Halo: The Master Chief Collection gets a surprise Xbox Series X upgrade

By Eric Abent/Oct. 20, 2020 10:28 am EST

While Xbox Series X/S owners won't have Halo Infinite at launch as previously expected, Microsoft is still lining up some Halo content for those who buy these new consoles. Today, Microsoft confirmed that 343 Industries will be enhancing Halo: The Master Chief Collection for Xbox Series X/S. While it won't be available right at the launch of these new consoles, it'll be following close behind.

Specifically, Microsoft says that the enhanced version of Halo: The Master Chief Collection will be launching on November 17th – one week after the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S hit shelves. The next-gen version will be free to those who already own The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One, but of course, being a first-party Microsoft game, it'll also be available through Xbox Game Pass.

It's time to dust off the ol' Needler.

✅ Fully Optimized on Series X|S
✅ 120 FPS in Campaign & Multiplayer
✅ Split-screen improvements & up to 4K on Series X
✅ Available for free to existing owners or those with @XboxGamePass on November 17 pic.twitter.com/Ufusdsyd8C

— Xbox (@Xbox) October 20, 2020

So, what enhancements are Microsoft and 343 targeting for this enhanced version of The Master Chief Collection? According to the tweet you see above, the compilation will be "fully optimized" for both new consoles. We'll also see support for 120 frames per second gameplay in both the campaign and multiplayer, along with "split-screen improvements" and up to 4K resolution on Xbox Series X.

Microsoft didn't say what the target resolution for Xbox Series S is, but with the game supporting 4K resolution on Xbox Series X, that makes us hopeful that we'll see support for 1440p on Xbox Series S. At the moment, it seems this tweet is the only thing we have to go on, so here's hoping we get more details about Halo: The Master Chief Collection as we get closer to launch.

This is definitely a nice announcement for Halo fans, especially after Halo Infinite was pushed back from its November 10th release date. Halo Infinite still doesn't have a new release date yet, but it's clear Microsoft and 343 are hoping that an enhanced Master Chief Collection will be enough to tide fans over as 343 puts the finishing touches on Infinite.