“Halo: The Master Chief Collection” is making its way to PC for the first time ever, revealed during the latest episode of Microsoft‘s “Inside Xbox” series.
This version of “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” was built “specifically for the PC audience,” and will allow players to enjoy the first-person shooter on the platform, including campaign and multiplayer play. It will be available via the Microsoft Store and Steam.
The game will be added “in stages” with each title releasing one at a time so the team can ensure that everything works correctly.
Additionally, “Halo: Reach” is being added to “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” on Xbox One and PC, which means the volume will now officially include “Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary,” “Halo 2,” “Halo 3,” “Halo 4,” and “Halo 3: ODST.” It’s still missing “Halo 5: Guardians,” curiously, but that could potentially be added at a later date, at least players hope so.
For Xbox One, “Halo: Reach” will be playable in 4K/HDR and at 60 FPS. It will also automatically include its multiplayer Forge and Theater modes. Both its Campaign and Firefight components will be available as add-ons for an additional price.
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The collection originally debuted on Xbox One on Nov. 11, 2014 and was met with poor matchmaking experience and numerous bugs, but has sense been patched significantly, with new content added over the course of its lifespan. It also allowed players into the “Halo 5: Guardians” multiplayer beta that went on for a limited time ahead of the game’s release.
Microsoft has previously been working to bring more of its titles to PC gamers and beyond, and the addition of “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” is a big step forward
“We are going to make sure that we keep increasing the strength of the community,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella during the company’s fiscal year 2019 first quarter earnings call. “You see that already with ‘Minecraft’ going to all platforms and that increasing the intensity of the community, and you’ll see us do more of that.”
Bringing Xbox Game Pass to PC has played a major role in the company’s plans for seeing its titles across several platforms, and Xbox head of gaming Phil Spencer echoed Nadella’s thoughts in an interview with Variety in June 2018. He noted that “the path for taking a service like Game Pass and bringing it to PC is a natural pass.”
Early reports also indicate that Microsoft and Nintendo are working to bring Xbox titles to the Nintendo Switch, according to Game Informer. Rumors have been swirling about the Microsoft-exclusive “Ori and the Blind Forest” coming to Nintendo Switch, as well as several others by way of Game Pass. With Microsoft reportedly planning on bringing its Netflix-like streaming service Project xCloud to Switch as well, it’s all part of Spencer’s vision for bringing the company’s games for a wider audience.
“Gaming is now at its most vibrant,” he said in June 2018. “In this significant moment, we are constantly challenging ourselves about where we can take gaming next.”
It remains to be seen what the company’s next moves are, but the “Halo” collection is a good start.
