Ex-PlayStation Boss Comments on the Future of Exclusive Games
Former PlayStation boss Shawn Layden has claimed that he doesn’t believe console exclusives are going anywhere soon, laying out some of the advantages that come with such titles for both the developers and the consumers. PlayStation has truly made a name for itself by developing a strong catalog of exclusive titles, though many of those games have also come to PC in recent years. However, most of these titles are still only available on a console through PlayStation, as games like Marvel’s Spider-Man, God of War, and The Last of Us have never made their way over to Nintendo or Xbox consoles.
For many years, console exclusives seemed to be set in stone, especially when it came to company mascots like Mario, Kratos, and Master Chief. In recent years, things seem to have shifted, as companies are testing new waters by putting exclusive properties on new platforms. For instance, while Horizon Zero Dawn remains exclusive to PlayStation and PC, Sony launched LEGO Horizon Adventures on both PlayStation 5 and the Nintendo Switch, bringing the character of Aloy to a Nintendo console for the first time. Earlier in 2025, Xbox released Gears of War Reloaded on PlayStation 5, bringing the franchise to Sony’s platform for the first time in its history. While the move may seem bizarre to some (especially those who grew up in the age of “console wars”), it’s part of Xbox’s strategy to make their software more readily available to players everywhere and anywhere.
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Shawn Layden Thinks Exclusives Make the Platform Sing
In a recent appearance on Game Rant’s Character Select, Shawn Layden discussed the role that exclusives play within the industry. Layden doesn’t think exclusives will be going away anytime soon, stating, “There is a huge value to the brand of having strong exclusives. If Mario starts showing up on PlayStation, that’s the apocalypse, right? Cats and dogs living together. And the same goes for Nathan Drake and Uncharted. They make the platform sing.” It’s interesting to hear Nathan Drake mentioned in the same breath as Mario, but both characters have heavily contributed to the image, brand, and success of their respective platforms. When it comes to marketing, these characters often become the face of the platform they represent, which gives players a glimpse of what they can expect to experience when they pick up a controller. While Nathan Drake may not seem like a traditional mascot, he represents the kind of narrative-driven single-player experience readily available on PlayStation.
It’s worth noting that Layden doesn’t believe all games should be exclusive to a specific platform. However, exclusives do allow developers to show off the best features of their given platform. For instance, Layden said, “When you do code across multiple platforms, you do have to code to the lowest common denominator. But if you do exclusives, you can push every lever to eleven.” Many PlayStation exclusives try to make the most of the platform, especially the DualSense controller. In 2025, the PlayStation exclusive title Ghost of Yotei made heavy use of the DualSense and its unique capabilities. Ghost of Yotei developer Sucker Punch made fantastic use of the controller’s haptic feedback and touchpad controls, giving players an experience that simply wouldn’t be possible on other platforms.
Not everyone agrees with Layden, however, as the president of Xbox called the idea of exclusives “antiquated” in October 2025. Xbox President Sarah Bond seems to believe that the key to success in the future will involve making games as widely available as possible. Games like Minecraft and Fortnite have saturated the market by being available virtually everywhere, meeting gamers wherever they choose to play. However, Layden did acknowledge that titles like Fortnite exist in a different space, as massively multiplayer games almost have to go multi-platform to succeed. While there’s no way of knowing where things will go in the future, it seems as if the major gaming companies are paying close attention to the performance of exclusives.