High on Life 2 is officially breaking away from the Xbox-exclusive path, and the reason comes down to one simple reality: PlayStation is where the audience is. Squanch Games CEO Mike Fridley recently explained that while the first High on Life debuted on Xbox consoles and PC in late 2022—along with a day-one spot on Xbox Game Pass—the game ultimately performed best after it reached Sony’s platforms.
When High on Life later launched on PS4 and PS5 in June 2023, sales on PlayStation reportedly outpaced every other platform. Steam came in second. That performance shift is a big reason Squanch Games now views PlayStation as its lead platform going forward, even though the series got its initial spotlight on Microsoft’s ecosystem.
That’s why High on Life 2 is set to launch across PS5 and PC alongside Xbox on February 15. For the studio, going multi-platform isn’t just about reaching more players—it also helps keep costs under control. Releasing on multiple systems at the same time allows Squanch Games to avoid splitting efforts into separate, expensive marketing pushes for different platforms.
Xbox Game Pass still plays an important role in the plan, though. High on Life 2 will be available on Game Pass on launch day again, which Fridley acknowledges can be a powerful way to reach a wider audience quickly. But he also pointed to a concern publishers regularly weigh: subscription access can reduce direct sales, especially when a big chunk of the potential customer base can play without buying.
Fridley went even further, suggesting that Game Pass price increases may be turning some players away. He implied that higher subscription costs likely caused some decline in subscriber numbers. If more people cancel Game Pass, those players may be more inclined to purchase High on Life 2 outright on PS5 or PC instead of accessing it through a subscription.
All of this is happening at a time when traditional Xbox console exclusives are becoming less common, and interest in supporting Xbox hardware appears to be cooling across parts of the industry. A recent developer survey from the Game Developers Conference indicated that only a smaller share of developers are prioritizing Xbox console support compared to platforms like PC, PlayStation 5, and the upcoming Switch 2.
As for what players can expect from the sequel, High on Life 2 is aiming to feel faster and more action-driven, while keeping the series’ signature humor and bizarre sci-fi personality—right down to the talking weapons and the conversations you’ll be able to have with them. PS5, Xbox, and PC players can jump in on February 15, while Nintendo players will need to wait until April 20 to get their hands on it.
