Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Halo: Master Chief Collection Is Finally Confirmed For PC, Will Include Reach (arstechnica.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the long-time-coming dept.

DarkRookie2 shares a report from Ars Technica: After a seemingly endless run of rumors, the news Halo fans have been waiting for is here: the series is finally coming back to PC, and in pretty big fashion. Halo: The Master Chief Collection will arrive on Windows PCs "later this year," according to the official Halo Waypoint site, and fans will be able to buy the collection either via Steam or the Windows Store. (Anybody who's dealt with Windows 10's UWP woes will appreciate this rare example of Microsoft launching one of its first-party games on Steam at the same time as Windows Store, as opposed to delaying a Steam version for a few months.)

The game's listing confirms that PC gamers can look forward to full mouse-and-keyboard control support, along with support for resolutions up to 4K and an HDR toggle. Whether this version will also include the kinds of tweaks that hardcore PC gamers crave -- including ultra-widescreen ratios, higher frame rates, and fully remappable controls -- remains to be seen. We highly doubt Microsoft will include official mod support beyond letting players use individual games' built-in "Forge" creation tools. Halo Reach will also join the MCC when it launches on PC. Unfortunately, there's no word on cross-platform play.

50 comments

  1. Will you need Windows 10 for the Steam version? by jonwil · · Score: 2

    Obviously you need Windows 10 for the Windows Store UWP version but I haven't seen anything out there specifying the minumum version of Windows that the Steam version will require.

  2. Emulators by mrwireless · · Score: 1

    Very recently emulators have gotten good enough to play precisely these games.
    https://xenia.jp/

    Coincidence?

    1. Re:Emulators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yeah, I seriously doubt you can play through all of the above titles on emulation without:
      a) Crashing in menus
      b) Crashing during cutscenes
      c) Graphics artifacts

      I've seen the progress. It's not there yet.

    2. Re:Emulators by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      FUCK YOU, NINTENDRONES! Real gamers demand that Nintendo goes third-party, not Microsoft!

      Filter error: Nintendrones are too stupid to handle real computers.

  3. Re: Will you need Windows 10 for the Steam version by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    According to BeauHD's avant-garde "STEAM" education, the answer is "kinda."

  4. Halo Reach by Quakeulf · · Score: 0, Troll

    Around to please gamers and further drive competition/exclusivity/etc. from consoles to the PC. I don't like launchers at all, and Steam and the likes are almost on the point of being malware with all the bloat and performance penalties they introduce.

    1. Re:Halo Reach by thereddaikon · · Score: 1

      You are obviously new to this. Steam is much better today than it was at launch.

    2. Re: Halo Reach by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's only the 397th time I've herd that

    3. Re: Halo Reach by jgtg32a · · Score: 1

      Then maybe start listening, so people can stop repeating themselves?

    4. Re:Halo Reach by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Please gamers? Did they finally figure out how to make these games not suck?

    5. Re: Halo Reach by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your Wal-Mart PC isn't up to snuff. Go figure!

    6. Re:Halo Reach by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Steam bloatware lol are you running it on a calculator?

    7. Re: Halo Reach by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      he's probably the digital equivalent of an anti-vaxer

    8. Re:Halo Reach by Quakeulf · · Score: 2

      No it isn't. The web-related part of it can quickly eat up a lot of gigs of memory even if you have no tabs open. I have no idea why steamwebhelper or whatever needs to run in such big numbers, and the cache just grows and grows. Then there is their handling of reviews, etc. The list goes on. I've released games for Steam and they are far from being perfect.

  5. Re: Will you need Windows 10 for the Steam versio by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    society, tolerance, empathy, arts, music?

  6. Unfortunately... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You will have to log in through Xbox Live to play multiplayer even on Steam

    Each game will be sold separately for more instead of a cheaper bundle of all games (but in a way fortunate because only half the games in the package are good)

    It is not a Play Anywhere game like other Microsoft Xbox games, so even if you own it on Xbox you won't be able to just download the PC version as you already can do with Gears of War, Crackdown, Sea of Thieves, for example.

    1. Re: Unfortunately... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do you need a written invitation to download games?

    2. Re: Unfortunately... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Only if you are a classical vampire.

  7. It would be odd not to have cross platform play by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Especially given how much noise Phil Spencer of MS was making to goad Sony into opening up their network

    1. Re:It would be odd not to have cross platform play by wierd_w · · Score: 1

      But then the PC master race will dominate the gamepad players. :D

    2. Re:It would be odd not to have cross platform play by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      That alone would give me a reason to play this stupid game. Take those auto-aim lamers down from their ego pedestals.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    3. Re:It would be odd not to have cross platform play by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Killer Instinct (another first-party Microsoft title) is on Steam, as well. However, Steam users are sequestered into their own network, separate from the Microsoft Store and Xbox players. Add in the fact that the Xbone version got a huge head start, and you can guess where most of the playerbase is.

      That said, I doubt we'll see a repeat of this for the MCC. Its Steam page mentions Xbox Live connectivity, so I imagine we'll at least have to sign in for multiplayer if not the whole game. Not exactly ideal, but it's the best way to avoid a fractured playerbase. (Without ditching Xbox Live altogether, anyway.)

    4. Re:It would be odd not to have cross platform play by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      But then the PC master race will dominate the gamepad players. :D

      Given the Xbone has support for keyboard and mouse, this should be much less of a problem.

  8. VR? by oren · · Score: 1

    I don't suppose there is any chance we'll get a VR version? That would be great! But is probably too much to hope for :-(

    1. Re:VR? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope. The game engine has to render all 360 degrees. These older games and the engines only render the viewport.

    2. Re: VR? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wow. You have absolutely no idea what youâ(TM)re talking about.

  9. I love cooking! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I've been looked forward to the Master Chef games!

    1. Re: I love cooking! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Cooking Mama: Halo Edition

  10. Master Chef? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

    Isn't that a brand of low-cost kitchen appliances?

    Oh, Master Chief. Excuse me while I go make coffee...

    --
    #DeleteFacebook
    1. Re:Master Chef? by LordKronos · · Score: 2

      Isn't that a brand of low-cost kitchen appliances?

      Oh, Master Chief. Excuse me while I go make coffee...

      While you are doing that, take a look at the name tag on your coffee maker and you'll realize you were thinking of Magic Chef. Master Chef is a TV show.

    2. Re:Master Chef? by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2

      No, I was not thinking about "Magic Chef". Master Chef microwave.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    3. Re: Master Chef? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Itâ(TM)s ok I read chef too. My wife and I were trying think of recipes for cooking demonds in the middle of the game. Then read âoechiefâ and were very disappointed. No yelling man going âoeitâ(TM)s cold! Now F offâ

  11. Re: Will you need Windows 10 for the Steam versi by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This site is SO GAY now.

  12. Re: Will you need Windows 10 for the Steam vers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Found the utter asshole who needs to get kicked out of the MMORPG in the middle of a melee

  13. Finally by CastrTroy · · Score: 1

    System Requirements

    Minimum:

    • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
    • OS: Microsoft Windows
    • Network: Broadband Internet connection

    Finally, something my computer can run.

    --

    Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    1. Re: Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are all the games two player?

    2. Re:Finally by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 2

      Does that include the 64-bit version of Windows 98SE?

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    3. Re: Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All have a single-player campaign which I think can be played co-op with a second player (the Steam page stated online co-op, not sure if couch is an option), plus online multiplayer. When Halo CE first came to PC it didn't do split-screen at all, let alone the 4-player split screen which the Xbox used to do.

    4. Re: Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That never existed. Clearly you are too young to remember the first 64bit version was Server 2003 and the semi-official XP64.

    5. Re: Finally by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Clearly you have no sense of humour.

  14. Re: Will you need Windows 10 for the Steam ver by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Shut up gay noob

  15. I think it's just the PC market getting bigger by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    with the crypto currency GPU shortage over that helps to. You can get an RX 570 for $130 bucks now and it'll run most games at 1080p/60. I've seen decent gaming CPUs for $200 with a board and ram is down to about $80-$100 bucks for what you need to game. Basically you could build a rig from scratch for $700-$800, which is kind of the sweet spot in my experience.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:I think it's just the PC market getting bigger by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or you can pick up a card that has about 170% performance improvement over that low end if you go the used route. Of course it is used hardware, but if you are willing to risk it. I just topped out my old rig with lovely used parts at a fraction of the cost. Stable so far, but YMMV.

  16. The Reach campaign costs extra...correct? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Or perhaps I misread that, but I thought you had to fork some dollars out, even if you were a previous owner of MCC.

    The question is, is it crossbuy compatible? What is the xbox term for that feature...I think crossbuy was a PS3/Vita feature.

  17. Re: Will you need Windows 10 for the Steam ver by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Whats wrong with being Gay, is that supposed to be some sort of an insult?

  18. Matchmaking by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    That's why we have matchmaking. This helps on PC where about half of Steam users play with controllers. Matchmaking is used in multiplayer games to match players of like skill and ability.

  19. Re: Will you need Windows 10 for the Steam ver by Type44Q · · Score: 1
    Relax, it's only an insult if you're pretending you're not gay.

    I know; counterintuitive.

  20. Who Fucking Cares? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nostalgia-fags and no one else.

    Fuck your shitty MS game.

  21. Windows VR by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Well with the introduction of a Windows VR/MR/AR API and standard they would want to commit to that and take advantage of that and set a bar for the kind of experience you can have.

    Hopefully they will have something to show for this and lead the way instead of shuffling their feet and deferring to third parties.

    Oh wait, this is MS.