"There has to be a reason for people to buy an Xbox" – Senior leadership reinforces commitment to console exclusivity - GamesIndustry.biz

What the report says

GamesIndustry.biz reports that Xbox senior leaders are reaffirming a shift back toward console exclusives following a recent restructuring at Microsoft’s gaming business. The company had started bringing some portfolio titles to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch in 2024, but leadership now says it needs exclusive games and services to make Xbox a stronger platform and give consumers a clearer reason to buy its hardware.

Chief strategy officer Matthew Ball told GamesRadar, as cited by GamesIndustry.biz, that the decision was made early and is expected to guide the business for the foreseeable future. Ball said Asha Sharma’s view is that platform growth depends on exclusive software and services, while CCO Matt Booty said Xbox must offer a distinct reason for players to choose its console. The first confirmed platform exclusives named in the report are Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution.

The policy will not apply uniformly across the whole slate. GamesIndustry.biz notes that other upcoming titles, including Forza Horizon 6 and Fable, are still planned for multiple platforms. Ball said more exclusives are being planned and that Xbox uses an internal framework to assess which titles should serve which role. Booty pointed to the breadth of Xbox’s portfolio, saying it includes many long-running, commercially significant franchises that may support different business goals.

The report frames the change as a reversal of a multiplatform approach that had been in place for roughly two years. Ball argued that durable media platforms typically need exclusive content, and an unnamed Xbox studio lead told GamesIndustry.biz that exclusivity alone will not solve every challenge, but the prior strategy had not delivered the desired results.