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Version-Exclusive Content

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The Lombax, the SPARTAN or the robot test subject? Pick a platform and decide!

Version-Exclusive Content is the practice of making certain content in a Video Game exclusive to particular versions or players. The exclusive content is not mandatory for completing the base game, just for a player's 100% Completion.

This is usually done for one of a few reasons:

  • Socialization. The different versions are a means to encourage connecting with other players (who have the other content). It is popularly paired with more than one (otherwise-identical) version of the game being published simultaneously.
  • Technical Matters. Content may need to be cut from one version because the platform it's on can't support it. Conversely, one platform may have extra features that the developers want to take advantage of, leading to extra content being added.
  • Console Exclusives. Console makers make an arrangement with the game developers to have extra content in their system's version of the game, which is then barred from appearing on competing systems.

Can overlap with an Updated Re-release (and its region-specific subtrope, Regional Bonus) since any rerelease can be expected to have exclusive features that were not in the original version(s).

See also Reformulated Game for when the actual underlying game is different between its versions, and Polished Port.

Examples:

(For sake of brevity, this list does not include content added solely by an Updated Re-release or Regional Bonus.)

    open/close all folders 

    Action Games 

    Action Role-Playing Games 
  • CrossCode: The console ports and original PC version each have their own version of an endgame quest, with the quests having similar structure but different locations and enemies. Each quest gives the player a hint to finding a secret event that ties the quests together, but all the hints are needed to find the event. The developers' intent is that players from different platforms are supposed to share hints with each other.
  • Horizon Forbidden West: While the vanilla game was released on PS4 and PS5, the Burning Shores expansion was only released on the next-gen PS5.
  • Kingdom Hearts III: Each console version of the game has a Keyblade themed after said console.
    • The PS4 and Xbox One versions each have Star Seeker variants themed after their consoles: Midnight Blue for PS4 and Phantom Green for Xbox One. Both also share a 7-Eleven-based Keyblade themed after the Star Cluster, Dawn Till Dusk. All three Keyblades were available as Pre Order Bonuses, and can be obtained as DLC.
    • The PC version has a Epic Games Store-themed version of the Star Cluster, Elemental Encoder, obtained by default.
    • The Switch version has a Switch-themed version of the Elemental Encoder, Advent Red, obtained by default.
  • Marvel Ultimate Alliance:
    • In the original game, only "next-gen" consoles of the time (PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii) included Colossus and Moon Knight, while the "last-gen" ones (PS2 and the original Xbox) did not. The PSP version of the game didn't have them either, but instead got Black Widow, Captain Marvel, and Ronin. Within the next-gen group, the PS3 and Xbox 360 also received additional DLC characters (Cyclops, Dr. Doom, Hawkeye, Hulk, Magneto, Nightcrawler, Sabretooth, and Venom), but the Wii missed out presumably due to not having the online infrastructure for it. The Wii version was at one point going to have Link and Samus Aran as Guest Fighters, but Nintendo was offended that they were being developed using the PlayStation devkit and rescinded permission.
    • Ultimate Alliance 2 was the same, with both major versions having their own exclusives: The "last-gen" version (PS2, PSP, and Wii) had Blade and Cyclops; while the "next-gen" (PS3 and Xbox 360) had Iron Fist and additional DLC of Black Panther, Cable, Carnage, Juggernaut, and Magneto. Psylocke was available in both, but as a default character in the last-gen version while she had to be bought separately as DLC in next-gen. The last-gen version also lacked other features from the next-gen one, like Stan Lee cameos and alternate costumes, due to being developed separately.
  • NieR had two separate versions released in Japan on PS3 and Xbox 360, respectively titled NieR Replicant and NieR Gestalt. The story is almost exactly the same in both versions, save for the protagonist: Replicant featured a younger, more optimistic protagonist fighting to save his sister, while Gestalt featured a middle-aged, world-weary protagonist fighting to save his daughter. When the game was localized outside of Japan, the Gestalt version was brought over for both PS3 and Xbox 360, while the Replicant version remained Japan-exclusive until the release of its Polished Port on PS4, Xbox One, and Steam in 2021

    Action Adventure 
  • ANNO: Mutationem: In the Nintendo Switch port, Ann can receive a exclusive dress with joy-cons coloring that she can optionally wear.
  • Several Assassin's Creed game received exclusive DLC for PS3 and PS4 during their lifetime. Some of them were released to other platforms in rereleases such as The Ezio Collection and The Rebel Collection.
  • In Marvel's Avengers, Spider-Man is only playable in the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game; not Xbox platforms or PC.
  • The PS3 version of Batman: Arkham Asylum has exclusive Predator and Combat challenges where you play as the Joker and fight Arkham guards. The DLC was later included in the Compilation Re-release Return to Arkham.
  • The PSP version of Prince Of Persia Rival Swords, one of two 2007 ports of Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones, extends the story by adding new levels and areas inside the sand gates that the Prince can disable to upgrade his dagger of time. There are also more fast-moving, on-rails chariot sequences and Competitive Multiplayer modes where the Prince can race against the Dark Prince via the PSP's ad hoc wireless link.
  • The PSP version of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed contained different versions of the same characters and levels as well as exclusive challenges where the player could re-enact famous film scenes as iconic Star Wars characters. Additionally, it contained a Duel Mode reminiscent of Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy. The Wii and PS2 version also differed from the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 versions in a similar manner.
  • Several Tomb Raider video games have a version with exclusive content:
    • Tomb Raider I, Tomb Raider II, and Tomb Raider III all had expansion packs created that were released solely on PC. Even with the rerelease of the base games on Steam and GOG.com, the expansion packs were never brought over. They were finally released in 2024's Compilation Re-release Tomb Raider I-III Remastered.
    • The PSP version of Tomb Raider: Legend features an exclusive challenge mode called Tomb Trials, as well as a local multiplayer mode and exclusive costumes.
    • Tomb Raider: Anniversary features exclusive content for the Wii version that capitalizes on the Wii Remote's motion controls, such as dark hallways that must be lit up with a flashlight controlled with the pointer and first-person puzzles that utilize the Wii Remote's pointer and gesture functions. One example is a minigame in which Lara must arrange cogs in a lever mechanism, including one or two that she has to find in the area nearby the lever, such that the cogs are linked together to allow Lara to operate the lever. The PSP version also features exclusive costumes.
    • Tomb Raider: Underworld had additional chapters that were only playable on the Xbox 360 version as DLC. The DLC was never made available on other platforms and no explanation was ever given.
  • The Xbox 360 version of Meet the Robinsons features enhanced graphics and the exclusive Security System minigame.

    Adventure 
  • Touch Detective: The port of the original and the sequel for IOS features new additional content; a bonus chapter with Mackenzie's pet Funghi doing his own case. The second game features extra scenarios that occur after each case.

    Beat 'em Up 

    Fighting Games 
  • Soul Series:
    • Soulcalibur II had one exclusive Guest Fighter on each release platform: The Xbox version got Spawn, the PS2 version got Heihachi from Tekken, and the GameCube version got Link from The Legend of Zelda. It is, however, not possible to connect and battle other players on different versions. The 2013 HD re-release for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 did have both Spawn and Heihachi on the same roster, but not Link.
    • Soulcalibur IV had Darth Vader as a default character in the PS3 version, and Yoda for the Xbox 360. (The other exclusive character could be purchased as DLC. At least until all DLC was delisted in late 2016/early 2017.)
  • Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U has the same roster of fighters between its console and portable versions, but some stages differ between the two and each features different game modes as well (e.g. sidescrolling-beat-em-up-style Smash Run on the 3DS vs. board-game-style Smash Tour on the Wii U). Both games also had different trophies to collect, with 3DS featuring trophies from Nintendo's handheld games while Wii U had trophies from home console games and the retro masterpieces collections. The Wii U version also supports up to eight simultaneous fighters (instead of four) and features a Level Editor.
  • Ready 2 Rumble Boxing has one exclusive boxer depending on which console version you get: Jimmy Blood on the Dreamcast, Gino Stiletto on the PlayStation and J. R. Flurry on the Nintendo 64.
  • Mortal Kombat: This has been a practice done by the makers of the Mortal Kombat games since Mortal Kombat Trilogy.
  • EA's Fight Night Round 2 allows GameCube players to control Little Mac as based on his SNES appearance.
  • Street Fighter X Tekken: Like the Mortal Kombat example above, though this time the PS3 and PlayStation Vita versions featured THREE characters exclusive to them: Cole MacGrath, and Toro and Kuro from Doko Demo Issyo, with movesets mirroring Ryu and Kazuya Mishima respectively.
  • Pipeworks ''Godzilla'' Trilogy:
    • The Xbox port of Destroy All Monsters Melee includes both the Heisei Mechagodzilla and Kiryu, while in the original GameCube version you had one or the other depending on region. The port also adds the Boxing Ring and Vortaak Homeworld stages.
    • The Wii version of Unleashed has many monsters not available in the Playstation 2 version, namely Biollante, Titanosaurus, Varan, King Caesar, Krystalak, the Showa Mechagodzilla and Godzilla 1954. The only monster the PS2 version has as an exclusive is Battra.
  • ‘‘Injustice: Gods Among Us’’: In an inversion of what is typical, the DLC fighters Marian Manhunter and Zatanna were available for every console ‘‘except’’ Wii U, as support for the system was dropped sooner than every other console. Further exacerbated as the Wii U never received the Updated Re-release the other consoles received.

    First-Person Shooters 
  • The PS3 version of BioShock, released a year after the Xbox 360 version, contains the "Challenge Room" mode separate from the main story. It was only initially back ported to the physical North American Xbox 360 version, but was later included in the Updated Re-release for PS4, XB1, and PC.
  • The Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of First Encounter Assault Recon each had their bonus mission starring a character who doesn't have Point Man's slo-mo powers and a exclusive weapon found in both single player and multiplayer maps: On the 360, this consisted of a bonus mission starring Douglas Holliday and the SM15 Machine Pistol which effectively replaced half of the available RPL SMG stock, while the PS3 had a mission starring two Delta Force operators (notably making it the only time in the original F.E.A.R that the player can fight with an allied NPC) and the Watson Automatic Shotgun (based on the infamous Armsel Striker), which is only found in the bonus mission and a single enemy near the end of the campaign.
  • Return to Castle Wolfenstein's console ports featured a prologue mission, "Cursed Sands", set in Egypt prior to Blaskowicz's capture, along with new items including the Shotgun, EMP Device, Holy Cross, and X-Shield. The Xbox version also had two exclusive enemies; X-Shepherds and Occult Priests. The PS2 version has no multiplayer whatsoever but added some minor RPG elements in giving the player points to improve BJ's stats at the end of levels.
  • XIII had several unique multiplayer modes depending on the platform. Sabotage was exclusive to Xbox, Power-Up was exclusive to PS2, and The Hunt was available for GameCube and PS2. The PC version had all three modes available.

    Platform Games 
  • In Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter, both versions for the Wii and DS have entirely different stories and gameplay elements.
  • The Sega Saturn version of Mega Man 8 added Cut Man as an Optional Boss in the intermission stage and Wood Man as a Mini-Boss in Search Man's stage, and an added mode featuring several bonus galleries.
  • The Switch version of Mighty Gunvolt Burst gives the player a Dowsing ability, which causes the controller to vibrate when near hidden breakable walls. The 3DS version lacks this ability since it doesn't have vibration. A later update also expanded the available save slots to 48, which did not happen on the 3DS due to hardware limits.
  • Rayman Legends:
    • The PS Vita version has Murfy's Challenges, a series of five unlockable bonus levels where you play as Murfy. These are designed to be tougher than the base game, but they have no main collectibles and only give costumes. Speaking of those...
    • This game had several costumes that were platform-exclusive, until the Nintendo Switch's Definitive Edition implemented all of them. The Wii U got Ray Plumber and Glob Plumber, Rayman and Globox dressed as Mario and Luigi, who are unlockable through regular gameplay, as well as Avelina, a Barbarian princess based on Aveline from Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, who was exclusive to a Pre-Order Bonus. The Xbox 360 got Splinter Ray, Rayman dressed like Sam Fisher from Splinter Cell, although like Avelina, he was exclusive to a preorder bonus. The Xbox One got Ray Vaas and Far Glob, Rayman and Globox dressed as Vaas Montenegro from Far Cry 3, as well as Splinter Ray, who was upgraded to an unlockable costume in the base game. The PS3 and PS4 got Assassin Ray, Rayman dressed as Edward Kenway from Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag; the costume was a preorder bonus for PS3, but was upgraded to a base game unlockable costume on PS4. The PS Vita got Ray of Persia and Glob Cell, the former being Rayman dressed as the Prince of Persia and the latter being Globox dressed as Sam Fisher, earned from beating two of the version's Murfy's Challenges levels (An Architect's Nightmare for Rayman's, Bounce to the Sky for Globox's). There's also Funky Ray; he requires you to have the Rayman Legends Challenge App on Wii U, but you can get him with uPlay units on PS4 and Xbox One, making him exclusive to the eighth generation onward. Finally, there's Champion Ray, who was originally a developer-only costume, but was later made available to VIP members of the community on the PS4 and Xbox One versions; however, like every costume listed above, he became unlockable in the base game in Definitive Edition.
  • Shovel Knight: Versions of the game on different platforms have their own forms of exclusive content. The PlayStation versions feature an optional boss battle with Kratos from the God of War series and the Xbox One version (and later the PC versions) include an optional boss battle with the Battletoads. Meanwhile, the versions on Nintendo consoles include extra features unlocked by amiibo, and the 3DS version specifically includes a StreetPass Arena (in which the player records actions in an arena and pits said recording against a StreetPassed opponent) and the ability to buy gold with Play Coins. Multiplayer modes (including the entirety of Showdown) are also exclusive to home consoles and PC, as portables (the 3DS and PS Vita) aren't equipped for it.
  • Skylanders:
    • In the console releases of Skylanders, one collectible Hat is specific to each platform (PlayStation 3, Wii, Xbox 360) and can't be acquired in the others, but (because the hat is saved on the actual toy) any toy with that hat is allowed to wear it in any version.
    • The Wii U version of Skylanders SuperChargers features two exclusive characters along with their respective vehicles: Turbo Charge Donkey Kong and his Barrel Blaster, and Hammer Slam Bowser and his Clown Cruiser. (They're also compatible with its reformulated companion game for the Wii and 3DS, Skylanders SuperChargers Racing.) The following (and so far final) game, Skylanders Imaginators, is backwards-compatible with old toys but with the same limitation that Donkey Kong and Bowser can only be used on Nintendo systems (the Wii U and Switch).
  • In Super Meat Boy, the exclusive characters for the Xbox 360 version are Gish, Alien Hominid, Tim, Spelunky, Pink Knight, and Ninja. The PC version, meanwhile, features Goo Ball, Josef, Naija, Runman, Captain Viridian, and Steve. If you get the PC version from Steam, you unlock a Headcrab in place of the Goo Ball, although the Goo Ball can still be playable by typing "ballgoo" before selecting a character. Tim is also in the PC version, but you need to type "outtatime" before selecting a character if you want to play as him.
  • Those who played the Balan Wonderworld demo are rewarded with a Launcher costume for the full game. Said costume has a different color scheme depending on which version you're playing: a white costume for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, a black costume with the Xbox logo for Xbox One X/S and Xbox Series X|S, a red costume for the Nintendo Switch and a dark blue costume with a red valve on the back for Steam.
  • Only the PlayStation 3 version of Toy Story 3 has Zurg as a playable character in Toy Box mode.
  • Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension: The PlayStation 3 version of the game has four episodes of Phineas and Ferb included, thanks to the game being on a Blu-ray Disc.

    Puzzle Games 
  • The mobile version of Amateur Surgeon 2 features a third act (i.e. set of levels) in addition to the standard two from the original Flash version. This act would be carried over to the game's remastered surgeries in Amateur Surgeon 4: Regenerations.
  • The original Wii U version of Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker had a handful of levels taken directly from Super Mario 3D World and adapted for Captain Toad's game mechanics. When it was later released on the 3DS and Switch, these were taken out and replaced with all-new levels based on Super Mario Odyssey. The Switch version was later updated with a more elaborate co-op mode and a DLC level pack that the previous versions never had.
  • The Xbox Live, PSN, and mobile versions of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords received an exclusive DLC called Revenge of the Plague Lord. The Switch version received a second exclusive DLC called Attack of the Golem Lord.

    Racing Games 
  • Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled has exclusive items for the PlayStation 4 version — PS1-style skins for Crash, Coco, and Cortex, a retro version of the Classic kart, and a PS1-style version of Turbo Track, renamed Retro Stadium. It also includes some PlayStation-themed stickers.
  • Mario Kart 8: The Booster Course Pass came out long after Nintendo had stopped supporting the Wii U to focus on the Nintendo Switch - as such, it's only available for Deluxe on the latter console.
  • Sega Superstars:
    • Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed allows Xbox 360 players to use their system Avatar as a racer, while Wii U (and Nintendo 3DS) players can use their Mii as a racer. The PC version (on Steam) features a Team Fortress racer (a vehicle piloted by the Heavy, Pyro, and Spy), a Shogun from Total War, a football manager, a Russian general from Company of Heroes 2, and Ryo Hazuki and Simon Lane were later released as PC-exclusive DLC.
    • The Xbox 360 version of the previous game, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing, added Banjo and Kazooie as a racer. The Wii version was planned to add Mario, but they decided to leave that for Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games. Similarly, the PS3 version was supposed to include Sackboy, but Sony denied them permission so as not to compete with LittleBigPlanet Karting, his series' own kart racer.
  • The GameCube version of SSX On Tour includes Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach as playable characters and an exclusive race track called Nintendo Village.

    Role-Playing Games 
  • Chrono Trigger's DS version contains a Monster training Mode similar to Pokémon as well as additional chapters, an additional boss fight, leading to an ambiguous ending hinting at events that occur in between Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross. This version was later ported to PC and mobile phones.
  • Dragon Quest XI
    • The game was originally released on the PS4, PC, and 3DS. Besides having to simplify the graphics some for the 3DS, that version also let players switch to 2D faux-16-bit graphics. It also featured the Labyrinth of Time that allowed travel to throwbacks to Dragon Quest I to X. The PS4 and original PC versions, in exchange, had a couple extra minigames and minor quality-of-life improvements.
    • A third version was also made for the Switch but had to spend more time in development, so it got some extra features along the way: it has full English and Japanese voice acting tracks (the North American release only had English, and the Japanese versions didn't have any at all), a fully orchestrated soundtrack (with the option to switch back to the original version), the 3DS' 2D graphics option, and a new set of side stories featuring party members. This "Definitive Edition" was later released as an Updated Re-release for the original consoles of PS4 and PC, as well as the Xbox One.
  • When Square Enix released the "Pixel Remaster" versions of the original six Final Fantasy games, they added features such as a bestiary, illustration gallery, and music player. However, as the main selling point was being Truer to the Text than past remakes, elements that were added in them (such as Optional Bosses) were excluded.
    • The SNES version of Final Fantasy VI is the only one to have a multiplayer functionality, as well as being the only version where Dancing Mad seamlessly transitions between phases.
  • Through no fault of Bioware's own, "Pinnacle Station" is now this for the Xbox 360 and original PC releases of Mass Effect. The source files for the expansion were too corrupted to salvage, so the PlayStation 3 port, as well as the 2021 Legendary Edition, do not include it at all.
  • The 3DS version of Monster Hunter: Stories included a DLC pack based on The Legend of Zelda, which was not carried over to the mobile port. Both it and its sequel Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin also had bonus features tied to amiibo that appeared exclusively on Nintendo systems and not other releases.
  • Neptunia titles that were originally released for PlayStation Vita had additional DLC for the Steam versions, such as playable Uzume for Re;Birth1, Re;Birth2, and Re;Birth3.
  • The Pokémon series is the best-known example with version-exclusive content being a core design element of the franchise in order to play up the socialization aspect; each main series generation sees the release of two (otherwise-identical) games which feature minor differences in their in-game content, including:
    • Certain Pokémon species are exclusive (or at least more common) in one version, such as Scyther and Pinsir in Generation I, or Braviary and Mandibuzz in Generation V; the only way to acquire them in the opposite version is by trading with another player. This also extends to the updated "third versions" seen in many generations, where some wild Pokémon easily obtainable in the original pair are not encountered at all in the third; and to some of the series' spin-offs, such as the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series whose first two installments were released in a pair of versions. Some time-limited distributions also give the player a different Pokemon depending on which version of game they are playing.
    • Since Generation III, the game's central storyline is generally tweaked to focus on a specific legendary Pokémon (also depicted on the game's cover art) which the player will encounter at some point. It may or may not be possible for the player to encounter the legendary mascot of the other version in the same game (outside of an updated third version).
    • Generation V expanded the differences, with some areas receiving aesthetic tweaks between versions, and a few (Black City and White Forest) being entirely exclusive to one version or the other.
    • Pokémon X and Y mixes up the formula in a few new ways: Not only are some Pokémon (like the Manectric and Houndoom families) version-exclusive, but some Mega Stones are too (e.g. Charizardite X and Y); in fact, some Mega Stones are exclusive to the opposite version that their matching species is normally found in.
    • Pokémon Sun and Moon used different time mechanics between them: while the in-game clock in Sun aligns with your system's clock like in other games, Moon offset the time in-game by twelve hours. Thus, if you're playing Moon during the day, it will be night in-game. Some of the Battle Tree trainers are version-exclusive; one can fight Plumeria, Sina, and Kiawe in Sun, and Guzma, Dexio, and Mallow in Moon. Also, your game version determines which colors the clothes shop have in stock.
    • Pokémon Sword and Shield have version-exclusive Gym Leaders. Fighting-type practitioner Bea and Rock-type practitioner Gordie are only in Sword, while Ghost-type practitioner Allister and Ice-type practitioner Melony are in Shield. There are also version exclusive curry ingredients; whether you can buy Bob's Food Tin or Bach's Food Tin depends on which version you have. This extends to the DLC as well, with Poison-type Trainer Klara being an encounter in Sword and Psychic-type Trainer Avery being an encounter in Shield.
    • Pokémon Scarlet and Violet have version-exclusive schools. Your attend Naranja Academy in Scarlet while Uva Academy is the main one in Violet, with all school related characters wearing appropriately colored attire depending on the version. Also, the game's professor differs on version, with either Professor Sada or Turo being your main guide. The type of Paradox Pokémon you will encounter in the post-game will also be different, with Scarlet having the Ancient Pokémon, and Violet having the Future Pokémon .
  • Phantasy Star Online 2:
    • Depending on which platform you're playing on, the game has different limited cosmetics. If you're playing either PlayStation version, Toro and Kuro NPCs appear in the lobby and give Client Orders and Partner Cards. If you are playing the Nintendo Switch version, you can unlock cosmetics based on Link from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. However, once unlocked on your account, the cosmetics can be used across all versions.
    • The PlayStation Vita version specifically additionally has an Augmented Reality camera that can be used to take pictures in the real world with your characters from the game superimposed over them. At the time at launch, it also gave access to a story chapter that had yet to be released on PC.
  • Done to an almost extreme extent with the fanservice-themed dungeon crawler Omega Labyrinth Life. Thanks to Sony's crackdown on Anime-styled sexual content, the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch versions of the game are radically different. The PS4 version is stripped down (pun not intended) of a vast majority of fanservice content and is mostly safe-for-work; this is reflected in its title (shortened down to Labyrinth Life) and price tag (¥2000 cheaper, roughly $18 less). The Switch (and later PC) version, conversely, has the full title and price tag and contains the full contents of the game as originally intended.
  • Variants of Undertale like the non-PC ports of the game add the Dog Shrine to the game, accessed from the sink in Papyrus and Sans' house. The PlayStation 4 and Vita versions allow you to donate to the shrine, serving mostly as an area for Achievement Mockery. In the Switch version, the shrine leads to an Optional Boss which features a unique mechanic requiring the use of the two control sticks. In the Xbox version, the shrine is replaced with a slot machine and various items to earn similar to the items that appear from donating to the shrine, as well as additional dialogue from Sans and the aforementioned boss (who is no longer a boss in this version).
  • When Xenoblade Chronicles 1 was ported to Nintendo 3DS, a Collection Mode was added, in which character models could be viewed and music listened to. When the game was ported again to Nintendo Switch as the "Definitive Version", Collection Mode was removed, but there was instead an Events Theatre, Time Attack mode, and epilogue story.
  • Starting with the second game, Yo-kai Watch follows Pokémon's example by splitting Yo-kai between games and allowing trading between the two.

    Run 'n Gun 
  • The Sega CD and Windows 95 versions of Earthworm Jim include a new level, Big Bruty, complete with the eponymous boss, between New Junk City and What the Heck?. No other version, not even the remaster on PSN and Xbox Live Arcade includes this level.

    Shoot 'em Up 

    Stealth 
  • Metal Gear:
    • Substance, the expanded edition of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, was first released as an Xbox-exclusive a year after the original Sons of Liberty edition was released on the PS2. In addition to having all the extra difficulty settings and game modes that were added in the Japanese and European version of Sons of Liberty (e.g. European-Extreme, Casting Theater, Boss Survival), Substance also added two new game modes: VR/Alternative Missions, a series of non-story-based missions with varying goals, and Snake Tales, five stand-alone non-canon missions in which the player controls Snake in environments from the main game. The PS2 version of Substance, which came a bit later, added a third new mode, Skateboarding, in which Snake and Raiden do Exactly What It Says on the Tin on the Big Shell.
    • Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater has a few features not available in later ports. One is "Mesal Gear", a series of missions featuring Snake hunting the apes of Ape Escape. Another is a special minigame which can be played during the main campaign under certain conditions, the horror-themed beat-'em-up "Guy Savage".
    • The launch versions of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes on consoles featured a different unlockable mission (extra-op) depending on the platform. The PS4 and PS3 versions of the game featured Deja-Vu, a mission in which the player must recreate events from the original Metal Gear Solid on the enemy's base, while the Xbox One and 360 versions featured Jamais-Vu, in which the player controls the cyborg version of Raiden from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance as he takes on alien invaders inspired by the titular bioroids from Snatcher. Both missions were made available on all four consoles via a free update, while the later-released PC version on Steam included both missions from the get-go with their respective achievements.
  • The PS2 and GameCube versions of the first Splinter Cell, to make up for the downgraded quality compared to the Xbox and PC originals, each added their own exclusive content. The PS2 version has an extra mission, while the GameCube version has a few in-game items that require use of the console's GBA connectivity.
  • Hitman 3 has a set of "-Streak" suits, a white suit with a white tie and different colored shoes and shirt depending on the version:
    • PlayStation owners get The Blue Streak Suit, with blue shoes and a blue shirt.
    • Switch and PC owners get The Black Streak Suit, with black shoes and a black shirt.
    • Xbox owners get The Green Streak Suit, with green shoes and a green shirt.
    • Before Stadia's shutdown, owners of the game on that platform got not only a Sunset Suit with a purple shirt but also an orange striped briefcase and a skin for the duck bomb. After the shutdown the items were then brought to all other platforms.
    • The first game of the World of Assassination Trilogy, Hitman (2016), also had an exclusive mini-campaign called "The Sarajevo Six" that was only available in the PS4 version. This campaign wasn't carried over to the other games on PlayStation despite taking place within the 2016 levels, until the campaign was released as paid Downloadable Content for Hitman 3 in 2023 for all platforms.
    • Hitman (2016) and Hitman 2 both had celebrity exclusive targets in Gary Busey and Sean Bean that weren't brought over to the sequels due to limited contract issues. Hitman 3 eventually re-added Sean Bean's target, The Undying, in March 2024 as an Elusive Target Arcade DLC, as well as rerunning the Elusive Target for a month.

    Third-Person Shooters 
  • The 'realistic' version of Ghostbusters: The Video Game (released on the PS 3, 360 and PC) differs heavily from the stylized version (on the Wii and PS 2) in several ways.
    • The unnamed rookie can be either male or female in the stylized version; they're male-only in the realistic version.
    • The amount of damage dealt by Ghostbusters in the stylized version is essentially just a scoreboard; in the realistic version, it actually affects your income for upgrades.
    • A collectible in the 'Next-Gen' version is cursed artifacts that can be found with the PKE Meter; the stylized version has art of the ghosts instead, that need to be collected in order to complete their entries.
    • Azetlor, fought in a sort of epilogue to the New York Public Library level, is a sort of golem made of books in the realistic version; the stylized version portrays him as a worm-like demon.
    • The final boss of the museum level in the realistic version is a ghost that's fought in the catacombs beneath the museum; the stylized version has a T-Rex skeleton get possessed as its ending setpiece.
    • The boss of Shandor Island in the realistic version is a Juvenile Sloar; in the stylized version, it's a 'black slime behemoth'.
  • Only the Xbox 360 version of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City has "Nemesis Mode", a king-of-the-hill multiplayer mode where two teams compete to activate Nemesis first.

    Turn-Based Strategy 

    Miscellaneous 
  • When games are ported to Nintendo platforms, especially with their assistance, there's a high chance they will include items, costumes, or other facets of gameplay derived from established Nintendo properties. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 gives most of the roster an alternate costume based on Mario and Zelda etc., Bayonetta gives the title character costumes and reformulated attacks based on various IP, Minecraft has entire Nintendo-themed packs, and so on.
  • The compilation Taito Legends 2 has exclusive games included between the Playstation 2 and Xbox/PC releases, but this is due to emulation issues between platforms. Some of these issues weren't present in the Japanese-only Taito Memories compilation series since Memories was done in-house by Taito themselves while Legends 2 was developed by Empire Interactive and Mine Loader Software. As for the games, the Playstation 2 version includes Balloon Bomber, G-Darius, RayStorm and Syvalion while the Xbox/PC versions includes Bubble Symphony, Cadash, Pop'n Pop and ''RayForce.
  • The Simpsons Hit & Run: The PC version has an exclusive cheat code unlocked after getting 100% Completion that allows for switching the player character in to any on-foot model in the game. Other minor changes exist as well, such as a breakable lemonade stand in Level 1 that is not in any console version.
  • Terraria: Older console and mobile versions of the game had unique Underground Monkey enemies, such as Orcas as alternate Sharks or Arch Wyverns as more dangerous Wyverns. Its most noteworthy addition was a new endboss, Ocram. When the console and mobile versions were updated to version 1.3, these were removed, and only still exist on platforms that were obsolete before those updates reached them.

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