More PlayStation players have confirmed they chose to buy a PS5 because of the availability of Call of Duty than they did for any of Sony’s console exclusives. The data comes from the latest report from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision and how this could impact Sony in the future.
Call of Duty was the most popular choice when buying a PS5
A massive 89% of surveyed PS5 players stated they chose the console because of the availability of one or more games. Among those players who gave that answer, 73% said they chose the PS5 because of Call of Duty. A slightly smaller 69% bought a PS5 console for exclusive games like God of War (41%), The Last of Us (39%), Marvel’s Spider-Man (37%), and Ghost of Tsushima (25.5%). Other popular choices included Grand Theft Auto, Assassin’s Creed, Fortnite, and Star Wars, but Call of Duty was by far the most popular franchise.
The CMA did state that their survey could overstate the importance of Call of Duty when purchasing a console due to its target demographic, but it is still a sticking point for Sony despite a 10-year deal to keep the franchise on PlayStation consoles. There are now suggestions Call of Duty could be removed from the Microsoft and Activision acquisition deal because of the ongoing arguments.
