In the last few years, Football Manager has made more of an effort to appeal to console players, and this year’s FM26 Console seems to be a culmination of that.
The move to the Unity engine has brought with it a totally overhauled UI – one that is significantly better suited to navigation with a controller.
So, if you’re wondering when FM26 Console is set to release as well as what to expect from it, here’s what you need to know.
When is the FM26 Console release date?
Football Manager 26 Console is scheduled to release on 4th November 2025 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles.
While this is the same date as the game’s full release on PC, unlike the PC version, there is no beta period for console players, meaning this will be the first time players will be able to try the game out on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
It should be noted that FM26 is also coming to Nintendo Switch consoles one month later on 4th December 2025.
What to expect from FM26 Console
At its core, FM26 Console is the same game as the PC version, but just streamlined a bit more for console play.
That being said, there are some core differences between the two variants which are worth noting if you’re planning on a major save.
FM26 Console features a limit of 30 seasons, meaning you won’t be able to take any of your saves beyond that, which isn’t ideal if you love yourself a road to glory or pentagon challenge save.
It also lacks a few features that are present in the main game such as squad registration; things that aren’t exactly major losses, but features that are certainly nice to have.
Lastly – and this is a big one – you can’t mod the game. This means no custom databases and no custom skins, though with a new UI that has been revamped to make console play easier, that second one may not matter so much to you.
In essence, FM26 Console is the version of the game to play if you just want to sit down every now and again and have a chill FM experience. If you want the real deal, then FM26 on PC is still the only way to go.
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