If you think about it, it’s not the hardware but console exclusives that caused the entire console war. In the 80s, at the dawn of gaming, companies produced games for one type of hardware - THEIR hardware.
Today, when gaming systems don’t differ from each other to such a degree in terms of technical capabilities, such a strategy is slowly losing its sense. Does this mean the end of console exclusivity?
History of the Console Wars
It all started in the 70s when Atari popularized cartridges while Intellivision lured fans with its better graphics. The war began but soon came to an abrupt halt - the video game crash in 1983. It didn’t take long for the industry to recover from this dramatic fall, as by the turn of the 80s and 90s, history saw Sega and Nintendo competing again.
Who knows where we would be today if not for this unexpected rivalry? The event initiated further technological development, and companies realized it was a war for a historical stake - the ultimate dominance in the still young but promising gaming market.
The timeline of the turn of the 90s and 2000s slowly began to emerge, and the mightiest players in the conflict who eventually eliminated Sega from the game. That’s how the Fourth Console War began, unraveling Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft fighting for everything. To this day, no side has emerged stronger than these three companies, but are they still battling?
Where are they today?
For a long time, Sony and Microsoft didn’t bury the hatchet, while Nintendo did its best to find its niche and gather a loyal fan base. Ultimately, the latter company won the console war by executing this clever strategy. Its handheld Switch console became home to many phenomenal exclusives and multiplatform titles cherished by millions of gamers worldwide. It didn’t give up its exclusivity, but it didn’t limit the players’ choice to Switch-only video games.
What about the Xbox vs PlayStation conflict? On January 30, Xbox announced the release of one of its most valuable exclusives - Forza Horizon 5 - on PlayStation 5. Moreover, there is a rumor that even more Xbox-only titles may be available on Sony’s console. It’s a rather unexpected change in Microsoft’s strategy, suggesting the company ditched the tiresome participation in the console competition. With its fantastic Xbox Game Pass allowing cross-platform gaming, Microsoft feels safe with its solid fan base of loyal users.
So, did Sony also decide to end this troublesome war? Unlike its two rivals, PlayStation seems to be battling its own demons. The company is still doing its best to secure its precious exclusives and avoid launching games to PC on release day (and that includes PS Plus subscription). Also, the launch of its new, mid-gen PS 5 Pro didn’t meet with particularly epic enthusiasm. Still, the company is doing a great job of building a loyal fan base of players, enjoying its competition-driven strategy, exclusives, and the ability to play on the best hardware.
Exclusivity is temporary - the glory of PC gaming is forever
According to Phil Spencer (Microsoft’s Gaming CEO), video games exclusive to one platform are becoming less and less successful financially. Furthermore, Sony is beginning to realize it needs to turn to multiplatform releases to reach a wider audience. Some of the best-selling video games of recent years, including Hogwarts Legacy and Baldur’s Gate 3, are available on multiple platforms instead of just one. It’s easy to see why it wouldn’t be wise for Sony and Microsoft to miss out on this opportunity. It’s worth noting that, as a platform, PC gaming never entered the console war. It doesn’t need to. Thanks to its hardware flexibility, console-like power, publishers wanting to release games on PC and consoles, and the popularity of PC platforms (like Steam, Epic, and GOG), it is, and will continue to be, the winner of any potential war within the industry. PC gaming successfully blurs the lines between platforms while meeting the players’ growing expectations. Moreover, it’s constantly evolving, allowing for greater freedom of choice in how and what to play. With all these undeniable advantages, the further focus of console companies on their exclusives feels like a mistake that may cost them everything.
Conclusion
So, is the end of the console war here? Not yet, as such a massive shift in the console giants’ strategy will take some time. However, we are already witnessing this evolution and change for the better. There are increasingly more cross-platform releases, publishers want to make their titles available on PC and consoles, subscription-based gaming is gaining popularity, and console companies are moving away from gatekeeping their audiences from playing video games. Soon, console exclusives may become a thing of the past, and availability on multiple platforms may become the new gold standard.
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