'Halo Infinite' Might Be the Next-Gen Game That Microsoft Fans Have Been Waiting for
The new next-gen title in the 'Halo' series is set to launch on Xbox Series X/S, but will the game also be released on the Xbox One?
Oct. 25 2021, Published 3:36 p.m. ET
The latest generation of consoles doesn't just mean gaming on the latest hardware. It's also a sign that console-defining exclusive titles will likely receive brand new installments to take advantage of the latest gaming technology. For the PlayStation 5, that means titles like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, and upcoming games like Marvel's Spider-Man 2, and God of War: Ragnarok. For the Xbox Series X/S, that naturally means Halo Infinite.
Master Chief will return in the latest installment of the Xbox's famous Halo franchise. Microsoft has confirmed that this new game will continue the Reclaimer Saga, and will see Master Chief embark on "his greatest adventure yet to save humanity."
As the first new Halo title on the Xbox Series X, Master Chief will look brand new on the latest Microsoft console.
But console exclusives have been few and far between lately, so will we also see Halo Infinite on the previous generation's Xbox One?
Is 'Halo Infinite' coming to Xbox One?
Console exclusive games have been a little tricky when it comes to the new generation of gaming tech, including the Xbox Series X/S. While certain games have more graphic capabilities and a shinier look on the newest consoles, they're largely still playable on the previous generation, albeit with less visual fidelity.
Take PlayStation's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, for example. The game was touted for having smoother gameplay and better graphics on the PS5, but it still released on the PS4 and made for a perfectly good experience. The urgency to play the newest games on the latest consoles has become less prevalent now that new games are becoming more accessible on current-gen.
So let's bring it back to Halo Infinite and the current Xbox consoles. Infinite will come out on the Xbox Series X/S on Dec. 8, 2021, but it will also come out on the Xbox One on the same date. Plus, it will be available on PC, and you can even wishlist the game on Steam now.
'Halo Infinite' was initially announced for the Xbox One anyway.
The first announcement for Halo Infinite came during E3 2018, when it was already confirmed for release on the Xbox One and Microsoft Windows at the time. The announcement came well before we got a hint of the newest Xbox console (which was teased in 2019). That being said, it stands to reason that the game would have still been playable on the Xbox One regardless of any new hardware coming out.
During the reveal of the Xbox Series X (previously known as Project Scarlett), it was announced that Infinite was initially going to be released as a launch title for the new console. But early in 2020, head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty said in an interview with MCV that the team had no plans for the new Halo to be completed in time for the Series X launch.
With the Xbox Series X (and the PlayStation 5) being infamously hard to get, at least Halo fans won't need it right away to check out Master Chief's new adventure.
