In the olden days of the console wars, companies fought for exclusive titles. This remained the way of doing things for decades, with the “big three” competing for consumers’ dollars. That’s beginning to change, as console exclusives are fast becoming a thing of the past. That was made clear when Halo transitioned from Xbox exclusivity to land on the PlayStation 5, ending a 25-year exclusive association with Microsoft’s console that the game helped make successful so long ago. Despite the trend of console exclusivity going the way of the dinosaurs, some franchises remain with the systems that launched them, even if they’ve jumped from one generation to the next. These six franchises are rare examples of that, and they include two each from Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft’s consoles.
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6) God of War
The God of War franchise launched in 2005 on the PlayStation 2, and the game became an instant hit. As players rained fury upon the gods, they progressed across beautifully rendered environments, slaughtering all manner of enemies. As of 2025, there have been 18 God of War games spread across PlayStation consoles, including a collection on the Vita.
Still, only six of those titles are mainline games in the franchise, but through it all, God of War remains a PlayStation exclusive. There is a mobile game, and 2018’s God of War was ported to PC (As was 2022’s God of War Ragnarök and the Valhalla DLC). Still, as far as consoles go, Sony and Nintendo are watching Kratos kill the gods from the sidelines.
5) The Last of Us
Despite launching in 2013, only two mainline The Last of Us games have been released: one for the PlayStation 3 and another for the PlayStation 4. Fortunately, remasters have also found their way onto consoles, so the franchise has been updated more than once. It even spawned a hit television series on HBO Max, starring Pedro Pascal, and when you tap Hollywood’s go-to franchise force, you know you’ve made it. The Last of Us is a character-driven storyline that spans both titles. In addition to the show, there are comic books, a haunted house at Universal Studios, and a tabletop game. Of course, if you want to play the games themselves, you’ll have to fire up a PlayStation.
4) Super Mario
Of all the video game franchises in the world, none come close to the scale of Mario. He was introduced in 1981’s Donkey Kong as “Jumpman,” though this was via retconning. His actual first appearance was in 1983’s Mario Bros., released as a Nintendo arcade game. It wasn’t until Super Mario Bros. arrived on the Nintendo Entertainment System that the company’s future mascot became one of the most famous video game characters of all time.
There are more than 200 Mario games, with 24 in the primary franchise, all of which were released on Nintendo consoles and handheld devices. Before Nintendo had its own console, Mario Bros. was ported to the Atari 2600 and other systems, and Hotel Mario was released under license on the Philips CD-i. Still outside of those outliers and some early PC ports, once Nintendo had its NES, Mario was as exclusive a franchise as you could get.
3) Pokémon
The Pokémon franchise launched in 1996 on the Game Boy in Japan with Pokémon Red and Green. Since then, the franchise has remained almost exclusively with Nintendo. A licensed agreement limited to Japan allowed for the release of eight games on the Sega Pico, CoCoPad, and the Advanced Pico Beena. Still, outside of Japan, releasing a Pokémon title on anything Nintendo doesn’t own is a recipe for disaster.
Palworld, known as “Pokémon with guns,” was the subject of a Nintendo lawsuit, and the game bears only a superficial resemblance to Pokémon. Regardless, the nine mainline games and 120+ total are Nintendo exclusives. Pokémon Go is a rare exception, though it’s not a console game, so if you want to play one, check out the latest Nintendo Switch exclusive, Pokémon Legends Z-A.
2) Fable
Fable is the best fantasy game released on the Xbox that seemingly died long before its time. The franchise launched in 2004 for the original Xbox, introducing a relatively new mechanic. Players could make choices that would steer their player character towards a heroic path, or they could decide to do naughty things, steering them towards an evil path.
This was represented graphically, as the character’s appearance would change throughout the progression. There have been three mainline titles in the franchise, with a total of ten games, the last of which, Fable Fortune, was released in 2017. Finally, 16 years since Fable III, the series is getting a new lease on life, as a reboot titled Fable is set to drop on Windows and Xbox Series X|S in 2026.
1) Starfield
Starfield is a new Xbox exclusive title, as it was first released in late 2023. Bethesda Game Studios created the game, featuring a play style similar to that of the developer’s other games, such as Skyrim and Fallout. In fact, Starfield has been described as “Skyrim in space” due to these similarities. It was the first new IP Bethesda developed in a quarter century, and limiting it to the Xbox was a bold choice, as players would seemingly enjoy it on comparable consoles like the PlayStation 5.
Regardless, Starfield is limited to Microsoft’s systems, and future entries will likely follow suit. As of 2025, Bethesda hasn’t announced a sequel, but it’s doubtful the studio would release it as a one-and-done title, as Bethesda always intended it to be a new flagship in the same vein as the franchises mentioned above. Only time will tell, but eventually, players will likely return to space via Starfield 2, and should the license hold, it will be on an Xbox system.
Which console-exclusive franchise is your favorite? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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