Circana survey: Friends and crossplay now matter more than console exclusives

The traditional argument for console exclusivity is losing ground to social connectivity, according to new data from Circana. Analyst Mat Piscatella shared survey results asking U.S. console players about their most important purchase motivators. The data shows a shift in priorities: being able to play with friends and access to cross-platform multiplayer are now ranked higher than exclusive games.

This reflects the reality of modern gaming habits. Massive multiplayer games like Fortnite, Call of Duty, Minecraft and Roblox dominate playtime, and those games operate across ecosystems. For a large portion of the audience, a console is simply a box that connects them to their social circle. If a console cannot play the games their friends are playing, its value drops significantly, regardless of how strong its single-player exclusives might be.

For Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, this data reinforces the need to support crossplay and perhaps explains why companies are increasingly willing to put their own games on competing platforms. Exclusives still drive brand identity, but social features drive daily engagement.