The PC release of Halo Infinite will offer a number of features that put it above and beyond its Xbox counterparts, Microsoft has announced. The launch day port is slated to launch this fall alongside versions for the Series X/S and Xbox One.
Halo Infinite was originally slated to be a launch title for the Xbox Series X/S, something Microsoft was so committed to that the console's box art features Master Chief and cross-promotions with Monster Energy and other brands went ahead despite the products offering bonuses for a game people still can't buy or play. In August 2020, the game was officially delayed into a broad 2021 window, likely owing both to pandemic slowdowns and the poor response its graphics received after a July showcase. Many people accused the game of looking bland, or like it wasn't taking advantage of Series X hardware. In December Halo Infinite was postponed until the fall.
The PC release of Halo Infinite will include support for both ultrawide and super ultrawide screens and triple keybinds, Microsoft says in a new blog post. Most computer displays are built in a 16:9 (cinematic) or 16:10 ratio, but ultrawide monitors are typically stretched to 21:9, and super ultrawides to 32:9. In a gaming context, these displays can offer a better view of the action or even fill a player's peripheral vision, an experience normally reserved for VR headsets. They can be demanding on video cards, however, since pixel counts have to rise to maintain the same level of detail.
Microsoft isn't offering any extra information on PC graphics options yet, but these will presumably include variable model, texture, resolution, and anti-aliasing detail, and (presumably) the ability to toggle special features like ray tracing or Nvidia DLSS. High-end AMD and Nvidia GPUs easily surpass the Xbox Series X in video fidelity, but many of these cost as much as a console without factoring in the other components needed to build a PC.
Halo Infinite's PC players will also get both crossplay and cross-progression with Xbox. This means not just the ability to play with Xbox owners (as well as xCloud players on mobile), but to carry over multiplayer customization and unlocks if a player uses both platforms - assuming Halo Infinite launches with all of its traditional series fixings. PC players could have the edge in crossplay matches, since a mouse and keyboard are usually better for first-person shooters than a gamepad, even with auto-aim enabled. Developer 343 Industries could have plans to cope with this by also offering mouse and keyboard support for Xbox, much like Halo: The Master Chief Collection already supports, but it may not be ready to reveal more until E3 2021.
Halo Infinite will be available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC in Fall 2021.
Source: Microsoft