PS5 exclusives drove me to buy Xbox Series X — here’s why

ps5 xbox series x
(Image credit: Microsoft/Sony)

I’ve always considered myself something of a PlayStation fanboy. 

When I worked in video game retail a few years ago I wore my blue PlayStation lanyard with pride, convinced gaming-illiterate parents that a PS4 was absolutely the system to get their kids for Christmas, and when the PS5 was announced I put my money down without hesitation. I even took launch day off work so I could play my shiny new next-gen console until my eyes stung.

Yet after swinging through a snow-blanketed NYC in Spider-Man: Miles Morales, dying repeatedly on the first level of Demon’s Soul and having watched the pre-release trailers for upcoming exclusive Returnal on loop, I came to one conclusion: I really wanted an Xbox Series X 

PS5: The king of exclusives 

Now I’m not suggesting that PlayStation’s currently announced slate of exclusives is underwhelming, or that upcoming titles like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and Horizon: Forbidden West don’t look utterly spectacular. I’m dying to see more of those games, and I cannot wait to play them later this year.  

Horizon forbidden west

(Image credit: Sony)

Sony has always shone when it comes to exclusive titles, you only need to look at the console generation just gone for proof. The PS4 was the sole home to some of the best games of the last decade; titles like God of War, Bloodborne and The Last of Us Part II are almost peerless.

Microsoft on the other hand seemed to concede defeat on the exclusive games front pretty early on. Games like Sea of Thieves and Halo: The Master Chief Collection were eventually patched into reasonable shape, but did anyone actually enjoy duds like Crackdown 3 or ReCore?

Of course, Microsoft has been throwing around its financial clout plenty in the last three years and has gone on a bit of a shopping spree. The company sucked up developers like Ninja Theory Theory and Obsidian, alongside arguably the biggest gaming acquisition of all time when it bought Bestheda for more than $7 billion last year.

The future of Xbox exclusives certainly looks rosier than it has done in years, and if beloved franchises like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls will now be Xbox console-exclusives that is a major boon, one that Sony could struggle to match.

fallout 76 image

(Image credit: Bethesda)

These acquisitions give gamers a very good reason to get invested in the Xbox eco-system, and the idea of missing out on The Elder Scrolls VI or Fallout 5 did certainly play a major role in my decision to purchase a Series X, but ultimately what really pushed me over the edge is the wildly different exclusive pricing strategies Xbox and PlayStation are taking.

While Sony is actively raising the barrier of entry for players, Microsoft is working hard to lower it — I know which strategy I prefer.

A high price to pay 

Both PlayStation and Xbox have new IP, but they're going about it in very different ways. 

As already mentioned, Sony is releasing Returnal in April. This third-person action game blends frenetic combat with a psychological horror story. I’m super interested in it, but I’m a little worried that the procedurally generated maps might start to feel repetitive, and I’m unconvinced by what we’ve seen of the game's story.  

Microsoft on the other hand released The Medium in January. It’s a third-person psychological horror game (psychological horror is so hot right now) that sees you playing a character who can travel between two different worlds. The game intrigued me, but I had my hesitations as the developer’s track record is, in my opinion, spotty at best. 

The Medium image

(Image credit: Bloober Team)

So two brand new IPs, one exclusive to each console, but the real kicker is that if I want to play Returnal I need to stump up £70 (which converts to $97), whereas from day one The Medium was available on Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription service.

Sony has made the frankly baffling decision that PS5 games should retail for £70, which is a £20 increase on the £50 standard price seen during the PS4 generation. This price increase has also been felt in the US, though to a more palatable degree, where the standard $60 price point has been increased to $70.

The hubris from Sony here is quite remarkable and it’s the direct opposite approach to what its biggest competitor has taken.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate image

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Alongside scoring a Series X this week, I picked up 3-years of Game Pass Ultimate for £120, which is less than the cost of two first-party PS5 games. That means for the next three years I can play every single Xbox console-exclusive on day one all without having to fork over a single extra penny.

While Sony is actively raising the barrier of entry for players, Microsoft is working hard to lower it — I know which strategy I prefer.

Sony and Microsoft’s differing approaches to exclusives remind me of the battle between Netflix and Blockbuster in the late 90s. One company pioneering a new way to distribute content and the other desperately hanging onto the old ways hoping that nothing will change.

Reaping the benefits 

The big benefit of all these exclusives being available day one on Game Pass isn’t just the insane amount of money it will save me in the long run, it’s that it gives me the ability to try games without fear. 

Once I got my Series X set up this week I downloaded The Medium and gave it a shot. I was pretty underwhelmed, but I didn’t care because it was included in my Game Pass subscription —  so giving the game a shot didn't cost me anything.

Whereas when Returnal releases at the end of April, if I fork over £70 and ultimately come away unimpressed I will have wasted a huge amount of money. Game Pass doesn’t just give you access to a sizable library, it gives you the chance to try games without worrying about wasting a portion of your precious gaming budget.

Returnal image

(Image credit: Sony)

In many ways when I think about Sony and Microsoft’s differing approach to exclusives I’m reminded of the battle between Netflix and Blockbuster in the late 90s. One company pioneering a new way to distribute content to its customer, the other desperately hanging onto the old ways hoping that nothing will change.

Of course, the parallels aren’t one to one because PlayStation remains the dominant console pretty much worldwide whereas Blockbuster was dying a slow death, but Microsoft definitely appears far more forward-thinking this generation whereas Sony is coming across as a little arrogant.

I am still a huge fan of my PS5, and it will almost certainly continue to be my preferred destination for playing third-party releases this generation. However, on Series X I can try out any exclusive I want without a care in the world whereas with the PS5 each exclusive I buy will need to clear a pretty high bar to justify the ludicrous cost.

Of course, comparing the exclusive strategy of the PS5 and Xbox Series X is pretty pointless if you can’t actually buy the systems, which is proving the case for many. So if you’re after either next-gen machine, we’ve got a guide to where to buy a PS5 and a where to buy Xbox Series X when restocks come back. 

Rory Mellon
Entertainment Editor (UK)

Rory is an Entertainment Editor at Tom’s Guide based in the UK. He covers a wide range of topics but with a particular focus on gaming and streaming. When he’s not reviewing the latest games, searching for hidden gems on Netflix, or writing hot takes on new gaming hardware, TV shows and movies, he can be found attending music festivals and getting far too emotionally invested in his favorite football team. 

  • Jtizzle34
    I have both PS5 and Series X. I haven't touched my Series X for a few weeks. Why? Because there's nothing new to play on it! You can say all you want about Sony's exclusive crap but who's making new games? Not Microsoft! I love being able to play older games, but come on, next gen means new games not backwards compatibility! I'm no fanboy of anything I love games and right now that's PS5!
    Reply
  • Isaac Modimokwane
    I will buy Xbox Series X not PS5. PS5 may have more exclusives, but not all of them are that good. My favourite Playstation games like God of War and Gran Turismo are not that good anymore like before. Gamepass is better in every way. Imagine paying that 70$ for that PS5 exclusive game and find out that the game is not what you were expecting or hoping for. It happened to me when I bought Gran Turismo Sport for PS4, buying it full price and I was very dissapointed with its lack of content and always online. I even sold my PS4 and buy Xbox One X and I am happily satisfied with it. I love racing games and Forza Horizon 4 brought me back into an Xbox Ecosystem with its quantity and quality unlike GT Sport. Microsoft have acquired some few game studios, and I hope they will expand their exclusives this time.
    Reply
  • ClanPsi
    So you bought a Series because PlayStation has better games, but you don't want to support the developers by buying them, so you're instead going to pay $15 / m for garbage. Yep, makes sense.
    Reply
  • d0x360
    I have a series x but eventually I'll get both but I'll only use the ps5 for exclusives and even then not many because I find sony exclusives to often be shallow but visually gorgeous and gorgeous sells.

    Primarily I'm a pc gamer anyways but whenever I play multiplayer it's on xbox because of all the cheating on pc.

    Also you can't beat gamepass plus Microsoft has a significanly better network. I usually download at 380 Mb/s from xbl and from psn I'm lucky to get 40. Its not a location issue either believe me and I have a very low latency gigabit connection. Psn is slow, it's unreliable and probably insecure.
    Reply
  • jcsc1437
    ClanPsi said:
    So you bought a Series because PlayStation has better games, but you don't want to support the developers by buying them, so you're instead going to pay $15 / m for garbage. Yep, makes sense.
    Seriously lol, this guy makes zero sense. I'd rather pay $70 for great exclusives compared with gamepass "filler" experiences. Also, $70 games besides exclusives will be the new norm on both consoles...
    Reply
  • MartyDestroyer
    "Supporting the developer"... If a company makes garbage, would you support it? What makes me mad is that there are more gamers than ever and more games being sold but these companies like PlayStation need to make their games more expensive... During a pandemic... There are a lot of people who can't afford $70 dollars on a video game right now. You only think for yourself not for the millions of people on this planet that are being affected by the pandemic right now. "Supporting the Developer"... Still makes me giggle. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to buy a crap video game because I want to "Support the Developer".
    Reply
  • MartyDestroyer
    Jtizzle34 said:
    I have both PS5 and Series X. I haven't touched my Series X for a few weeks. Why? Because there's nothing new to play on it! You can say all you want about Sony's exclusive crap but who's making new games? Not Microsoft! I love being able to play older games, but come on, next gen means new games not backwards compatibility! I'm no fanboy of anything I love games and right now that's PS5!

    Neither company is making new games like they were. Microsoft is purchasing game studios so they can have plenty of exclusives all year long. We are in a pandemic you know, so remastering old games or just bringing them backwards compatible is the quickest way to satisfy players. Making these $100 million dollar budget games is hard when everyone is working from home. You act like either company can just ignore the disease and put everyone in the same room working on games. Until the pandemic is over the games won't be produced at high numbers. You say "I'm not a fanboy" which if you are that's all you, but don't say paying $70 dollars for a crap game is right. GamePass is killing the market right now. You say "there isn't anything to play" when that's absolutely the opposite. Over 200 games and all of Xbox exclusives are coming there free as long as you keep your subscription. Xbox does something stupid the fan base criticizes them and bashes them. Xbox gets better because of it. That's why all of those years the players have been on Xbox's backside to be "better". PlayStation does wrong... Crickets. And I wondered why PlayStation is acting like EA and Activision with their platform. The Dual Shock controller is more than the Xbox controller but has a "drifting" problem. But I heard this Duel Shock controller is just perfect... Yeah right. The AMD chip they have in the PS5... Yeah... Apparently it isn't capable of a lot of features that Sony promised. Don't believe me? Search it up. You know the sad thing about the PS5 is how they stabbed their player base in the back and I don't hear anything from their player base. If this keeps going on, PlayStation will turn out being a very anti consumer company which is all ready to be the case.
    Reply
  • faux_
    I don't understand the logic here:
    GamePass is $10/month
    The last console cycle lasted 7 years (PS4 & XB1 out in 2013)
    $10/mo * 7 years * 12 months = $840
    Average consumer buys less than 10 games per console: https://vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/Software_tie_ratio10 games * $70 = $700This is a conservative estimate, assuming that every game the person buys is at full price ($70).

    So yeah, a games journalist who is paid to play lots of different games saves money on a subscription. The rest of us are duped into the same subscription money-grab that has taken over music, TV, and movies.

    And to top it all off, we still haven't seen a compelling game released for XSX.
    Reply
  • Derift
    MartyDestroyer said:
    "Supporting the developer"... If a company makes garbage, would you support it? What makes me mad is that there are more gamers than ever and more games being sold but these companies like PlayStation need to make their games more expensive... During a pandemic... There are a lot of people who can't afford $70 dollars on a video game right now. You only think for yourself not for the millions of people on this planet that are being affected by the pandemic right now. "Supporting the Developer"... Still makes me giggle. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to buy a crap video game because I want to "Support the Developer".
    so wait people have £400-£450 to buy a PS5 but cannot afford games? I'm sorry when you pay the £70 you really are paying for quality whether you like the game or not is down to preference but it is still paying for quality and supporting game devs Microsoft model just isnt feasible for other companies Sony seem to be focused on making bug budget AAA games and those cost a lot of money to make so i understand the price hike...not that I'm happy to pay more money but i will not complain about it because i know the games i like
    Reply
  • Isaac Modimokwane
    Who said all Playstation exclusives are great? Are you sure about that?
    Who said Microsoft does not have great exclusives?
    Reply