Xbox games vs PlayStation games has been a long-standing debate in the world of video games. Currently, these two are the only companies with mainstream consoles. Nintendo also makes consoles but they have a niche market. Since the release of the original Xbox, Sony and Microsoft are trying to compete with each other in the gaming industry. Both had their ups and downs throughout the life cycles of their consoles. While PlayStation was always more famous than Xbox, in the 7th gen of consoles Xbox 360 came on top of the PlayStation 3. For the first time, PlayStation was an inferior console to the Xbox. In 8th gen consoles, PS4 defeated Xbox One due to the wrong decision taken by Microsoft.
The Launch of PS5 and Xbox Series X is the beginning of a new era for both consoles. However, this time dynamics of the industry are more complex than ever before. More people are playing videogames than ever before. Both Sony and Microsoft are trying their best to attract players to their platform. Their strategies of achieving this goal were different but it’s changing. Now that PlayStation exclusive games are coming to PC, PlayStation and Microsoft’s ideology seems very much aggressive. Exclusives have always been a strong aspect of the PlayStation platform. Now that PlayStation exclusives are coming to PC, PlayStation has lost its biggest advantage over Xbox. Both PlayStation and Xbox exclusives would now be on PC but PC exclusive games won’t be available on consoles. Xbox games vs PlayStation games are making people interested in PC more than any console.
Why Do People Buy PlayStation Consoles?
Most people buy PlayStation consoles due to their extensive and amazing line of exclusive games. To play these games a person needs to own a PlayStation. Up until now, there was no way to play these games on any other platform. If you wanted to play Uncharted, Horizon Zero Dawn, Days Gone, The Last of Us, or any other PlayStation exclusives then buying PlayStation was the only way to do it (Not considering PS Now since it is cloud). Hence, the name system seller, these games would compel you to buy a PlayStation.
When I ask a PlayStation owner “Why you have a PlayStation?” Most of the time they have one answer “exclusives” When I tell them that PlayStation exclusives are coming to PC their Reply is “These games are releasing on PC after years of its release so it’s not a problem” However when I ask the same person “Why you did not buy an Xbox?’ their answer is “Are you kidding me? I can play all Xbox games on PC”
This is the jest of what people say but this is the answer of PlayStation owners. At the back of their mind even they know that they don’t need to buy PlayStation if all of its games are available on PC. There is always a debate that consoles are cheaper than PCs but we will get to that later in the article. For now, let’s focus on Xbox games vs PlayStation games.
Exclusive Games Are System Sellers
Exclusive games act as an advertisement to a platform and their upfront revenue is less than most multiplatform games. The Last of Us/Remastered is the bestselling PlayStation exclusive. Even two-time releases and two different versions of the game only make up 20 million copies in the sale. These sales numbers are even less than Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 which has sold more than 22.7 million copies. The ulterior motive of PlayStation exclusives was always to sell more systems. This reason is slowly disappearing as more PlayStation exclusives are coming to PC. In the Xbox games vs PlayStation games, Sony is losing its major advantage.
There is already an announcement that PlayStation exclusives are coming to PC starting with Days Gone. With Horizon: Zero Dawn, Sony was just testing the waters. While porting Horizon: Zero Dawn to PC, Jim Ryan give the explanation that it will help them attract more player to the platform. He further added that there are no plans for releasing more exclusives on PC. Now Sony’s stance on the PlayStation exclusives is different. They are testing water even further by releasing more PS exclusives.
In a couple of years, we might even see PlayStation exclusives coming to PC on day one. This might just be an experiment to see the reaction and to start the second phase of the plan. In the Horizon: Zero Dawn PC announcement article I specifically mentioned the named of Day Gone and now it is happening. Microsoft was doing the same thing with their Xbox Exclusives. PlayStation fanboys were mocking them and now the same thing is happening to them.
Xbox has Game Pass
Microsoft wants people to use their services and all their focus is to provide different services. Xbox is part of Microsoft so they are following the same strategy. Xbox’s mission statement is clear, they want you to use Game Pass even if you don’t use Xbox. They are not looking to sell as much Xbox Series X/S. Instead, they want people to use Xbox Game Pass regardless of their platform. Xbox is creating the identity of video games service provider rather than video games and gaming hardware seller. It doesn’t matter if you are using a smartphone, tablet, PC, or Xbox console as long as you use Game Pass, Xbox is happy.
Xbox is making an ecosystem in which you become the customer of their service, not the product. Game Pass is the central focus of their new consoles. Xbox even created a cheaper console just so that they can attract people to Game Pass. The reason for Xbox Series S is Game Pass. Xbox knows that people buy consoles for games. At the end of the day, a console is a means for people to play games. If they could play the same games on a better platform with more options then they will do so. In the comparison of Xbox games vs PlayStation games, Xbox has an advantage in the long run.
Bethesda Games Studio and Xbox Game Pass
Xbox is making Game Pass a better deal by offering games elsewhere and also including them in Game Pass. It is the reason that Xbox acquired ZeniMax Media which is the parent company of Bethesda Games Studios. Xbox is including every game from ZeniMax Media’s subsidiaries into the Game Pass. Doing so would enable them to make Game Pass look more appealing. Playing the game on Xbox Game Pass on day one of the release seems like a better deal than buying it for 70$. The annual cost of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is 120$ which is less than buying two AAA games in a year. The inclusion of Bethesda games is making Game Pass the best deal in gaming.
If allowed, Xbox would even enable Game Pass on PlayStation and Nintendo. Xbox has already made it clear that they will release ZeniMax Media games on other platforms. Xbox has also made it clear that once all the deals are taken care of, games from Bethesda studios would be exclusive to Xbox and PC depending on the situation. By releasing games on Game Pass and other platforms, Xbox is trying to make Game Pass a better deal. Their platform is now Xbox Game Pass not just the Xbox consoles. In a comparison of Xbox games vs PlayStation games, things are looking good for Xbox due to the inclusion of Bethesda.
Xbox Is Creating Identity and PlayStation is Losing it
Xbox is creating the identity of a game service provider with better deals. While PlayStation is losing the only identity that made it relevant. The sole reason for Nintendo’s survival is its strict control of exclusive games. Without these games, Nintendo is just a platform with nothing to offer. Making Nintendo Switch nothing more than a tablet on steroids. PlayStation is no different as it is just another gaming console without exclusives.
PC Gaming is Becoming Cheaper and Better
There is no doubt that making a PC with specs similar to Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 will be expensive. However, you have to consider the combined prices of both Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 to reach the conclusion. If you want to play both Xbox games and PlayStation games then you have to buy both consoles. That’s not the case with a gaming PC, not only It will have Xbox and PlayStation games but PC exclusives as well. To top it all off, there are multiple game stores on PC making games cheaper in the long run. There is also no cost for playing games online unlike consoles. In the comparison of Xbox games vs PlayStation games both lose to PC due to PC’s versatility.
1000$ can get you a PC that will leave all consoles in the dust. Most people compare the cost of a gaming PC to a single console. That was true in the PS4 and Xbox One era but not anymore. Xbox games are available on PC and PlayStation games are also available on PC. On the other hand, PC exclusives are not available on any other platform. The mid-gen upgrades of consoles are making them even more expensive than PCs.
Verdict
Xbox Games vs PlayStation Games has been a competition for a long time. Now that console games are porting to PC the competition is shifting to Consoles vs PC. The thing that made PlayStation different than Xbox is disappearing. Without exclusives, there is nothing that PlayStation has to offer other than DualSense Controller. Even that would become compatible with PC due to its flexibility as more than being a gaming machine. Xbox has Game Pass as their platform and they don’t even care if people stop buying their consoles. Game Pass is available on PC and Smart Phones as well. As long as people are using Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft is happy.
PlayStation is famous for its exclusives and it’s the reason that most people use the platform. Now that PS exclusives are coming to PC the reason for its fame will slowly dissipate. Sony does not have a game service similar to Game Pass. PS Now can’t even come close to being a good videogame subscription service. While Sony is losing its advantage and Microsoft is focusing on game services. In the meanwhile, PC is getting games from both sides. PlayStation and Xbox are damaging each other while paving the way for PC gaming.
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