Previous PlayStation Boss Shawn Layden has claimed that he doesn't think console exclusivity is going anywhere anytime soon, and outlines some of the benefits that come with such titles for both developers and consumers. PlayStation has really made a name for itself by developing a strong catalog of exclusive titles, although many of these games have also made their way to PC in recent years. However, most of these titles are still only available on a console through PlayStation, such as games like Marvel's Spider-Man, God of warand The last of us never made it over to Nintendo or Xbox consoles.
For many years, exclusive consoles seemed set in stone, especially when it came to company mascots like Mario, Kratos and Master Chief. In recent years, things seem to have changed, as companies test new waters by putting exclusive properties on new platforms. For example, while Horizon Zero Dawn remains exclusive to PlayStation and PC, Sony announced LEGO Horizon Adventures on both PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, bringing the character Aloy to a Nintendo console for the first time. Earlier in 2025, the Xbox was released Gears of War Reloaded on PlayStation 5, bringing the franchise to Sony's platform for the first time in its history. While the move may seem bizarre to some (especially those who grew up in an era of “console wars”), it's part of Xbox's strategy to make their software more accessible to gamers everywhere, anywhere.
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Shawn Layden thinks exclusives make the platform sing
In a recent appearance on Game Rants Character Select, Shawn Layden discussed the role exclusives play in the industry. Layden doesn't think exclusives will go away anytime soon, saying: “There's huge brand value in having strong exclusives. If Mario starts showing up on PlayStation, it's the apocalypse, right? Cats and dogs living together. And the same goes for Nathan Drake and Uncharted. They make the platform sing.” It's interesting to hear Nathan Drake mentioned in the same breath as Mario, but both characters have greatly contributed to the image, brand and success of their respective platforms. When it comes to marketing, these characters often become the face of the platform they represent, giving players a glimpse of what they can expect to experience when they pick up a traditional Drake, but Nathan may not be a traditional controller. a narrative single-player experience readily available on PlayStation.
It's worth noting that Layden doesn't believe that all games should be exclusive to a specific platform. However, exclusive offers allow developers to showcase the best features of their given platform. For example, Layden said, “When you're coding across multiple platforms, you have to code to the lowest common denominator. But if you're doing exclusives, you can push every lever to eleven.” Many PlayStation exclusives try to make the most of the platform, especially the DualSense controller. 2025, the PlayStation exclusive title Ghost of Yotei made a lot of use of DualSense and its unique capabilities. Ghost of Yotei Developer Sucker Punch made great use of the controller's haptic feedback and touchpad controls, giving players an experience that simply wouldn't be possible on other platforms.
However, not everyone agrees with Layden, as the Xbox president called the idea of exclusive products “obsolete” by October 2025. Xbox president Sarah Bond seems to believe that the key to success in the future will involve making games as widely available as possible. Games like Minecraft and Fortnite has saturated the market by being available virtually everywhere and meeting players wherever they choose to play. But Layden admitted that titles like Fortnite exists in a different space, as massively multiplayer games almost have to go cross-platform to succeed. While there is no way to know where things will go in the future, it seems that the major gaming companies are paying close attention to the performance of exclusive games.
