Deciding which is the best console to buy can be incredibly tough these days, with each one having its own strengths and weaknesses. For example, some excel when it comes to online gaming, while others provide a more family-friendly experience. One thing that a lot of people tend to look at when making their decision is which console has the best console-exclusive games.
The Best Console to Buy if You Like Open-World Games (2024)
There are plenty of things for prospective buyers to think about when trying to decide which is the best console to buy for open-world video games.
Console exclusivity has been around for decades now and has played a pivotal role in the console wars during that time. With so little to choose from between the PS5 and Xbox Series when it comes to power and performance, it's an area that a lot of prospective buyers choose to focus on, particularly those who don't have the budget to splash out on multiple consoles or an expensive gaming rig.
Nintendo Switch
The fact that Nintendo has been around for so much longer than its competitors' PlayStation and Xbox platforms gives the Japanese giant a huge advantage when it comes to console-exclusive games. In Mario, Zelda, and Pokemon, Nintendo has three of the largest and most recognizable video game franchises of all time, but those are just the tip of the iceberg, really.
The 12 Best-Selling Nintendo Switch Games, Ranked
The top-selling Switch games have sold over a quarter of a billion copies between them and are all based on Nintendo-exclusive IPs and franchises.
A large proportion of the Switch's library is made up of top-tier first-party titles or third-party exclusives that make use of Nintendo-owned IPs, ensuring that players always have plenty of options when it comes to choosing their next game. Switch owners may miss out on a lot of multi-platform third-party games due to the system's graphical limitations, but the fact that they occasionally get timed-exclusive releases of PC games arguably makes up for this somewhat.
Xbox Series
Despite Microsoft now owning some of the largest development studios in the world, not to mention some of the most recognizable IP, the Xbox Series consoles arguably fall a little short when it comes to console exclusives. Sure, there are games like Starfield, Grounded, and Hi-Fi Rush, but there's very little depth to the platform's line-up of exclusives at the time of writing.
Best Console Exclusives On The Xbox Series X/S
Despite all the heat Xbox is taking in the console wars, the Series X/S and its predecessor still have a few noteworthy exclusives.
Granted, this is almost certain to change over the coming years once the effects of the Activision Blizzard acquisition start to play out, but by that point, the next console generation will likely be looming large on the horizon. As a result, those looking to buy the console with the best console-exclusive games may want to wait a little while longer to see what Microsoft has hidden up its sleeve.
PlayStation 5
Much of the PS4's success can be attributed to its strong library of first-party exclusives, and the PS5 has picked up right where its predecessor left off. Already, PlayStation 5 owners have been treated to new God of War, Spider-Man, and Horizon games, as well as remastered versions of Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us Part 1, and Uncharted 4, to name but a few.
The 18 Best PS5 Exclusive Games, Ranked (July 2024)
A lot of the best PlayStation 5 exclusives are single-player experiences, with action-adventure and open-world also being frequently recurring themes.
Sony's relationship with Square Enix also means that the PS5 has an advantage when it comes to JRPGs, with both Final Fantasy 16 and the Final Fantasy 7 remake project all arriving on PlayStation before anywhere else. Granted, there aren't too many big exclusives announced as of the time of writing, but this is also true of the Switch and Xbox Series outside of games like Metroid Prime 4, Fallout 5, and The Elder Scrolls 6; all of which are presumably still many years away.
Verdict - The Switch has the Best Console Exclusives in 2023
Although PS5 owners may perhaps argue otherwise, most people will likely be in agreement that the Switch has the best console exclusives in 2023. This is in part down to the fact that the console has been around for several years longer than the competition, but it's mostly the result of Nintendo having accrued such a large and varied catalog of solid first-party franchises over the company's four decades or so in the home console space.
Other than perhaps sports, fighting, and narrative-driven games, the Nintendo Switch has just about every genre covered and offers a huge selection of games that can't (legally) be played elsewhere. Its position is further bolstered by the fact that most of the best Xbox Series exclusives are available on PC right from the get-go. Many of the best PlayStation exclusives have also made their way to Windows, albeit, a few years on from their console releases.
Of course, for those who don't have access to a decent gaming rig, the decision on which console to buy for the best console-exclusive games becomes a little trickier, but the Switch arguably still has the edge. It's significantly cheaper than either of the other two options as well as being portable, allowing users to play their games just about anywhere. Some may prefer to wait a little while longer to find out whether the next Nintendo console will be backward compatible, but for those looking to pick up a system for console-exclusive games in 2023, the Switch is the best option.
