After months of careful testing, the official Halo: Reach release date is finally set on Dec. 3 as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection. The Master Chief Collection, originally announced for the Xbox One way back in 2014, was announced for PC release by Microsoft at X019. Halo: Reach will also be added to the Xbox version of The Master Chief Collection, but can be purchased by itself for $9.99.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
The Master Chief Collection is now available for preorder on the Microsoft Store or Steam for $39.99, although only Halo: Reach will be immediately available to purchasers on Dec. 3. The now six-game bundle is also available as part of Xbox Game Pass for PC, so subscribers will have Halo: Reach available to the next month, as well as the rest of the collection available to them by next year.
The Master Chief Collection consists of six games already available as part of the Xbox version. It will be released next year on PC in the chronological order of Halo: Reach, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo 4. Halo 5 has not yet been confirmed for a PC release, but we're still keeping our hopes up.
Halo: Reach Recommended PC Specs
Microsoft and 343 Studios seem to be taking their time to get everything just right, as months of testing and teasing have gotten PC fans very eager. Microsoft's Halo: The Master Chief Collection Insider Program has already revealed that Halo: Reach will have support for 4k 60 FPS gameplay. Although 343 Studios also notes that Halo: Reach "...has been played on many configurations and types of PCs ranging from bleeding edge to near potatoes" and that the Windows Store version will have different minimum requirements.
The blog post also notes that the PC releases will have other features, including native mouse and keyboard support, enhancements to HUD to support ultrawide monitors, as well as other quality of life changes.
Halo: Reach is the prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved and the last installment of the series by the original developer Bungie. Microsoft's 343 Studios will be following the chronological timeline for next year's release, and you can read more on the complete timeline here.
Other surprises from X019
Microsoft's Official X019 blog post also unveils many other surprises aside from the aforementioned Halo news and update. Microsoft has revealed many new additions to the Game Pass lineup for both console and PC, notably include the Final Fantasy Franchise, the Yakuza Franchise, and Minecraft Dungeons. Unfortunately, some big titles such as Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will only be available on console, while other big titles like Microsoft Flight Simulators will only be available to PC fans.
Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is available for $1 for your first three months, and eligible Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members get one month EA Access, three months of Discord Nitro, and six months of Spotify Premium. Read more on it on the Xbox blog post here.
