Exclusive games remain the primary driving force behind console sales, according to US market research company Circana.
Rising development costs for AAA titles and slowing console growth have pushed companies like PlayStation and Xbox toward multiplatform releases. However, during the latest episode of The Game Business Show, host Christopher Dring shared findings from a Q1 2026 consumer survey conducted by US market research company Circana, according to which exclusive games remain the primary driving force behind console sales. “The number one reason why US gamers play on a console is because of exclusive games. 41% of respondents cited that as the biggest reason,” he mentioned.
While the 41% figure saw an 8-point decline from the previous year, it still comfortably leads all other reasons for choosing a console. The second most important factor is social connectivity, with 38% of players choosing making their choice because “friends and family use the same console.” Sales data also indicates that major first-party releases can significantly boost hardware performance, as seen with God of War Ragnarok. During its launch week in November, 2022, PS5 sales surged by 116% in Japan, while in the UK, 38% of consoles sold during that month were bundled with the game.
On the other hand, while later releases like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Ghost of Yotei did boost PS5 sales, it wasn’t to the same degree, likely because many core players had already purchased the console. Additionally, third-party titles also remain major drivers. During the same month Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 launched, the top-selling PS5 bundle in the UK was tied to FIFA 24, accounting for over half of all units sold.
As for PC, Dring reported that Sony Interactive Entertainment’s first-party single-player titles have struggled to gain traction on the platform. God of War Ragnarok managed just 300,000 PC players during its launch month, a stark contrast to the 6.9 million players it drew on PlayStation at launch. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Horizon: Forbidden West yielded similarly modest figures, with 260,000 and 230,000 players respectively.
