Exclusive titles have always been a big part of video game marketing. True, there are plenty of fans who can dig into hardware specs and argue over which machine is worth the asking price, but for the average consumer, the easiest way to tell which console is worth owning is by looking at the games themselves.
Strangely enough, console exclusives haven't played as big a role in overall sales during the current hardware generation — that being said, both Microsoft and Sony have been quick to point out whenever their competition's library is lacking. 2016 is shaping up to be a big year for both publishers — so, with the first big release window of the year coming up, we thought it best to compile both consoles' exclusive libraries into a single list.
We've decided to stay away from rumored release dates, so only titles that have confirmed 2016 release windows are on this list. Of course, everything here is subject to change — but, as of this writing, here are all of the major PlayStation 4 and Xbox One exclusives scheduled for 2016:
PlayStation 4
Most of the PlayStation 4's exclusive lineup may not have release dates quite yet, but there are a few titles with concrete launch windows. Leading the charge are Insomniac's Ratchet and Clank pseudo-reboot/remake and Naughty Dog's highly-anticipated Uncharted 4: A Thief's End.
Title | Developer | Release Date |
| Ratchet & Clank | Insomniac | April 12 |
| Uncharted 4: A Thief's End | Naughty Dog | April 26 |
| Shadow of the Beast | Heavy Spectrum Entertainment | May 17 |
| No Man's Sky | Hello Games | June 21 |
| Star Ocean 5 | tri-Ace | June 28 |
Sadly, the rest of the games here don't have release dates quite yet, but don't worry — as soon as they do, we'll make sure to update them. Until then, here are the rest of Sony's confirmed exclusives for 2016:
Title | Developer | Release Date |
| EVE: Valkyrie | CCP Games | Spring 2016 |
| Umbrella Corps. | Capcom | Spring 2016 |
| The Tomorrow Children | Q-Games | Spring 2016 |
| Ace Combat 7 | Project Aces | TBA |
| Boundless | Rebellion | TBA |
| Detroit: Become Human | Quantic Dream | TBA |
| Drawn to Death | SCE San Diego | TBA |
| Dreams | Media Molecule | TBA |
| Gran Turismo Sport | Polyphony Digital | TBA |
| Gravity Rush 2 | SCE Japan | TBA |
| Hellblade | Ninja Theory | TBA |
| Hotshots Golf | Clap Hanz | TBA |
| Horizon: Zero Dawn | Guerrilla Games | TBA |
| The Last Guardian | Team ICO | TBA |
| Let It Die | Grasshopper Manufacture | TBA |
| MatterFall | Housemarque | TBA |
| Nier: Automata | Platinum Games | TBA |
| Persona 5 | Atlus | TBA |
| What Remains of Edith Finch | Giant Sparrow | TBA |
| World of Final Fantasy | Square Enix | TBA |
Xbox One
When it comes to exclusive titles, the Xbox One is currently trailing its competition. Granted, Microsoft may be saving its exclusive reveals for E3, but as it stands, the publisher's latest console doesn't have much to call its own. That being said, there are some fantastic-looking games on offer here, starting with Remedy Entertainment's Quantum Break:
Title | Developer | Release Date |
| Quantum Break | Remedy Entertainment | April 16 |
After that ... well, there's not much in terms of solid release dates, but there are plenty of games headed exclusively to the Xbox One:
Title | Developer | Release Date |
| Below | Capybara Games | Summer 2016 |
| Crackdown 3 | Cloudgine | Summer 2016 |
| Gears of War 4 | The Coalition | Fall 2016 |
| Halo Wars 2 | Creative Assembly | Fall 2016 |
| Ashen | Aurora 44 | TBA |
| Cuphead | Studio MDHR | TBA |
| Gigantic | Motiga | TBA |
| ReCore | Armature Studios | TBA |
| Sea of Thieves | Rare | TBA |
As you can see, Sony has the upper hand when it comes to console exclusives ... for now, at least. With E3 fast approaching, there's no telling what Microsoft and Sony have up their sleeves — but whenever the publishers reveal their next batch of exclusive games, we'll be sure to update our list!
Both Microsoft's and Sony's E3 2016 press conferences are set to air on Monday, June 13.
