Squanch games CEO States PlayStation Remains Primary Platform Despite Game Pass Launch of High on Life 2
Despite launching High on Life 2 together on Xbox Game Pass, Squanch games CEO Mike Fridley has affirmed that PlayStation remains the studio’s leading platform. Fridley made the statement in a recent interview with TechRadar, discussing the multiplatform strategy for the sequel.
According to Fridley, releasing the game on PlayStation 5 from day one was a straightforward decision, even considering the original High on Life was an Xbox exclusive. The first High on Life game debuted in 2022 as an exclusive to the Xbox ecosystem and Game Pass, later arriving on PlayStation in 2023. High on Life 2 launched concurrently on multiple platforms, reflecting a shift in market strategy where platform exclusivity is no longer a primary focus.
While acknowledging the availability of the new game on Microsoft’s subscription service,Fridley expressed uncertainty regarding the overall impact of Game Pass on sales. He stated he is unsure if the increased exposure from Game Pass fully offsets potential losses from direct game purchases.
Fridley explained, “Even after the delay in the launch for PlayStation as of the exclusivity clause with Microsoft, it’s still our lead platform. If you’re a PlayStation player, you’re going to buy on PlayStation. You’re not going to play it on game Pass. And, with the recent price increase, there’s probably been a drop in the number of subscribers, so those people need to play somewhere.”
However, the CEO also sees value in Game pass, particularly for building brand recognition. He believes getting the game into the hands of more players is crucial at this stage, as the High on Life franchise is still establishing itself.
Fridley also noted that PlayStation players are more inclined to purchase games directly on the console rather than subscribe to Game Pass,especially following recent price adjustments to the subscription service. He clarified that these observations are not based on official data and there is no confirmed decrease in Game Pass subscribers.
High on Life 2 was released on February 13, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5, and xbox Series X|S. A version for the Nintendo Switch 2 is scheduled for release in April of the same year.
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