The satirical first-person shooter High On Life has been topping charts on Xbox and PC, but PlayStation and Switch fans may be wondering if High On Life is an Xbox console exclusive. High On Life is the latest title from Squanch Games, the development studio founded by Justin Roiland, the co-creator and primary voice actor of Rick and Morty. Fans of the show will immediately recognize some of Roiland’s signature voices, along with a similar style of raunchy, fourth-wall-breaking comedy.
The prior Squanch production, Trover Saves the Universe, was released on PS4 and Switch, but High On Life is not available on Sony or Nintendo platforms at this time. High On Life is silly, but has depth to its gameplay, making it more than just a gag game. The narrative is a calculatedly outlandish premise where aliens invade earth to capture humans for use as drugs. The aliens who literally get high on human life are part of the G3 cartel. The player acquires a sentient talking gun and a high-tech bounty hunter suit then proceeds to hunt down the leadership of the cartel to save the Earth.
Game Pass Makes High On Life Accessible At A Low Cost On Xbox & PC
When interviewed by TrueAchievements, the Squanch Games community lead Jordyn Halpern provided some insight into the Xbox console exclusive release for High On Life. Halpern noted Xbox partnered with Squanch in the production of High On Life, stating, “They’ve been nothing but an unbelievably supportive team from the beginning. Round of applause to Microsoft for helping us bring our game to your screens.” The collaboration between Squanch and Xbox involved a day-one release for High On Life as a new Xbox Game Pass addition for December 2022. The Game Pass release has helped High On Life become one of this month's most-played games, but this explains why High On Life isn't on PS4, PS5, or Nintendo Switch.
“High On Life existing on a platform like Xbox Game Pass means more players will have an opportunity to play – and that’s exactly what any developer could wish for,” Halpern said. “It’s an incredibly powerful tool to have the ability to make games more accessible on such a large scale.” The absence of a PlayStation or Switch release does limit the accessibility of High On Life in other ways. Still, the game’s availability through Xbox and PC Game Pass has encouraged many gaming fans to take a chance on Squanch’s comedic FPS.
Xbox reported that High On Life had the biggest single-player launch in Game Pass history, as well as the largest of any third-party game to hit the service. The pairing with Microsoft proved a wise decision for Squanch, since High on Life is the most ambitious game the studio has produced, and its Game Pass success has given it ample exposure. While low-cost services like Game Pass offer a consumer-friendly means to access a massive library of games, any sort of exclusivity is bad for consumers, as it limits options.
High On LIfe Is An Xbox Console Exclusive, So It's Not On PS5 Or Switch
It is unclear whether High On Life is going to remain a console exclusive for Xbox, or if a PS5 or Switch port will happen at some later date. Farcical shooters are a rarity, and the humor in High On Life outdoes the likes of the Shadow Warrior series. Ideally, the game will be ported to any platform that can handle it, but for now, gaming fans can buy High On Life for Xbox or for PC, or play it through Game Pass. The game is an Xbox Play Anywhere title, meaning those who purchase it for PC may prefer using the Microsoft store instead of Steam or Epic.
The Halo: Master Chief Collection supports Xbox Play Anywhere, along with most other first-party Xbox releases, and select third-party games like High On Life. When a player purchases a Play Anywhere title through a Microsoft digital storefront, they can download the game for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, or PC, at any time. Programs like Play Anywhere, and services like Game Pass, expand access to games, but console exclusivity remains an antiquated concept. Making Xbox games like High On Life consistently available for PC, and often on Game Pass, certainly expands their player audience, but the absence of ports to PlayStation and Switch hardware is less laudable.
Sources: TrueAchievements, Xbox, Squanch Games/YouTube