Unfortunately, the Xbox Series X took a hard blow this month with the delay of its flagship launch title into 2021. Halo Infinite was basically going to be that key “system-seller” game for the launch of Microsoft’s new console. Now with that no longer being the case, the Xbox Series X is relying on its services and few third-party titles to bolster the console’s launch. It’s not the end of the world for the Series X, as Halo Infinite will likely release pretty early next year if it was on track for a holiday release, but it’s unclear how the delay affects the Xbox One version.
For those who may not know, as well as being released on PC alongside Xbox Series X/S, Halo Infinite is also releasing on Xbox One. While the definitive release of the game will be on Xbox Series X and PC, the game will also be downscaled and released on the Xbox One. Though with the delay of the whole game, it’s unclear how this may affect the Xbox One specifically. Halo Infinite‘s simultaneous release could be impacted by the game’s delay.
Since Halo Infinite‘s delay on August 11, there’s been no official clarification on how this delay affects the Xbox One version of the game. Of course, the delay likely applies to the Series X version, but it does bring into question the state of the simultaneous release. For the record, Halo Infinite was originally slated for holiday 2020 for PC, Xbox Series X, and of course Xbox One, all at the same time. Now the game has a broader release window of 2021, which presumably applies to all versions, but for now that hasn’t been made clear. If the game’s coming out next year, at the earliest a few months after Xbox Series X releases, it’s possible the Xbox One could be skipped entirely.
Will that happen? It’s not likely, as that move would go against Xbox’s consumer-friendly strategy formed over the last few years. Xbox’s boss Phil Spencer has stated multiple times that the Xbox One will be supported for up to two years after Xbox Series X launches. If the Xbox Series X’s launch title has to be delayed into early-to-mid 2021, that’s already a huge chunk of time dedicated to Xbox One’s post-life support. Plus with a supposed budget-friendly Xbox launching alongside the Series X in November, theoretically, Xbox One support may not even matter. But anything could happen.
That being said, a next-gen delay of Halo Infinite doesn’t bode well for both the PC and the Xbox One versions of the game. While Xbox and Microsoft’s PC support has grown substantially towards the end of this generation, the Xbox One is almost a seven-year-old console. Granted, there are Xbox One X and S consoles out there, which are a tiny bit more modern and powerful, but they’re still considered weak hardware by Xbox Series X standards. Microsoft and 343 Industries would never risk alienating the existing fanbase on Xbox One, but it does mean that additional optimizing may be required for Xbox One.
Halo Infinite‘s Slipspace Engine is designed to scale for multiple platforms, so that should at least provide some hope for fans who’ll be playing on the previous console. More than likely, it will not run at 4K resolution at a stable 60 frames per second on Xbox One X, but the infrastructure is supposedly in place to play Halo Infinite on older hardware. But now with the delay thrown in to the ring, that could mean several potential drawbacks to playing the game on Xbox One. Not only does the game have to scale down to the weaker hardware, but the pressure is on to have all versions of the game ready for launch in 2021.
Developing on both the Xbox Series X and Series S, alongside PC, Xbox One is theoretically at the bottom of the list of prioritization for Halo Infinite‘s development. Development will presumably be focused on all versions of the game, but if the game’s struggling to meet a deadline and being held back by the Xbox One version, there’s a very real possibility that version of the game will be delayed further to accommodate Xbox Series X and PC. Making sure the definitive version of the game is the best it can be is top priority, so if the Xbox One version needs to wait as a result, then perhaps sacrifices would need to be made.
Halo Infinite is due for release in 2021.
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