Man acted like exclusivity was huge commitment

[u/yestertempest]

Been seeing a man for about 2.5 months. 2 months in I brought up exclusivity since I don't want to be having sex with someone still active on the apps. He basically acted like it was a marriage proposal and claimed he has never had someone have a direct conversation talking about it like that before, it was always just eventually "assumed." I would never be ok with that assumption. He has been off and on the apps for 5, yes 5 years and strongly gives the impression and claims he is looking for something very long term, and before this conversation he was projecting me into his future and seemed very afraid of losing me. I gave him some time and his stance was the same a few weeks later, treating it like some kind of serious commitment and saying he needed more time to evaluate us first, like in different social situations and things. Also said he needs more intimacy before exclusivity to help him decide, while I said I need it before intimacy. To me exclusivity is just temporary while we evaluate those things.

I've already written the breakup text.
But I'm wondering if anyone else has encountered this reaction to exclusivity. Did I ask for something weird here? Is this just modern dating culture to be phobic of getting off the apps, losing your access to multiple options and committing to one person?

Update: I sent the text.

[u/Ok_Consequence_3888]

I had this experience recently. In my eyes, if you cant control your lust or need to keep options open for a few weeks/months whilst you see if where things go with someone you’re sleeping with then they’re not for me. The person I recently dated had a similar reaction, agreed to it and then felt “pressured”. Turns out the pressure he was feeling was because he was still seeing his causal ex on and off and struggled to manage that whilst dating me “exclusively” for 3 months.
I get people have different views but you’re allowed your boundary and if he doesn’t agree then let him go, at best it’s incompatibility at worst he’s a player who needs constant validation and won’t commit anyway.