Call Of Duty is main reason gamers choose PlayStation over Xbox, says survey

A survey suggests that the factor deciding whether someone opts for a PlayStation or an Xbox isn't one of the enviable exclusives on either console. It's in fact Call of Duty, and a large proportion of players are choosing PlayStation for the many, many goodies that are offered to Call of Duty fans on the platform.

2022 was an extremely strong year for PlayStation, making a massive $24.4 billion from its games divisions with an inflated fourth quarter. That was of course buoyed by the release of God Of War Ragnarök however games like Horizon Forbidden West, The Last of Us Part I, Stray, Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection and others contributed to the immense success.

Check out the trailer for Horizon Forbidden West's DLC, set in a volcanic Los Angeles, here:

But these aren't the biggest predictors of whether a gamer would purchase a PS5 or an Xbox Series X. "In the CMA survey of PlayStation players, 88% said they choose Sony’s console because of the availability of 1 or more games," said Christopher Dring, Head of Games B2B at Gamesindustry.biz, on Twitter. "Of that 88%, 73% said it was Call of Duty that influenced their decision. Meanwhile, 69% said they picked PlayStation for Sony exclusives. 45% cited GTA 5."

In the CMA survey of PlayStation players, 88% said they choose Sony’s console because of the availability of 1 or more games. Of that 88%, 73% said it was Call of Duty that influenced their decision. Meanwhile, 69% said they picked PlayStation for Sony exclusives. 45% cited GTA 5

— Christopher Dring (@Chris_Dring) February 8, 2023

Obviously, we don't know what the sample size was nor anything else about those who responded, like their age or gaming trends. However, historically, Call of Duty has preferred its PlayStation community, giving away goodies like free early access weekends, exclusive modes and downloadable content for a fair few of its entries.

Regarding the Activision acquisition, Microsoft apparently offered an olive branch to Sony in the form of a 10-year deal to keep the shooter series on PlayStation and add Call of Duty games to PlayStation Plus.

Sony said that this was in fact an agreement that only spans three years, not a decade, and replied that it was "inadequate on many levels." The deliberations have been going on for more than a year now, so, we'll be waiting for the official word in due time.