Day one on Game Pass
Fable will be available on Xbox Game Pass on launch day. Subscribers to Game Pass Ultimate can play the game at release without an additional purchase. This applies to console, PC, and cloud streaming through the Ultimate tier.
Xbox Play Anywhere is confirmed, meaning a single digital purchase covers both Xbox and PC with cross-save support. Game Pass Ultimate subscribers get access on both platforms automatically.
Historic multiplatform launch
Fable is launching simultaneously on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC. This is a historic first for the franchise. Every previous Fable game was exclusive to Xbox and PC. A Fable game on a PlayStation console was unthinkable a few years ago.
Craig Duncan, Head of Xbox Game Studios, explained the reasoning: "We want our games to reach the most players that we can." This matches Microsoft's broader strategy of bringing Xbox-published games to competing platforms. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle followed a similar path.
Duncan acknowledged the inconsistency in Microsoft's approach: Forza Horizon 6, developed by the same studio, will not launch on PS5 simultaneously. The multiplatform strategy is being applied game by game rather than as a blanket policy.
Game Pass tier details
Fable is confirmed for Game Pass Ultimate, which includes console, PC, and cloud access. Whether it will be available on the standard PC Game Pass tier (without the Ultimate subscription) is less certain.
Reports have suggested that PC Game Pass might lose day-one access to first-party Microsoft titles, with day-one releases potentially requiring the more expensive Premium or Ultimate tier. If this change takes effect before Fable's launch, PC players on the basic Game Pass tier might need to upgrade or purchase the game separately.
For console players with Game Pass Ultimate, access is straightforward: download and play on launch day.
Cloud gaming
Through Xbox Cloud Gaming (included with Game Pass Ultimate), Fable will be playable on phones, tablets, web browsers, and lower-end PCs via streaming. You do not need an Xbox or a gaming PC. A stable internet connection and a controller are sufficient.
Cloud gaming expands the potential audience beyond hardware owners. Players who cannot afford a current-generation console or a capable gaming PC can still play the game through streaming.
Delay from 2025 to 2026
Fable was originally planned for a 2025 release. On February 25, 2025, Craig Duncan announced the delay: "We are actually going to give Fable more time. It's going to ship in 2026 now." The current release window is Autumn 2026. See the Development History for the full timeline.
Duncan expressed confidence in the delay: "It's definitely worth the wait." The extra time presumably went into polishing the game's ambitious systems, particularly the living population, property mechanics, and style weaving combat.
Pricing
Standard pricing for a non-Game Pass purchase has not been officially announced. Current-generation Microsoft first-party titles typically launch at $69.99 USD. Whether Fable follows this pricing or offers different editions (standard, deluxe, collector's) has not been confirmed.
For Game Pass subscribers, the calculation is simple: if you already pay for Ultimate, Fable is included at no additional cost on day one. For everyone else, it will be a standard purchase on their platform of choice.
What this means for Fable
Being a day-one Game Pass title means Fable will have a large player base from launch. Game Pass removes the purchase barrier for millions of subscribers. Combined with the PS5 launch, the potential audience for this Fable game is larger than any previous entry in the franchise.
For Playground Games, this is both an opportunity and a pressure point. A larger audience means more visibility, but it also means the game needs to deliver on its promises to a wider range of players than the Xbox-only Fable audience of the past.