/ PS5 owners just won, Xbox fans didn't.
Mike Alvarez Joined TheTweaks as an emerging tech , startup and launches journalist. He comes up with those things or products which are not there yet and are hardly possible to come close to. He covers the latest technology, startups and new product launches and releases. He worked 4 years in a startup company in Austin and later he joined TheTweaks and he is proving himself here with his commendable writing performance. He is also the publisher of a small consumer robotics newsletter.
Xbox’s anticipated return of RPG gaming has been released and it comes at an exciting time in one of the busiest weeks of the year for the gaming industry. Fable’s Early Access launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox occurs on February 17, 2027, just one day after Sony unveils its next main series entry in the God of War franchise, God of War: Laufey.
For all those keeping tabs on the Fable PS5 release date, the date is the story here two of the most prominent RPG adjacent games of early 2027 are set for back-to-back releases and only one of them will see release across both major platforms.
According to Sony, the God of War: Laufey game is scheduled for launch on February 16, 2027, as an exclusive to PlayStation 5. This tentpole release is one of many coming from the franchise that has carried the PlayStation first party lineup since almost a decade ago and it is going to be promoted in full force.
Fable comes out the following day. As this title is to see multiplatform launch, PlayStation 5 players get a chance to get access to both games in just a 24 hour period and Xbox players only get access to one of them. (windows central)
It does look bad for Xbox at first glance. Microsoft went through the process of correcting its multiplatform strategy over the past several years when gamers complained that there would be little reason to choose Xbox hardware when all of its major games would launch on PlayStation 5 as well. This change is visible by now upcoming Gears of War: E-Day is to remain Xbox exclusive.
However, Fable is locked in a multiplatform release contract before the change occurred and rumors indicate that the development of Fable is significantly over its initial budget, rendering PS5 release a financial necessity. So the title is launched everywhere and that happens in the very same week as another big title arrives exclusively to PS5.
This is the superficial story of this situation, which is covered in virtually all of the press releases on the topic. However, there is a much bigger story behind this one, one which determines the choice of people.
The key point, which is left unnoticed in the “Xbox loses this one” narrative, is that the Fable release is expected to occur with Xbox Game Pass access on day one. While PS5 players are to pay full price to enjoy this game, Xbox and PC players can play it as part of their subscription.
This completely changes the context of this comparison. While Sony is still winning the war of exclusivity, Fable does not need exclusivity to offer value as opposed to God of War: Laufey, PS5 players need to pay for each of the big titles they receive during this week, while Xbox or PC Game Pass subscribers are going to get the Fable game for free essentially.
This means that the competition of these titles is not a competition of consoles with more content on them. Rather, it becomes a case study for two different models of game release: premium exclusivity of Sony or subscription first of Microsoft. The commercial performance of the latter during the first week of Fable’s release will show the true path of the gaming industry in 2027 more than any talk about “Xbox has no exclusives.”
PS5 players are to expect two purchases for this week and to be ready to either buy one game or wait until it arrives. Xbox and PC Game Pass subscribers do not have anything to worry about; they will get their game without making any purchase regardless of God of War: Laufey’s performance.
In fact, this release can become a proof for Microsoft of its new strategy of using Game Pass to compete against the console exclusivity of Sony Fable does not need to compete with Sony for the “biggest title of the week.” All it has to do is to attract subscription users.
Fable’s PS5 release date coming just one day after God of War: Laufey release seems to be a disaster for Xbox but it is not. Sony definitely wins the exclusivity narrative for the week but Microsoft is not playing the exclusivity game anymore and pretending it is missing the point completely.
The real competition here is subscription value vs premium exclusivity and Fable becoming available in Game Pass on day one offers Xbox a real advantage in this case. Our take is: watch subscription numbers for this week, not just sales charts this is where the story is going to unfold. Fable does not have to beat God of War at retail. It has to show that Game Pass makes exclusivity irrelevant.
For more AI and tech news, visit TheTweaks AI News or check out our latest tech launches and big tech coverage.
Tim Cook’s 15 years as Apple’s chief executive officially ended on September 1 and now the torch has been passed on to John Ternus, who is the company’s long-time hardware. It’s Apple’s first leadership change…
Be respectful and constructive. Have a question or feedback? We’d love to hear from you. Contact us at contact@thetweaks.com