by Chris Morris

Microsoft made waves recently by announcing that Rise of the Tomb Raider would be an exclusive for the Xbox One. It turned out to be another example of terrible corporate communication – the game is actually a timed exclusive and will indeed come to other platforms evetually – but it raises a good question: which systems are better for which games?

Sometimes games come out early on one system. Other times, the downloadable content is superior on a specific console. We’re going to see plenty of this in the next 6-12 months (or years).

Here’s a quick look at which consoles have the advantage for a selection of big upcoming games:

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Advantage: Xbox One

Activision and Microsoft have a long-standing agreement that brings Call of Duty DLC to the Xbox first. The partnership has worked well for both companies, given the sustained popularity of the franchise. If you’re a fan of the series, this decision is pretty much a no-brainer: you’ll want it on the Xbox One.

Destiny
Advantage: PS4

Bungie can rightfully be credited for helping launch Microsoft’s gaming division, thanks to Halo. As it prepares to launch its latest franchise, though, it’s aligning with Sony. The PlayStation 4 is the easy choice for Destiny players, as the system will receive exclusive weapons, ships, gear, and multiplayer maps.

Dragon Age: Inquisition
Advantage: Xbox One

When Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One last year, it casually mentioned a “key” partnership with Electronic Arts. So far, that’s resulted in a full-on exclusive with Titanfall and some timed exclusivity for Battlefield 4 DLC. In June, EA added Dragon Age: Inquisition, due Nov. 18, to the pot, with all DLC hitting Xbox One before it lands on the PS4.

Far Cry 4
Advantage: PS4

Following in Bungie’s footsteps, Ubisoft is betting big on the PS4 with one of its most valuable properties this fall. Far Cry 4 won’t offer any DLC timing advantages, but if you want to play with friends who don’t own the game, the PS4 is the only way to do it. The feature lets you invite up to 10 PSN friends to play Far Cry 4 in co-op mode. The only catch? Those friends can only play with you for two hours each.

Batman: Arkham Knight
Advantage: PS4

The Dark Knight plays favorites, and this time around, he prefers Sony. While the content bonuses for this 2015 release aren’t as big as some other games, they’re not easily dismissed. PS4 owners will receive the “Scarecrow Nightmare Pack,” a gameplay mode with additional missions centered around Dr. Jonathan Crane, whose alter ego is one of the Caped Crusader’s trickiest enemies.

Tom Clancy’s The Division
Advantage: Xbox One

While this Tom Clancy-inspired third-person action game won’t be out until next year, it’s already aligning itself with Microsoft. Ubisoft has announced that Xbox One owners of the game will receive exclusive content “before and after” the game’s launch. So far, neither company has expanded on what that might mean, though an early beta and timed DLC exclusives seem the most likely candidates.

Rise of the Tomb Raider
Advantage: Xbox One

Microsoft indeed turned a lot of heads — and ruffled a lot of feathers — at Gamescom with the announcement that Lara Croft’s latest adventures would be exclusive to Xbox One. Days later, it became a bit clearer: Microsoft’s advantage was a time-based one. That said, if you want to play the game when it comes out during the 2015 holiday season, Xbox One will almost certainly be your only option.

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