BIRDCAGE Arrives on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and the Xbox PC Store
Eastasiasoft announced the release date on August 31, 2026. The publisher said BIRDCAGE will launch digitally for Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, XBOX One, XBOX Series X|S and XBOX on PC September 23rd. COGconnected, Noisy Pixel and Retro News reported the same platforms and date when the announcement went out. The Xbox Store listing agrees: it gives a release date of 9/23/2026 and lists Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PC and handheld as supported devices.
TheXboxHub's launch-day item muddles the platform list. Its summary names "PlayStation" and "Nintendo Switch" twice and never says which PlayStation. Eastasiasoft's fact sheet clears this up. The formats are PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, with Subtitles: English, Japanese · Players: 1.
TheXboxHub also lists Eastasiasoft Limited as both publisher and co-developer. The Xbox Store credits say the same thing: Eastasiasoft Limited publishes, and Eastasiasoft Limited and POLYGON BIRD are both named as developers. According to the publisher's own account, POLYGON BIRD built the game and Eastasiasoft handled the console ports. Developed by POLYGON BIRD in cooperation with eastasiasoft, BIRDCAGE was previously shown at Tokyo Game Show 2025. Eastasiasoft is handling the console ports and worldwide publishing.
The publisher describes POLYGON BIRD as an independent studio formed in 2022, based in both Greece and Scotland, that makes retro-style arcade games in GameMaker. Its founders are comic artist Giannis Milonogiannis and composer Barry Topping. Eastasiasoft itself is a Hong Kong developer and publisher founded in 2007. Its back catalogue includes the Söldner-X shooter series, so it has published arcade shooters before.
Play Anywhere and Smart Delivery Tie BIRDCAGE's Console and PC Versions Together
For WindowsForum readers, the most useful part of this launch is on the Xbox Store listing. The game carries three Microsoft program badges: Xbox Play Anywhere, Smart Delivery and Optimized for Xbox Series X|S. The listed capabilities are 4K Ultra HD, 60 fps+, single player, Xbox achievements, Xbox presence and Xbox cloud saves. The listing also carries a "Handheld Optimized" tag.
Microsoft's Play Anywhere program lets one digital purchase work on both Xbox consoles and Windows PCs. Smart Delivery gives you the right build for whichever Xbox console generation you play on. Put together, a single $14.99 purchase should cover an Xbox One, an Xbox Series X|S and a Windows PC signed in to the same Microsoft account. The listed cloud saves should carry progress between them. That comes from how Microsoft's programs work in general. No hands-on reports on BIRDCAGE's save sync have appeared yet.
These capabilities are listed for the product as a whole, not for each device. The store does not say which of them apply to each platform. For example, it does not say whether 4K output is exclusive to Series X|S or also applies on PC. Nobody has published performance testing of any Xbox or PC build yet either.
The rating and language details are simpler. The Xbox Store rates BIRDCAGE Everyone 10+ for fantasy violence and says it supports two languages without naming them. The publisher's fact sheet names them as English and Japanese subtitles. It does not say whether the menus or voice audio are also localized.
BIRDCAGE on PC Launched on Steam in November 2025
Calling this a PC launch hides the fact that PC shooter fans already had the game. Time Extension reports that the game was originally released for Steam in November 2025. Respec, a separate outlet, says Birdcage is out now on PC (Steam, GOG). It also notes that the soundtrack is sold on GOG in a deluxe bundle with an artbook.
So the September 23 release brings the game to consoles for the first time, and adds an Xbox Store version on PC. The press release says this directly: BIRDCAGE was originally developed by POLYGON BIRD and is being "ported for consoles." Its only mention of PC is "XBOX on PC."
One outlet got the storefronts wrong. Noisy Pixel described the new release as Xbox on PC via Steam. That conflicts with Eastasiasoft's announcement and the Xbox Store listing. It most likely mixes up the existing Steam version with the new Xbox PC release. As far as the store records show, the Xbox PC version is sold through the Xbox Store and Xbox PC app, with Play Anywhere.
The two versions don't overlap. If you already own BIRDCAGE on Steam or GOG, the Xbox release adds nothing on PC unless you also want it on an Xbox console. The listing doesn't mention cross-save between the Steam and Xbox versions, so assume progress doesn't transfer.
BIRDCAGE Costs $14.99 or €14.99, With a 10% Launch Discount on Some Stores
Eastasiasoft set a single list price. BIRDCAGE will launch digitally for $14.99/€14.99, with a limited-time 10% launch discount available on select platforms and regions. On the US Xbox Store the listing showed $13.49, which is a $1.50 saving on $14.99. The discount was marked as ending in 15 days.
TheXboxHub gives a UK price of £12.49. No official source reviewed here confirms that figure, and UK store pricing may already include the launch discount. Check your own regional store before buying. Eastasiasoft only says the discount applies on "select platforms and regions," so don't assume every store has it.
Eastasiasoft plans a physical edition for PS5 only. The publisher said physical copies are expected to ship from the eastasiasoft store and affiliated distribution partners in March 2027. Physical pre-orders are currently open. Time Extension describes that edition as exclusive to the Eastasiasoft store. The publisher's wording also includes distribution partners. No physical Xbox or Switch edition has been announced, so Xbox players who want the game have only the digital version.
Chains, Kill Rate and Hyperblade Mode Drive BIRDCAGE's Scoring, According to Eastasiasoft
The gameplay descriptions below come from the publisher and the store copy, not from hands-on testing. TheXboxHub's launch item is an announcement, not a review. BIRDCAGE has six stages of vertical-scrolling bullet hell, with swarms of enemies and very large bosses. The press release says players can strategically switch between spread shots, focused attacks and even melee slashes to take down swarms of enemy ships.
The system is familiar from arcade score-attack shooters. Spread shots handle crowds and focused fire handles single targets. Rechargeable homing specials clear the screen when things get busy. A mode called Hyperblade is meant to be triggered in tense moments. Scoring rewards keeping a chain going and a high kill rate, so clearing a stage safely is only part of the goal. Aggressive play scores more. Getting greedy in a screen full of bullets will get you killed.
The visuals mix 2D pixel-art sprites with 2.5D backgrounds, set to a retro soundtrack. Eastasiasoft also promotes the story, with dialogue and event cutscenes and a "mature, thought-provoking narrative" where players review memories as they progress. Time Extension adds setting details. Set in the year 2342, Birdcage sees two factions, Selene and Radon, fighting it out for the fate of Earth. Selene seeks to defend the planet, while Radon seeks to obliterate it. The outlet names Ikaruga and Radiant Silvergun as inspirations.
The Steam version has had a good reception so far. Time Extension says last year's Steam release met with praise from critics and players, and Respec's writer calls it one of their favourite games of 2025. These are outlet opinions of the existing PC version. No reviews of the new console or Xbox PC builds have been published yet.
What BIRDCAGE's Xbox Release Means for You
If you play on Xbox, or on both Xbox and a Windows PC, the Play Anywhere listing makes the Xbox Store the sensible place to buy. If you already own the Steam or GOG version and only play on PC, you don't need anything from this release. Arcade-shooter fans who want the lowest price should buy during the launch window, but check whether the discount shows up in their own region.
- BIRDCAGE launched digitally on September 23, 2026 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC through the Xbox Store, and for PS4, PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
- The Xbox Store listing marks the game as Xbox Play Anywhere, Smart Delivery and Optimized for Xbox Series X|S, with cloud saves and achievements.
- The PC version itself isn't new: BIRDCAGE has been on Steam since November 2025 and is also on GOG, so Steam and GOG owners gain nothing on PC from the Xbox release.
- The list price is US$14.99 or €14.99. The US Xbox Store showed $13.49 during a time-limited 10% launch discount, and TheXboxHub's £12.49 UK figure is unconfirmed.
- The game is single-player only, rated Everyone 10+ for fantasy violence, and the publisher says it has English and Japanese subtitles.
- The only physical edition announced is for PS5, due to ship in March 2027. Xbox players are limited to digital.
BIRDCAGE was already a well-received PC shooter. What September 23 changes is where Microsoft's customers can buy it. Eastasiasoft has put it on the Xbox Store with Play Anywhere, so one purchase covers both Xbox consoles and Windows PCs at the lowest price during the launch discount. The next scheduled milestone is the PS5 physical edition in March 2027. Before that, the first reviews of the console and Xbox PC builds should show whether the ports hold up as well as the Steam original.