When it comes to this new generation of gaming consoles, Xbox fans' major concern seem to revolve around the console's slate of exclusive titles. For many players, the lack of truly exclusive content on the Xbox One was a deterring point from purchasing the console and electing to go with either a PS4 or investing in a gaming PC. To combat this, Microsoft and Xbox have made many changes to how they create exclusive content for their player base, including studio acquisitions like ZeniMax Media, as well as reviving old franchises such as Perfect Dark and Fable.
Currently, there isn't much known about the Fable revival. The return to the popular RPG franchise was announced with a cinematic trailer to finish the Xbox Games Showcase in July of 2020 with Playground Games in charge of the game's direction. However, since this initial announcement, both Xbox and Playground have remained silent on further details, causing some players to question when they can expect the new Fable, as well as if it will only be on the Xbox Series X and PC, or if it will make an appearance on the Xbox One.
Some players may wonder why Playground Games would consider bringing Fable to the Xbox One in the first place. In the lead up to the Xbox Series X and Series S launch, Xbox Game Studios said that Xbox will continue to support the Xbox One with content over the next two years. This commitment to the now-previous generation console seems to be inspired by Xbox's Play Anywhere initiative, encouraging players to play Xbox games on whatever they own whether that be an Xbox One, Series X, PC, or mobile device through Project xCloud. So, if Playground Games were to release Fable within these first two years of the Series X's launch, it would likely bring it to the One as well.
However, it doesn't appear that Fable will be releasing within that time window. All of the promotional material for the game, including its website and trailer, indicate that the game will be released on Xbox Series X and PC with no mention of an Xbox One version. Other games that are available for both, such as Raw Fury's Call of the Sea, state that the game is able to be played on Series X as well as the Xbox One. While this may disappoint players who aren't quite ready to upgrade their hardware in the next few years, others seem to believe that this may be for the best.
Gamers that have kept in the know over the past couple of months have likely seen the fallout that has occurred in the wake of Cyberpunk 2077's launch. With many blaming "old hardware" for the game's many technical and graphical hiccups, a movement seemed to be gain a bit of traction in the Xbox community, urging 343 Industries to cancel the Xbox One version of Halo Infinite. While the studio has asserted that it has no plans for cancelling the previous-gen edition of the game, this vocal group has likely put an extra layer of pressure on 343 to deliver a product that runs perfectly on both the Xbox One and Series X that it didn't need.
And that kind of stress is something that Playground Games is likely trying to avoid when it comes to Fable. The world hasn't seen a fully-fledged game in the Fable series since Fable 3 in 2010. With more than a decade since the last game, and Playground Games helming the project in Lionhead Studios' place due to its closure, it seems possible that Fable fans are wary as to what this new pass at the franchise will entail. So if foregoing an Xbox One version will allow it to focus on making a brilliant package for PC and Series X, it seems best for the long-run.
Fable is currently in development for PC and Xbox Series X.