The PlayStation Showcase on May 24, 2023 was supposed to be the big return. The last Showcase was in 2021, and expectations were sky high.
So when it arrived with almost no first-party exclusives, fans were confused and frustrated. How could a company known for its exclusives deliver a Showcase that barely showed any?
A Showcase Missing Its Identity
The Showcase ran over an hour and included more than 30 titles. Most of them were from third-party studios or multi-platform. Big reveals like Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater were announced for PC and Xbox (more on that later).
Out of the 30 titles that were showcased, only one major AAA exclusive for the rest of 2023 appeared: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Only four first-party studios were featured. Haven Studios announced the competitive heist thriller Fairgame$. Firewalk Studios revealed the multiplayer first-person shooter Concord. Bungie brought news about Destiny 2 and teased Marathon. Insomniac closed with Spider-Man 2. And that was it. Familiar names like Naughty Dog, Sucker Punch, Santa Monica Studio, and Bend Studio were nowhere to be found.
Fans expected at least one update on Wolverine, Silent Hill 2, Little Devil Inside, or even the long-rumored Bloodborne remake. Instead, the stage felt empty in ways PlayStation events never do. For a platform built around prestige studios and high-budget storytelling, this showcase felt shockingly thin.
Why Sony Held Back
The problem behind this shortage of exclusives lies in Sony fighting Microsoft’s potential acquisition of Activision-Blizzard. Sony fears losing the popular first-person shooter, Call of Duty. If Microsoft were to purchase Activision-Blizzard, they could make the CoD franchise exclusive to Xbox. A loss like that would negatively impact Sony’s revenue.
The situation put Sony in an awkward position. Their business model relies on a mix of blockbuster exclusives andsales from third-party titles. Their exclusives have massive budgets and take years to produce. During the regulatory fight, Sony had to walk a fine line between showing how the acquisition would impact them without looking too weak.
Microsoft Took the Bait
As Sony’s showcase left gamers puzzled, Microsoft wasted no time to respond to the situation. Through social media, Microsoft made it clear that many of the games showcased by Sony would also be available on Xbox consoles.
While it might have been tempting for Microsoft to exploit Sony’s exclusives problem, it could potentially backfire until the Activision-Blizzard deal is finalized.
Despite being the underdog in the console wars, Microsoft’s Game Pass subscription service is performing well, giving them an advantage. However, it would have been better to let gamers and the media point out the absence of exclusives from PlayStation Showcase. Instead Microsoft gave Sony a potential weapon to use against them.
Sony Withholding Exclusives is Temporary
While the lack of first-party titles and exclusives may be disheartening for PlayStation users, this won’t last for long. In time, Sony will have a slew of exclusives to announce in the future.
Summer gaming conferences like Summer Games Fest and Gamescom will give Sony the opportunity to unveil titles that will be highly anticipated by players.
Also, Sony has the power to reveal games outside traditional conferences. They could time their announcements based on the progress of the Microsoft Activision deal, which is expected to be complete in June.
While Sony’s PlayStation Showcase 2023 left fans craving more exclusives, it exposed how much things have changed. Sony needs to adjust as their competition gains a huge advantage in the console wars.
As the industry evolves, PlayStation players can expect a new wave of exclusive titles to arrive in due course.
📌 Changelog
- December 3, 2025: Includes additional information about some of the games announced during PlayStation Showcase.
- May 25, 2023: Date article was originally published.
