There were no good Xbox One exclusives in 2018, according to Metacritic scores

By Aaron Mamiit Published April 9, 2019

Xbox One owners were not treated well in 2018, according to Metacritic which said that no good exclusives were released for the console last year.

Metacritic, which aggregates reviews on video games from various sources to come up with average scores, reports the highest-rated games for each console at the end of each year. The website has revealed its best video games of 2018, and taking the top two spots is Red Dead Redemption 2 with a score of 97 on both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The Rockstar Games hit is followed by God of War for the PlayStation 4 with a score of 94, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for the Nintendo Switch at 92, and Forza Horizon 4 for the PC and Xbox One at 92.

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A chart that compares the three major consoles and the PC, however, revealed that while there are seven great games, or those that scored at least 90, on the Xbox One, there are no good exclusives, or those that scored at least 75, for Microsoft’s console. In comparison, there are 13 good exclusives for the PlayStation 4, 10 for the Nintendo Switch, and a whopping 33 for the PC.

“Microsoft failed to offer a compelling case to pick up an Xbox One rather than another console in 2018,” Metacritic said. The PlayStation 4, in comparison, had exclusive games such as God of War, Tetris Effect, and Spider-Man, while the Nintendo Switch had Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Bayonetta 2, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze.

The distinction may be unfair, as Microsoft is releasing all its first-party games for both the Xbox One and the PC. As such, there are only Xbox One and PC exclusive games, such as the highly rated Forza Horizon 4. However, everything else that Microsoft launched in 2018, including State of Decay 2 and Sea of Thieves, did not perform well, according to Metacritic scores.

Xbox One exclusives have long lagged behind PlayStation 4 exclusives, and the same thing is happening with the Nintendo Switch. Microsoft is likely hoping to turn things around in 2019 with console exclusives Gears 5, Crackdown 3, and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Bigger things may also be in store for Xbox One gamers with Microsoft’s recent purchases of game studios, including the RPG-focused Obsidian Entertainment.

Looking to share games on the Xbox One? Check out our handy guide to find out how.

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