It looks like Microsoft is continuing to re-evaluate its options on console exclusives, and if the latest survey is any indication, Call of Duty may be the only title to make it to PlayStation in the future. The latest round of console wars seemingly began this year after Sony announced that it would no longer bring its single-player games to PC, and we’ve also seen a complete change of leadership at Xbox where new changes to Microsoft’s gaming division are constantly being rolled out. Now a new survey is asking Xbox users to “Imagine it was announced that all future title releases from every Xbox-developed gaming franchise except Call of Duty will be console-exclusive to Xbox.”
Per Windows Central, the survey asked users a similar question, but then asked how they felt if all future Fallout titles were Xbox exclusives. Reportedly the survey also inquired if users of more than one platform if they’d invest more into Xbox because of its console exclusives. Clearly, Microsoft is testing the waters for potential upcoming decisions and further attempting to identify its current customer base.
At one point, previous leadership said it wasn’t a priority to compete on a hardware level, as the Xbox Series X was fairly close in performance to that of the PlayStation 5, but the gap widened in Sony’s favor with the launch of the PlayStation 5 Pro. Microsoft has chosen not to do a console refresh, and at this point that would be a virtual impossibility thanks to increased production costs. Both console manufacturers are expected to begin releasing new models in either 2027 or 2028, but meanwhile Microsoft is obviously testing the waters to see if limiting game releases could play a larger role in its console sales. While exclusives can absolutely drive console sales, Microsoft may want to re-evaluate its stance regarding hardware specs for its next lineup since demand for the PlayStation 5 Pro has greatly increased while gamers await the arrival of next-gen tech, and after all, Microsoft isn’t Nintendo, a company that’s successfully managed a locked-in ecosystem of its game releases. Microsoft’s gaming division has had enough ups and downs that it’s debatable how many committed customers exist to support a near-total exclusive release strategy.
One other angle to take into consideration with this survey is the impact that exclusive releases will have on Xbox’s studios. Xbox laid off thousands of workers, closed multiple studios, and let go of a number of others in 2026. This, of course, led to numerous game cancellations, further damaging the brand’s ability to bring games to market. It’s difficult to say if increased exclusivity would help or impair sales for titles and not pose a greater risk of more layoffs and studio closures. Definitely something to think about.
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