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A tale of 2 exclusives in the multiplatform era: Wolverine helps sell PS5s, but Gears doesn’t move the needle for Xbox
Industry analyst Mat Piscatella says Xbox’s return to console exclusives has not reversed its declining hardware trend, despite Gears of War: E-Day receiving strong reviews. The comparison with PlayStation’s Marvel’s Wolverine suggests an exclusive can help sell a console when it is paired with a tie-in bundle, though the results may depend on the game and the scale of the offer.
E-Day has an 87 Metacritic rating and reportedly sold more than 400,000 copies while available on Game Pass, but Piscatella said its exclusivity had not boosted Xbox hardware sales. Wolverine scored 75 on Metacritic, yet its DualSense accessory was the month’s best-selling accessory and its PS5 bundle sold out, helping console sales that week. Xbox hardware sales fell 14 per cent year on year last quarter, while Microsoft’s Asha Sharma attributed the decline to supply not meeting demand.
In short
- Gears exclusivity has not stemmed Xbox’s hardware decline.
- Wolverine’s PS5 bundle sold out and lifted sales that week.
- The comparison highlights how bundles can support console sales.
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The case for
The comparison suggests exclusives can still encourage console purchases when they offer a distinctive reason to choose that platform, especially when supported by a prominent bundle. Wolverine’s sold-out PS5 bundle and strong DualSense accessory sales point to demand, while E-Day’s availability through Game Pass may have made it less necessary for players to buy an Xbox to play it.
The case against
The evidence does not show that exclusives alone reliably shift hardware sales: E-Day reviewed strongly and reportedly reached a substantial audience, yet Xbox sales continued to fall. Wolverine’s bundle and accessory performance may reflect the strength of that particular offer, and Xbox’s reported supply constraints complicate any conclusion that its hardware trend shows a lack of demand.
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