5 Upcoming Xbox Games That Absolutely Need to Be Exclusive (And 1 That Definitely Shouldn’t)
After the major internal changes at Xbox, the massive gaming company is moving back toward exclusivity with its titles, already marking some projects to only come out on its consoles. PlayStation has been continuing its exclusive policies for years, releasing AAA titles like Marvel’s Wolverine and Phantom Blade Zero in 2026 on the PS5 only for some periods of time. As Microsoft tries to catch back up to Sony’s continuing strategies, there are some games that would help drive sales if they were only available on Xbox systems.
That being said, not every title should be on Xbox only, as doing so would only alienate audiences on both sides trying to get access to specific games. Xbox is already making the right moves by making certain IPs tied to its brand exclusive, such as Gears of War: E-Day. However, other exclusive titles like Clockwork Revolution could keep innovative games on Xbox alone, intriguing players enough to buy the latest console from Xbox to enjoy the projects they want to experience the most.
6. Exclusive – Stranger Than Heaven
Most of the games on this list may have already been announced to have official PC and PS5 versions, but the relationship of some titles with Xbox mean they could work far better as exclusives. Stranger than Heaven is one such example, as Xbox’s unique partnership with developer RGG Studio has made their other crime series Yakuza much more accessible. Through Xbox Game Pass, the Yakuza and Like A Dragon games are easier for players to find through that exclusive subscription system, allowing them to reach a much wider audience.
A great number of players became familiar with RGG’s style of crime drama and world building through the Yakuza series because it was free to download with Game Pass. Stranger than Heaven looks to be another great RPG experience in a realistic world of crime, with exploration that adds hundreds of hours of gameplay much like Yakuza titles. This structure might be the most familiar to Xbox players who’ve played RGG’s whole catalog elusively on the Microsoft platform, so having Stranger than Heaven remain in that ecosystem would make sense.
5. Exclusive – Tomb Raider: Catalyst
The next adventures players can experience as the legendary Lara Croft is actually with Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, a full remake of the first entry in the series coming to all modern platforms. While developer Crystal Dynamics is hard at work on this delayed title, they have already announced Tomb Raider: Catalyst as well, with the second game acting as a return to the present in the franchise’s timeline. As the first new adventure for Lara Croft in several years, exclusivity could make it more special for Xbox players.
The aftermath of a supernatural cataclysm in Northern India is something that many players will want to enjoy, but having it on Windows and Xbox first could establish Microsoft’s console as the primary place to play Tomb Raider games. This would rival PlayStation’s Uncharted series, which remains exclusive in the Sony console environment. With the retro Tomb Raider games more accessible on Xbox Game Pass for free, unlike where you have to buy them in the store on PlayStation or Nintendo Switch devices, having temporary exclusivity for Catalyst would only strengthen Xbox’s relation to the series.
4. Exclusive – Rayman Legends Retold
Rayman Legends Retold is set to come out on all consoles, but Xbox exclusivity would be far better for Microsoft in the long run. Already, players have a better chance at playing past Rayman platforming titles through the backwards compatibility of the Xbox Series X|S, a feature not shared by other systems. The following games from the series are backwards compatible on Xbox:
- Rayman Legends
- Rayman Raving Rabbids
- Rayman Origins
- Rayman 3 HD
Most of these games are also available through Xbox Game Pass, whereas you have to separately purchase Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition on the Nintendo Switch to play the series there. The cost investment for Rayman is far more expensive on PlayStation and Nintendo systems than they are on Xbox, making a better argument for exclusivity, temporary or not. Even Steam requires a separate purchase other than the cheaper Game Pass subscription cost, making Windows an easier place to access Rayman Legends Retold if you make it exclusive.
3. Exclusive – Minecraft Dungeons 2
Xbox has a close connection to Minecraft, acting as the first console to feature it back in the Xbox 360 era. Although the PS5 now features the Bedrock version of the game, Minecraft Dungeons 2 is a title that could be exclusive for Xbox to go back to its partnership with the IP. Windows still remains the only place where players can experience the Java edition of Minecraft, where plenty of structural differences help shape worlds mobile, PlayStation, and Switch players never get to see. By that logic, the franchise still works well through a solo relation to Xbox properties.
There are also hurdles with developer Mojang that are simply easier to bypass through Xbox than on other systems. It can be assumed that Minecraft Dungeons 2 will be restricted on PlayStation due to the requirement of a PSN account, a hurdle required for the original Minecraft right now. Although a Microsoft account is also needed for Minecraft on Windows PC and Xbox, this is far less restrictive than PSN, which isn’t available in certain countries. To ensure Minecraft Dungeons 2 is accessible to more players, perhaps exclusivity is, ironically, the best solution.
2. Exclusive – Fable
The original Fable was an Xbox exclusive at launch, even if it didn’t stay that way forever. Some of my earliest memories in gaming was buying an Xbox 360 console that was bundled with Fable 3 and Halo: Reach, indicating a strong connection with Microsoft’s consoles ever since the game’s debut. Much like with the Halo series, the anticipated remake of Fable takes a new rendition of the series beginnings and places them on multiple devices at launch, which could be a big mistake.
To analyze why releasing Fable outside of Xbox could be a problem, we can look to the recently launched Halo: Campaign Evolved. Nearly every Halo game has been an Xbox exclusive except for this remake, which also came out for the PS5. However, barely any players actually bought Campaign Evolved for PS5, indicating a lack of interest in the IP from players who never wanted to engage with it. Releasing Fable‘s remake on PlayStation as well may do more harm than good, so Microsoft might want to keep it exclusive to audiences who want it the most.
1. Not Exclusive – Persona 4 Revival
Some Xbox players may create an argument for Persona 4 Revival to be exclusive like many others on this List, due to the series’ existence on Xbox Game Pass. Similar to other titles mentioned, the Persona series and its remakes are incredibly accessible on Game Pass, including Persona 3 Reload and likely Persona 6 when it eventually releases. However, the franchise’s shared history on Sony platforms cannot be ignored as well, with Persona 4 itself being a key to PlayStation’s past specifically.
Persona 4 and Persona 4 Golden were wildly popular titles on the PSP and PlayStation Vita handheld consoles, the often forgotten devices from Sony’s attempts to compete with Nintendo. In fact, most players experienced the original games on those PlayStation systems, with P4 Golden not coming to Xbox until recently through Microsoft’s deals with developer Atlus. This means fans of Persona 4 are everywhere, and would be denied experiencing the high quality remake if it was on Xbox only just for convenience.
It’s highly unlikely that the games mentioned here will become exclusive to Xbox, but perhaps future titles in the respective series listed could go down that path in due time. That being said, not every upcoming game needs to be an Xbox exclusive, as large audiences are eager to try new experiences across a variety of platforms.