Both Xbox and the Halo franchise are going through some pretty big changes right now. Back in October, Xbox announced that developer 343 Industries would be changing its name to Halo Studios, and that all future Halo projects would now be using Unreal Engine 5. This year, Xbox itself has also entered a new chapter in its life, with several of its first-party games being ported to PlayStation and Nintendo consoles, and more of an emphasis being placed on the idea of Xbox not just being the console itself, but the wider brand.
Xbox's future plans seem more open and diverse than ever before, and that's exemplified by the confirmation that an Xbox handheld console is officially in development. Confirmed by Phil Spencer in a Bloomberg interview in November, an Xbox handheld is currently being worked on, though it might still be a few years until it's in players' hands. But when the Xbox handheld does eventually hit store shelves, it could be a haven for Halo's future.
Xbox's Future Handheld Could Be a Perfect Place for Halo
Halo Doesn't Have a Great Rep on Handhelds
Halo is the ideal franchise for handheld gaming. The fast-paced arena shooter gameplay of an average Halo multiplayer match, the shorter duration of rounds, and the relatively simple control scheme makes Halo a natural fit for short handheld play-sessions. But unfortunately, there isn't currently a way to play Halo properly on a handheld device.
The Steam Deck is a phenomenal handheld that's capable of some real magic, but it's a bit lacking when it comes to Halo. While Halo: Master Chief Collection and Halo Infinite are both technically playable on the Steam Deck via Steam, both suffer from severe technical issues, especially if players aren't willing to spend a decent amount of time tweaking in-game settings.
The Steam Deck can also be used to remote play from an Xbox Series X/S, and while players with a strong internet connection might find more success streaming Halo: MCC or Halo Infinite via remote play or Xbox's Cloud service, it's still not an ideal scenario.
The Xbox Handheld Could Finally Deliver a Great Portable Halo Experience
When the Xbox handheld arrives, it needs to come with some kind of native support for the Halo franchise. At the bare minimum, this should mean a fully-functional version of both Halo Infinite and Halo: Master Chief Collection that's running on the device itself and not some external source like the Cloud or remote play.
With the handheld still a few years out, it would also hopefully come with the ability to play whatever new Halo entry might release between now and then, such as the rumored Halo: Combat Evolved remaster. Having the ability to essentially play the whole Halo franchise on Xbox's handheld would be a major boon for the upcoming console, especially if spinoffs like Halo Wars also ran natively at launch.
Additionally, Halo is still widely regarded as Xbox's flagship franchise. When marketing the new handheld console, it'd be smart for Xbox to put Halo right at the center, cementing the handheld console as a true Xbox product that's home to the franchises that have always been synonymous with the brand.
Halo Infinite
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- December 8, 2021
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- 343 Industries
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
WHERE TO PLAY
When all hope is lost and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance, the Master Chief is ready to confront the most ruthless foe he’s ever faced. Step inside the armor of humanity’s greatest hero to experience an epic open-world adventure and explore the massive scale of the Halo ring.
With Network Campaign Co-Op and Mission Replay, you can relive your favorite moments, rediscover collectibles and explore the wonders of Zeta Halo on your own or with up to three other fireteam members.
Experience Halo’s celebrated multiplayer reimagined and free-to-play! With over 70 maps in matchmaking, billions of customization configurations, and countless community Forge creations to experience, Halo Infinite is the franchise’s most expansive multiplayer offering to date.
Enjoy an unprecedented variety of gameplay experiences, ranging from fast-paced intense ranked modes to whimsical mayhem in Custom Games, or even co-operative coordination in the wave-based survival mode Firefight: King of the Hill. Assemble your Fireteam and conquer every mode – Halo offers endless opportunities for teamwork, strategy, and unforgettable victories.
- Engine
- Slipspace
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- Cross Save
- yes
- Franchise
- Halo
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
- How Long To Beat
- 12 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 90 GB (November 2023)
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
