Console players: Do you actually play exclusives or third party most? And either way, which of those matters more in your system purchases?

[Darryl M R]

I normally own both consoles and get my third party games on the one with the largest population. I believe PS5 will also have the largest player base going forward for next gen so the next Xbox will probably be just for exclusive games.

Sony exclusives matter to me a good amount.

 

[jroc74]

I'm the equal but factor them in for system purchases.

Exclusives is the only reason I would get a Nintendo console.

All things being equal, exclusives would be my tie breaker.

 

[Reinhard]

I almost only play console exclusives aside from indie games on the Switch. The PC is a better experience for most games so I play there, unless the multiplayer is dead such as COD (which is a series I don't play). For looter shooters, it is a bit strange in that Destiny 2 seems to have a very low player base on PC but Division 2 is quite healthy. I assume it was launching the game a month late on the PC and PS4 exclusive weapons / strike that killed Destiny 2 on PC?

 

[genjiZERO]

If you'd have asked this question in a previous generation I would have said "exclusives". I'd have said that because traditionally they were the highest quality titles. However, starting around mid-PS3/360 generation it felt that platform agnosticism became truly pervasive and that stopped being true. At this point it's basically entirely a question of developer.

As for console purchase it certainly mattered for the PS1 and PS2 generations (I was one of those people who flipped to Sony because of FF7 - although I still ended up buying a N64, GCN and all subsequent Nintendos too). But by the time the PS3 came around I went with them (as my "main") simply because I was on the Sony ecosystem less than the exclusives (although it did end up having the types of exclusives I prefer). The same was true for PS4 and will be true for PS5 (unless Sony somehow does something egregiously anti-consumer).

 

[Jaded Alyx]

I have a switch, PS4, and a PC.

9/10 I will buy a third party (non-indie) game on PC, mainly due to price but also performance depending on the title.

Going forward, if it's a fighting game, I buy it on ps4 (first)

Other than Spider-Man, I haven't truly loved Sony first party games yet.

I will always buy a Nintendo system for the exclusives.

 

[Kill3r7]

If I had to guess, I have put in double the amount of time playing Destiny 1&2 than I have all other games combined this gen (PS4, XB1and WiiU/Switch). So while I do care about exclusives, they make up a relatively small portion of my overall playtime.

 

[Phil me in]

I laughed at maximum console fidelity. Since when did this really matter? Mid gen upgrades are what 2-3 years old?

Seems like a weird thread to promote/justify the X. If that mattered you would get a pc.

 

[Hoo-doo]

The exclusives are almost always the must-plays anyway. I find myself caring less and less for the big third party multiplats seeing as my tastes don't really align with the masses that goes nuts for generic schlooters, GaaS and open-world collectathons.

 

[J_ToSaveTheDay]

I care more about exclusives but clock more time with third party games. Nintendo exclusive games like Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, Super Mario, and Mario Kart are among my favorites in all of gaming; Sony has a very strong track record of appealing to my tastes with their exclusives, though to my mind, they tend to shift to new IP over time with most of their franchises lasting about one generation... Still, they strike positive frequently enough that almost anything they announce from their first- or second-party studios, or in partnership with a third-party studio, is met with optimism from me upon announcement. I still play tons of third party games, and the vast majority of my online gaming (possibly the most time consuming) is with third party games, though. I currently own an Xbox One X for third party games, I still love the Forza series, and I still enjoy Xbox exclusives like Gears, Halo, and Ori, but I still think that the platform is expendable -- I don't hold anything on Xbox up with the same reverence or high expectations as I do with Sony or Nintendo.

 

[BraXzy]

I buy most consoles and own a PC. Consoles are almost exclusively for exclusives - besides the odd multiplayer game with friends. But even then, we've all gradually moved over to PC for a lot of that too.

 

[Clive]

My four last played games are: Shenmue 1 & 2 HD, Majora's Mask, Suikoden 3, Radiant Silvergun and Owlboy. All great games that look perfectly fine. Good graphics in a high resolution and at a stable framerate is great but not the main reason why I play video games. I go where the games are. I'm lucky to be able to afford all consoles but if I had to make the choice then I would pick the 480p/30fps console over the 4k/60fps console if it had access to more good games. Easy choice.

I absolutely play more multiplats than exclusives but these multiplats are generally good enough for me regardless of platform. I don't miss out on Assassin's Creed by picking PS4 but I miss out on The Last Guardian by picking Xbox, and vice versa with Rare Replay or something.

 

[Fadewise]

I play exclusives because they are usually great games, not because they are exclusive to a console that I have thrown my hat in with. For me, booting up my Playstation 4 or Switch is an inconvenience getting in the way of playing those games that I'd much rather be playing on the PC, but I do so begrudgingly for the sake of the generally excellent games.

 

[Deleted member 9971]

First party on switch mostly thurd party on ps4 mostly reason is i find cinematic games boring so i skip most of sony's firdt party games tbh. Metal Gear Solid did it right in the past good gameplay and cinematics combined. I admit tho spiderman and god of war did both very well and bloodborne was lit!

 

[Jerm411]

Exclusives def. matter and factor into it, but ecosystem is the biggest factor for me...reason I play the most on X. My account and achievements and almost all my friends/family that I game with are in that ecosystem.

 

[PenultimateFantasy]

i usually end up buying all 3 consoles every generation but my lead console will be the one withe most software / that is selling the best

 

[MrHedin]

For me I guess it depends on the system. I have a Nintendo for sure because of their exclusives, some of the third parties are nice but its not what I'm necessarily there for. On the other side of the coin, for this generation neither PS4 and XBox exclusives really moved the needle for me it and it was more about the third party options. I kept waiting to feel like I was missing out just going with PC & Switch this generation and aside from last year (GoW & Spiderman for PS4, RDR2 for both) I really didn't feel like I was.

What this means for me next generation I don't really know yet. I had been shifting away from PC (just don't want to sit at a desk for my hobby after sitting at a desk all day for work) for awhile but with BPM and using a controller for my PC games more it really has just become another console for me. Nintendo will still do their own thing and fill a niche for my preferences but beyond that I don't know what way I want to go yet.

 

[AfropunkNyc]

I have a switch but don't actually buy the traditional exclusives like Mario, smash bros, etc. I did buy the switch for zelda, though. I also purchased Mario kart but nothing after those interest me. Metroid is another game i support on Nintendo consoles also.

 

[linkboy]

3rd party games are important, but for the most part, I don't care about the vast majority of them (especially AAA titles).

I buy Nintendo's systems for their games and I bought my PS4 really just for Naughty Dog's games. If a 3rd party game comes along that peaks my interest, then that's awesome, but I didn't base my console purchase on 3rd party games.

I don't play games like I used to since I don't have the time, patience or money (mega emphasis on the money part) that I used to have. I have to be selective with with what new games I do play/buy because of it.

 

[AyaisMUsikWhore]

Exclusives matter to the system I am putting my first dollar towards because I already know third party systems will work and come. To me, sometimes there are third parties that are putting out thing I don't like, since they largely follow trends, and 1st parties break that wheel for me, so it's more of a plus on my gaming habits than a negative. Because of that, it is an importance that exclusives are in the mix.

When it comes to graphics, I don't necessarily pride myself making sure I need the best of the best. There has to be a symmetry for a decision like that. So I'll only do an upgrade like that if I play that system the most. Where my main library is the largest is what matters more to me than that. So for example, I started off the gen with a PS4 which had a higher fidelity than the XB1, despite buying that system for its first parties. It happened to be a win-win because the PS4 had that out the gate. But over time, since I dedicated all that money to the PS4, it's just in my best interest to not waste my money and buy a X1X just for graphics when I'd have to start all over. And on top of that, change everything just for a 2x bump that imo, isn't that much of a jump for the games I play, to spend what would be now, $300 extra dollars for. So instead i'm gonna make a smaller upgrade to the Pro, which cost a lot less for me ($50), and I don't have to deal with the burden of moving libraries but the 1.3X upgrade for smaller things was worth it for me.

So with how next gen is sounding, I know where I'm going next gen that isn't a surprise. However it doesn't stop me from being a multi-platform owner. I'm just not going to switch my entire history to start over. So there will always be a placement for each that I priorities over the other which pretty much everyone does.

 

[Deleted member 9305]

PC is my preferred system for multi platform releases, I only buy console exclusives on console.

 

[Shakerovic]

I buy a console for it's good Exclusives

i prefer to play multi platform games on PC (if it's a good port that is)

 

[Deleted member 47843]

Sony and Nintendo first party stuff are a huge chunk of what I play. I also like Gears and Halo and a few other MS exclusives. Very few PC exclusives are my cup of tea outside of indies (not into stuff like CRPGs, sim games, 4x games, MMOs, RTS, MOBAs, keyboard and mouse FPS games etc.).

The best exclusives are just the cream of the crop and benefit from big budgets and longer dev times as the platform holders need them to be system sellers. Few multiplayer reach the level of the best exclusive each generation IMO.

Exclusives drive what consoles I buy. If I wasn't in to them I'd just stick with PC as most multiplats run and look best there.

 

[FFNB]

First party titles or 2nd and third party exclusives are generally why I'll choose one platform over the other for an initial console purchase. Then I buy third party games to supplement the exclusives.

For me, personally, Sony's first party developer stable is some of the best in the industry, and I'm a big fan of their IPs and developers like Santa Monica, Naughty Dog, Guerrilla Games, Media Molecule, Bend, etc etc, and will pretty much buy whatever their next title is, on whatever platform it's released on. But since they're all owned by Sony, I go PlayStation.

This is one of the few generations where I haven't owned all three of the major console platforms. I have a PS4 Pro and a Switch, but passed on the Xbox ONE this time around, because there just wasn't much that interested me that I couldn't either play on my PS4, or on PC. I will usually own both a PlayStation and Xbox, but not this gen. Maybe next console cycle I'll own an Xbox.

 

[iksenpets]

I play more third-party, but exclusives are going to matter more unless one console has a huge technical advantage in third party games. If one console regularly runs most games much worse, then the other one wins, but if they're pretty much the same, then of course I'll pick the one with the more appealing exclusives.

 

[qrac]

Those Nintendo exclusives keep me coming back fir Nintendo consoles. Third parties are played on PC.

 

[Demacabre]

Exclusive games are the reason why I have a PS4 and will be picking up a Switch.

 

[monmagman]

Sony exclusives are in tune with what I like,they also get great third party support.....that's why I game on Playstation.
I only need one console so I play more multiplats because I do all my gaming on PS4 and there are lots of third party games that interest me.
I play lots of PS4 exclusives too of course.
Exclusives + strong third party support is the perfect storm for me and Playstation has historically had that for me.

 

[broflap]

I'm a fan of exclusives and since I can really only get one system, that's what I look for.

 

[Abdiel]

I don't own an Xbox, because I don't care about their exclusives... So I play everything on my pro. I primarily play jrpgs, with a mix of Sony first party and other third party titles as well.

 

[IIFloodyII]

My most played games on PS4 are Fortnite and Destiny 1 and 2. My favorite PS4 games are Bloodborne, God of War and Witcher 3. So probably the second option. If consoles didn't have exclusives, I'd just play on PC and not buy a console again.

 

[Deleted member 48897]

What if the exclusives are third-party?

But yeah I prefer generally to play stuff on PC so for the consoles the games I tend to get are games that I can't get on other platforms.

 

[jviggy43]

I would never buy a console if it didnt have exclusives. Which is why I will no longer be buying another xbox, especially so given that all their games and game pass will be coming to PC.

 

[Inuhanyou]

They're about equal, but I still factor in exclusives for my system purchase.

I care about exclusives and third party games..but if a console has a lot of first party exclusives i want on top of third party games i want...or third party exclusives even, that's the one i will buy.

There has to be a balance there, and i feel like only Playstation has historically gotten it right in this regard.

Of course, the exclusives alone are why i want a Switch. its much easier to justify when it only has games you cant play anywhere else, but at the same time it makes owning one less of a priority for me than the Playstation console

 

[Terror-Billy]

I play more third party games. First parties are nice and welcome, but they are a really small number of games compared to everything third parties put out through the year.

 

[Weebos]

What about third party exclusives?

 

[Red Arremer]

The majority of games I own/intend to buy for my current gen console (Switch) are first party. Nintendo has by far the best first party games as a whole, so that shouldn't come as a surprise.
I would say they are the main reason for me to have gotten a Switch, though Sony/MS exclusives and general third party offerings aren't really interesting me either.

 

[Igorth]

I care more for exclusives, but to be honest third party games are more and often times more lenghty, so they take more hours to complete.

 

[Thrill_house]

Gotta have those exclusives. Its the only reason I laughed off getting an xbox this gen. Didn't have shit for me so...yeah.

 

[Bede-x]

I spend more time on third party games, but first party games matters more when selecting my system of choice, especially these days where many are chasing the service game model. Games that want me to dedicate my life to grinding and fragging, with endless updates of (IMO) meaningless content, I can get everywhere. One and done AAA single player only games, with no microtransactions and no ad spamming trying to get me to buy more, are becoming increasingly rare, especially if you're not a fan of open world games.

Those I value and if all next gen systems offers BC with this generation, my main system (I'll buy all of them) will be the one offering the most AAA single player only exclusives. And that'll be Sony, obviously.

 

[Imitatio]

Depends on the exclusives really. Third party rarely trumps first party imo, but it's clearly still valuable for the console's overall line-up.

I'd never buy a console based on third party output alone tho. A Xbox One X e.g. is to me just as unappealing as a One or One S with Ori being the only MS IP I remotely care about.

Giving concrete examples (my buying behavior rn):
Nintendo for 1st & 3rd party
Sony mostly 3rd with the rare 1st
No MS due to lacking 1st party & the crossover in 3rd party with the others

 

[Van Bur3n]

I factor in which system has the most FROMSOFTWARE games and then play mostly third parties, because most games are third party.

 

[Sotha_Sil]

I'm mostly third party. Bethesda Softworks, From Software, and IO Interactive are a big chunk of my gaming.

Microsoft's recent moves (Obsidian, InXile, Age of Empires revitalization, Gears Tactics, Playground RPG studio, Ninja Theory) will have me playing a lot of their first party games. No interest in Halo or Gears.

Sony makes 2 or 3 games I'm really interested in each generation (Bloodborne, Horizon ZD, and Ghost of Tsushima this time around), its just not enough for me to want to go back to their ecosystem now that I'm out (got to play BB at least). No interest in Nintendo games.

 

[Łazy]

I just play the games I feel I'm gonna like.
And fortunately I like most of them.
Why would i care if they're exclusive, or anything else ?

 

[Starfire22]

I just play the games I feel I'm gonna like.
And fortunately I like most of them.
Why would i care if they're exclusive, or anything else ?

Click to shrink...

This.

 

[DarrenM]

I buy every console. I'm that guy. I never have to worry about missing something.

But the only console exclusives I truly, truly could not live without if I -had- to choose would be Nintendo stuff.

Click to shrink...

This is me too, even the Nintendo part.

I play exclusives and get third party games on the most powerful hardware/best port.

 

[Fredrik]

Other:

It depends on how powerful the console is...
- since that will matter if I play multiplats on it.
And it depends how great the exclusives are...
- since that will matter on how much time I spend on those.

Exclusives are clearly important, but getting the best multiplat version is worth more since exclusives are usually too far apart to keep me satisfied.

Switch is unique though since Zelda Breath of the Wild is not only my most played game on Switch but also my most played game on any console this generation. No Man's Sky on PC is the only game where I have more time logged in.

 

[Darth Smurf X]

Console Exclusives.

I play them more and they dictate which console to buy. For example, let's use 2019. If I owned an Xbox, the ONLY game I'd have to look forward to this entire year is a multiplat in Crash Team Racing (unless Battletoads is also this year). But since I have a PS4, I have Falcon Age, Dreams, Concrete Genie, Death Stranding, Vacation Simulator (not counting PC), No Man's Sky VR and Iron Man VR plus CTR. The only multiplat games I play these days are Destiny 2 and Battlefront 2. So if I had chosen the Xbox this gen, I'd be awfully bored this year.

Also, I don't own a 4K TV so best graphics matter very little to me.

 

[John Rabbit]

I bought the console that appealed to me most with its feature set and price, which was a PS4.

My general purchasing behavior goes like this:
Is there a PC release day-and-date or soon after? Buy PC version.
Is it a cooperative or online game that my friends will play? Buy the PS4 version.
Is the game cheaper on a specific platform and it's performance is likely unchanged between it's respective versions? Buy the cheapest one.

 

[TheRuralJuror]

I thought I preferred fidelity for a bit, but found myself missing exclusives. Other than dead by daylight, all I played on my one x was ac odyssey, red dead and battlefield while feeling left out on other exclusives I really wanted to play elsewhere. Stuff like everybody's golf to beat saber. Not being able to play a current gen EDF was a big turn off too.

 

[Carn]

Exclusives first. They're often day 1 purchase. For third party I usually wait for a sale/discount. Altough there are always exceptions.