy significantly harmed the brand and console sales. This decline was clearly visible in Microsoft’s third-quarter earnings report, in which Xbox posted a loss for the third consecutive quarter.

Thus, despite Xbox games achieving strong sales on other platforms with titles like Forza Horizon 5, which outperformed some of Sony’s own first-party titles, it makes sense that the company is considering a return to console exclusives. However, Xbox Project Helix bridges the gap between console and PC games. It remains to be seen how Microsoft will leverage exclusive games to boost system sales.

Source: WCCFTech