IMPORTANT! Please do not mindless say “Exclusives are bad!!” or “Exclusives are good!!” without placing so genuine thought into it. And if you already have an opinion, I would like for you to reassess this belief and engage with this thread with an open mind. (There’s a reason I have opted against making a “Poll” on this thread.)

Below is a list of some of the pros and cons for exclusivity. I hope others may be able to expand upon this list.

For those interested in trying out video games for the first time, the best option available will always be the most affordable and easy-to-set-up. With how convoluted and expensive gaming on PC may be, it is for this reason that video games consoles are an essential aspect of the industry. But how might a casual consumer differentiate between these seemingly arbitrary plastic boxes of wires and metal?

Consumer exclusives have the effect of (i) creating a distinctive consumer experience which bolsters perceived consumer utility, (ii) strengthening and re-enforcing the brand image of a console and its manufacturer, (iii) encouraging hardware developers prioritize the creation of first-class in-house experiences, and (iv) generating profits which enable console manufacturers to charge hardware at a loss or lower profit.

Therefore, one may see that console exclusives serve a powerful role in giving meaning and identity to these “plastic boxes”; thereby, having the impact of growing the overall industry and thus bolstering long-term growth in production value and output. Furthermore, console hardware further encourages innovation in technology, such as seen with the graphical upgrades spanning PlayStation and Xbox systems, the novel nature of Nintendo DS, Wii, 3DS, Wii U, and Switch, etc.

In acknowledging all the benefits of console exclusivity, however, it is important that we consider the negative impacts of such practice. These include hut are not limited to: (i) Reduced consumer choice and welfare when confined to an individual system; (ii) Creates a fragmented library across multiple devices; (iii) New entrants to the industry will struggle to compete with systems which have decades of exclusive experiences on-hand; (iv) Loss in software sales due to being restricted to a single device; (v) Hinders the perceived market value of third-party software.

They aren't. Ideally there would be only PCs and all developers would be third parties

The appreciation for consoles is something I will never understand, they are simply too inferior to PCs

Not to be mean or anything… but I would’ve appreciated if you at least read the first line of OP. :/ And if you want to understand the appreciate for consoles, please read the OP. I give an explicit reason why it is necessary in this industry for such devices to exist.

You error is to assume I did not reflect for this theme for several years already. Whatever is the angle, console still feel like inferior to PCs in every way 

They are necessary in a sense people are used to play on consoles and have built entire libraries based on consoles, but just because something is a habit doesn't mean there aren't superior versions 

It's like TV, streaming made it completely obsolete, but people still watching TV regardless 

Okay… I’ll edit OP to be more specific: I want people to re-reflect on their beliefs.

Ok! I just did a 30 seconds reflection and decided exclusives are bad and any kind of product that lock you in a platform is also bad

I prefer PCs. It allows several hardware makers to coexist in the same market, several marketplaces to exist in the same market, and several software developers to exist in the same market 

More than that, an open market like PC market allow you to build PCs on a budget. You're not locked out of gaming because you can always build less expensive PCs, and software are also cheaper because there are marketplaces competing for your purchase which lead to occasional discounts, just like in physical games. Digital in closed platforms allow console markets to have a monopoly in pricing. This is why Nintendo games almost never get discounted. If they have serious competition their prices would decrease much faster 

TLDR: Competition good, make prices down, make products better 

Yes. Multiplat is risk-averse the bigger the budget. We saw with SEGA dropping out of consoles that they became more conservative. The SEGA of trying so many innovative ideas was gone. Nintendo doesn't make Xenoblade if it had to put it on PS5 and Xbox, and PC. Just Mario, Zelda, Pokémon, and other big names. Fire Emblem is likely dead. BoTW is not as ambitious as it is, if not exclusive. PC's maybe more powerful than consoles but consoles often brought some innovative hardware features to become standard. Either inventing them or popularizing them. Exclusives can take better advantage of a console's hardware features. A more tailored experience rather than a bland but fits all.

Exclusives are good, since they can use platform specific tech to give new gaming experiences.

Nintendo is the best example with having gaming experiences that would only work on dedicated designed tech. From twin screens, waggle controls, etc. But also look like how Astrobot uses the PS5 controller in its gameplay.

If a game needs to be designed to work with all platforms, we will not get these experiences and I believe that would be a loss in game diversity.

It is less true now but consoles used to be easy, just pop the game in and play. Nothing to install just plug and play.  Things have changed now but traditionally that is one of the main reasons. Even now people will argue ease of use on consoles.

Exclusives do move consoles but as a consumer, I'm glad there are less exclusives, games I really like I tend to get them throughout multiple systems (multidipping), if exclusivity was as big as it was 20 years ago, I wouldnt be able to enjoy gaming as much as I do now.

Console/hardware makers should invest on creating services and features which will appeal to users over gaming exclusives along with that do competitive pricing.

Personally I own all platforms so whether a game becomes exclusive doesnt hurt me but as a person who used to have limited resources/money years ago and could only afford 1 system, I would be feel frustrated if a game came out on a platform that I did not own. So exclusivity is bad for the consumer.