Talking Point: How Do You Feel About Halo: Campaign Evolved Launching Day One On PS5?

I feel nothing

Just feeling like a Dreamcast owner right now, albeit without the amazing exclusives Sega had.

Couldn't care less, honestly. It doesn't affect what I enjoy or don't.

At this point, nothing as it was expected since they confirmed Forza Horizon 5 on PS5.

Many of us assumed since the “only 4 games” were announced that Xbox was stepping into a spiral of death and irrelevance and just look at the brand now less than 2 years later after that announcement, being the most overpriced of all the big 3 with no exclusive games planned and the worst PR image the brand has ever had, Xbox’ mascot jumping to PlayStation after all this decimation in the last few months doesn’t even hit anymore.

Let everyone play.
I shall play on series x with my stacked GPU.
2026 seeming to be a great GPU year.

I’d be despondent about the state of Xbox if I weren’t aware of the future plans to merge the platform with PC. It’s the saving grace of this rapid change in strategy, as PC is not reliant on exclusives to survive and thrive. This is just an awkward transition phase until next generation hardware course corrects.

Couldn't care less about the game going to ps5. Exclusives are a cancer. I wish they were putting infinite and MCC on ps5 so the new players could join in multiplayer.

Feels like another pointless update to an already updated game in regards to xbox. Hopefully this one performs better than the last two. Im not that excited for the game in general. I might give it a try whenever the heck it hits premium but also might just pass.

@OldGamer999

But you sold your X

@PsBoxSwitchOwner
I kept it in the end.
2025 had NG4, OW2 and COD
Then thought now 2026
High on life 2
Halo
FH6
COD
and probably 2 more big ones maybe.
With stacked GPU at the old old rate of £12
Seemed crazy to leave.

@OldGamer999 even though you sold it... at least twice 😂

You even told me your son had brought his back from uni and you were using that at one point dude.

Couldn't care less - its not as if I can't play Halo on the Platform I want or most likely to play it on. Its a 25yr old game at its core too and as far as I am aware, 'Xbox' platforms will be the ONLY place to offer Halo on Game Pass as well as Xbox PC/Console versions.

The fact that more gamers can now play day 1 doesn't negatively impact my enjoyment of or ability to play that game. If anything, I am happy that it seems MS are releasing 'more' games a year that I can enjoy even if other gamers on other platforms can also enjoy them too - aren't we all 'Gamers' with a shared interest in Gaming?

Watching the death of the Xbox brand as we know it has been sad to watch. Everyone that cheered on the Activision aquisition has got to be feeling quite let down, I know I am and I was against it from day one.

aside from nintendo, exclusives are effectively gone. i don't think anyone even looks at these platforms for the place to get something anymore. just the place they'd rather be.

I don't understand why this is even still a thing. MS has consistently been bringing games to PS and has stated that this is their direction. If anyone on the planet is surprised or suddenly disappointed they have not followed XB in anyway for the past two years. MS clearly stated that nothing is sacred when it comes to exclusives.

@Weebleman
He has me switch 2 at Uni for now.

I honestly think this just makes the point that Xbox is dead. I wish it weren’t true, but I need to understand why anyone would buy an Xbox.

but, how do you feel about it?

Apart from thinking this can only be good for the game and Halo studios, that more people can enjoy Halo, I feel total indifference. Bring it on.

Halo was Xbox, it's clear Microsoft lied to everyone last Feb. They continue to lie and say things like people don't care about exclusives or aren't attached to their consoles. If they weren't into exclusives or their consoles, Microsoft wouldn't have had to damage control last Feb to say "it's only 4 games".

If you sell hardware you need to have something special to offer the people who buy it. What's the point of Xbox at all currently? PlayStation gets all Xbox and PlayStation games and Xbox only gets Xbox games and less 3rd party support in general.

@BAMozzy Do you not see the need for proper competition in the console space? Xbox sales have flatlined to the point that the original Switch is still outselling Xbox every month, despite Switch 2 being out now.
Xbox consoles sell less per month than the Wii U did. How long will Microsoft keep at hardware?

@BacklogBrad You think competition is a bad thing? Going back to the best era in gaming which was Xbox 360/PS3, we got better prices, better deals, better games because Microsoft and Sony were competing for our money. Even streaming services have exclusives. Xbox just killed itself.

I only care in that we should be giving them a good Halo game, not this pretty but soulless looking shell thing. Watching the gameplay completely turned me off this.

No worries about that at all, I think 99% of Xboxers are long past all that by now. My only worry is whether they’ll get performance on all platforms ironed out (plenty of stutters and hitches in the pre-release footage shown yesterday). Also there’s still room for improvement in the graphics and ai - the sky looked completely flat - obviously just a 2D backdrop - and both the troops and covenant showed some remarkably dim moments in yesterday’s footage.

I’m still hopeful though and look forward to playing on whichever platform turns out to be the best place to play this remaster.

Any Xbox fanboy should be happy about this. Without making the jump to PlayStation there would be no future for Halo, Gears, Forza etc because Xbox simply can't shift the console numbers needed needed to make these games a viable option for development anymore.

I’m fine with this. I want them to bring infinite over too and enable cross play.
I’ve got the MCC, so likely won’t bother with this one.

@TheGameThrifter the thing is they're only saying they aren't interested in exclusives anymore is because they can't sell consoles so their exclusives don't sell. They bought Activision thinking it would sink PlayStation but it didn't work quite exactly as they planned. All this "we don't like exclusives" is nothing more than a cover story for their continued abject failure since the reveal of the Xbox One.

@TheGameThrifter

Xbox just killed itself

Not really, it's not like Xbox was somehow doing gangbusters. People are/were not interested in Xbox, so Microsoft had to change strategy. Xbox will live on but Under different guise.

What's the point of Xbox at all currently?

Well what’s the point of Samsung, Huawei, Motorola and another bunch of competing mobile phones manufacturers when arguably Apple are or were top dog/brand? There will always be a point for people to prefer an electronic device over other available options, no?

This is the end of Xbox as a console brand. There is very little reason to own an Xbox unless you have heavily invested in it.

This article still attempts to hold out hope that Xbox will still have certain games exclusive for a timed period but it’s just another moment of “holding onto hope”. Xbox is done.

When you look back at the historic launch of the original Xbox that brought us Halo Combat Evolved, it was a brilliant way for Xbox to make its entrance in the console market. Nowadays, they can hardly make a GOTY contender let alone a winner and that’s crucial because first party games are directly tied to a brand’s reputation and recognition.

That last part about games has been the chief reason why they’ve fallen off a cliff over the past decade. Gamers go where the best games are. No ifs or buts. Xbox has been in third place ever since the launch of the Xbox One.

@Weebleman I think we're up to 3. Almost need a spreadsheet to keep track!

@FuzzieGinge88 That's complete nonsense, these franchises would continue to exist with or without PlayStation, just like they have for two decades. Besides, they are also available on PC, something that people conveniently ignore when considering the sales potential of Xbox exclusives.

@MrStark Hmm... I'd say Indiana Jones and Ninja Gaiden 4 are GOTY contenders, but you do have a point that they've generally struggled to release GOTY-worthy games in the last decade.

I don’t feel anything. Xbox has made it clear they’re essentially a glorified third party now, so it would be weird to not have any new games go to PS5 at this point.

@Questionable_Duck

Let me put it this way: say from 2025 - 2030 Xbox was to win a couple of GOTY awards at The Game Awards and PlayStation was to win none, the perception around Xbox would be far more positive and players would look at PlayStation in an inferior light. This is exactly what happened in the early years of the 360: Xbox had Gears and Halo 3 and PlayStation had nothing in comparison. That all changed with the 2009 GOTY winner Uncharted 2: Among Thieves after which it’s been all one way traffic in favour of PlayStation.

I lived through the ‘Sega exiting the hardware business’ era of gaming. Sega was never my preferred platform, but I owned them all and have may fond memories of th systems and games.

When news broke they were exiting the console business and transitioning to becoming just another publisher, it was quite a sad announcement. It may not have been my preferred place to play, but I would have infinitely preferred Sega continue to make hardware and keep their stuff exclusive.

Homogenization killed a lot of their unique spontaneity, the spark of life that differentiated their stuff from other publishers’ games. During the PS360 era I barely played a single Sega game. It was mostly watered down content indistinguishable from every other 3rd party game.

It’s the burden of necessity that drives innovation, the burning need to craft unique experiences for your own platform to set it apart from the competition and create an allure, a desire to buy into your ecosystem. That doesn’t exist to the same extent for a third party publisher.

@TheGameThrifter your first paragraph in comment #18 mirror my thoughts exactly. If exclusives truly didn’t matter anymore in the current market then there would’ve been no need for the damage control that we saw early last year and the blatant ‘boil the frog slowly’ strategy they’ve employed since then. They could’ve just been honest and said ‘yeah we’re 100% multiplat now’. The fact they didn’t speaks volumes.

@TheGameThrifter Xbox Console sales have flatlined ever since Xbox was merged into Windows/Microsoft instead of being a 'small' side Project with a 'handful' of Studios that was flopping hard after the release of XB1.

That merger meant Microsoft would NO LONGER neglect their own PC platform, the Gaming Platform they originally started on - games like Flight Sim for example. 25yrs ago, Gaming PC's were niche and very expensive so MS wanted to go 'mainstream' and bring PC games to mainstream audiences - hence the HDD and internet connection. Both of which led Console gamers to call the OG Xbox basically a PC in a Box - although its a DirectX machine in a Box with Microsoft wanting to establish DirectX as the API of choice - which devs had to use for their Console so used it for PC too.

When they 'merged' Xbox into MS, Xbox stopped being 'just' their Console and became their Gaming Brand - hence Day 1 releases on their PC Platform, Game Pass for both their Xbox PC and Console platforms, Play Anywhere and Smart delivery giving both Xbox PC and Console versions, delivering the right version for your hardware.

All that affects the sales of Consoles - console become 'optional' for those that ONLY have the budget for a Subsidised Console locking you into that 1 store and Platform or 'prefer' the Console style gaming experience that a single platform offers. PC gamers (and most young kids are PC gamers these days as PC's have dropped in price and far more versatile) aren't buying an Xbox at all, but will buy a PS or Switch for their 'exclusives'. Will buy just for a handful of releases they can't play on their 'prefered' platform.

Xbox are offering all their games Day 1 on ALL their Platforms regardless of whether you prefer the PC, Console or Cloud gaming experience, Play Day 1 on any Xbox gaming enabled device - whether it has their OS at the heart (as PC and Xbox have) or via a MS owned App on iOS/Android devices and Game Pass, despite the price rise offers you Day 1 access at no 'extra' cost - 4 AAA games a year would cost more so could be the best Value, but if you buy, you get both a Console and PC version (you don't on PS5) and won't be waiting for games to come to your Playstation platform - games like Starfield, Avowed, South of Midnight, Fable, Clockwork Revolution - the 'Single Player' games.

Xbox can compete on 'Hardware' - best hardware, library, games (as not all Xbox games release Day/Date on PS), controller, design/aesthetics, services etc etc and of course how well it plays the SAME games.

There are many ways for MS to compete and still be one of the biggest gaming companies in the world. Xbox is Microsofts gaming brand - regardless of whether you play Xbox games in their Platforms or on PS - its still money for Xbox gaming and you are spending your 'time' in their Xbox product. If you 'prefer' to do that via a 3rd Party Platform - inc Steam on PC for example, that's your choice, but you are still a Microsoft customer, using a Microsoft product you've paid Microsoft to use (even if you have to pay Sony/Valve for using their Platform and/or access to online based content). Xbox Console hardware is not the only Xbox Platform and why it won't compete on Sales with PS/Switch hardware but 'Xbox' can compete as Xbox is NOT just the Console Platform...

Still amazed by the contrast of:

A.) Microsoft doing everything in their power to make sure you have literally NO reason to choose an xbox, and

B.) Also saying, by the way the next xbox will be really expensive.

I think Xbox would still exist if people still buying xbox consoles, but lately many Xbox One players refused to upgrade to Xbox Series consoles; Xbox Series sales already reached their peak sales for now. I think Xbox consoles will still exist in the next 10 years, but after that I don't know. Xbox losing 4-5 generations in a row probably will make Microsoft "give up"

@armondo36 still anazed at some opinions of 'console' only gamers.

A) What reason for the past decade have you needed to buy an Xbox? Since the XB1 flopped hard and so MS merged Xbox into MS instead of 'quitting' gaming, there has been NO reason to buy an Xbox. PC gamers don't need to buy an Xbox because Xbox is on PC and has been for a decade - All games release Day/Date on Xbox platforms (PC, Console Cloud) so if you have a PC or Xbox hardware, you get Xbox games released on their Xbox Platform Day 1 and can play Day 1 on many devices via streaming - all without needing to buy an Xbox Console specifically. Playstation may get historic games (minecraft, CoD, Doom etc), 'old' games (even if they are remastered/remade, still an old game at its core - Gears remastered, Halo:CE) and Social games (Sea of Thieves, FH5) to build up Online communities but they still have Exclusives (even if timed) like Starfield, Avowed, South of Midnight, Fable, Clockwork Revolution etc...

Also Xbox offer Play Anywhere/Smart Delivery so you get the Xbox version for your Platform (Xbox PC or Console) and Game Pass too is locked to an Xbox platform - Xbox PC, Console or App. So Xbox offers more 'choice' in how you want to play Xbox Products or access Xbox services.

B) the Next Xbox is most likely to be an 'Xbox PC' Windows 11 based device, not subsidised as it won't be locked to Xbox ONLY. But if you want to bring your Xbox Library forward, it will be the ONLY next gen hardware to do so. Chances are, they won't be charging for Online Gaming with Friends (unless they find some way to lock you to their Platform only without at least an Essential tier Subscription) but you won't get ALL Xbox games on Playstation or Xbox services, I doubt they'll offer 3rd Party Platforms like Steam/Epic so a much smaller library - you could play Playstation games on your Xbox PC even if they don't release on a Microsoft owned Platform...

Its a 'choice' but maybe you can stream Xbox games on your old Xbox anyway so don't need to upgrade....

To be honest .. I couldn’t care any less anymore.
I have the feeling Xbox is moving in a direction that I am not interested in. Cloud gaming , handheld play anywhere , bumping up prices of their subs , losing identity or better said , changing its identity.
Good for a new generation but I rather stick with the old approach.

@TheGameThrifter ah the "golden age" of xbox 360 when they had three 1st party franchises and paid other companies to not release games on other platforms. Not to mention a console that flat out didnt work. That era was the golden age of Ubisoft, ea, and Activision but a black eye for xbox.

Blame the failures of xbox one and beyond on whatever you want but the fact is nothing drove people away faster than the 360 that bricked on them shortly after purchasing it.

Doesn't bother me at all. I'm not into gatekeeping.

@BacklogBrad The 360 got 3 year warranties for free. People didn't leave Xbox because of the 360. They started leaving Xbox in 2016 when they started putting everything on PC and telling people they didn't need an Xbox.

@BAMozzy Xbox Series consoles haven't even hit 30 million, where as Xbox One was almost 60 million. The console that tried to steal gamers rights did better than the console that eats monsters for breakfast.

Someone like me, who would normally buy all my games, microtransactions and services through the Xbox store, moving to PlayStation will cost them money. They might get me to buy an Xbox game or two a year, but that's a far cry from the THOUSANDS I would normally spend in their own store.

@Sol4ris Comparing mobile phones isn't even close to apples to apples. Maybe a streaming service like Netflix would be better? If Netflix put all their original shows on Disney, who would subscribe to Netflix? On Disney you'd get all the Disney and Netflix shows, and on Netflix you'd only get Netflix shows.

Not to mention the lack of competition in the console space.
Xbox started to tank in sales drastically last Feb when they held that "just 4 games" meeting. They knew then that they weren't going to have exclusives, but they chose to lie to everyone anyway.

@TheGameThrifter is that why xbox is just this year setting all time records for monthly active users? Because people are "leaving"????

@FuzzieGinge88 They can't sell consoles because they keep telling people not to buy their consoles. They've been saying people don't need an Xbox since 2016...

@FuzzieGinge88 Actually I think they bought ABK to compete with the likes of TenCent and other massive Gaming businesses. After flopping with the XB1, Xbox, a small side project with a handful of Studios and not much 'budget', was merged into Microsoft and became their entire Gaming brand.

That's why ALL their Games also release on their PC platform - some of them actuallyy released 'first' on their PC Platform - Gears Tactics (which was a launch game on Series hardware), Flight Simulator and AoE4 all released on PC before coming to 'Xbox' Consoles months later.

Play Anywhere, Smart Delivery and Game Pass are locked to Xbox Platforms - console and PC. You only get the Xbox PC versions via Play Anywhere or Game Pass PC, not Steam or Epic PC versions and Smart Delivery to deliver the Xbox PC or Console version you are playing on.

Because Xbox is no longer JUST the Console (and hasn't been for years - hence low Console sales) as you don't need an Xbox Console to game on an Xbox Platform (PC or Cloud - inc streaming 'modern' games to last gen Xbox hardware - don't need to buy the Series hardware to play Indiana Jones or Starfield), they also invested heavily in building up their own Studios/IP's - Bethesda and ABK also had their own PC platform and LONG PC history - older than both Xbox and PS - Blizzard have quite a few PC Only IPs. So arguably these purchases weren't about 'Console' and beating 'Sony' on Console sales as NONE of their games are 'exclusive' to the Xbox Console ONLY - they will ALL release on Xbox PC and WoW is PC only anyway so more about Competing on their 'PC' platform against third Party PC platforms like Steam.

ABK games release on PS anyway - or have so far so it was a Purchase for their entire Gaming brand on PC, Console and Cloud - not just their Console, and increase their Gaming revenue to be one of the biggest Gaming Publishers in the world

We all knew it would happen and soon. If not this, then most definitely the next Halo game to feature multiplayer. I don't have a horse in this race, so on a personal level I don't care. From a business and playerbase standpoint, Halo being on PlayStation will only benefit it.

Selling games at full price on Steam? That's an XBOX.

Selling games at full price on PS5? That's an XBOX.

Selling games at full price on Switch 2? That's an XBOX?

Selling microtransactions across all platforms? That's an XBOX?

Subscribing to Game Pass on PC? That's an XBOX.

Subscribing to Game Pass on Series S/X? That's an XBOX?

Subscribing to Game Pass on a PC-handheld (XBOX ROG ALLY)? That's an XBOX.

Subscribing to cloud Game Pass on your phone? That's an XBOX.

Spending money on Candy Crush? That's an XBOX?

Console wars are over. Microsoft struggled to compete with the traditional model of hardware platforms and exclusives. Phil Spencer mentioned that losing the Xbox One generation was critical since most gamers built their libraries on PlayStation. Additionally, the console market has stagnated, while the cost of developing AAA games has more than doubled, leading to lower profit margins.

Xbox has evolved into a multiplatform publisher, and its next home console will be a hybrid model featuring Steam and Game Pass to deliver a "PC experience" and greater flexibility for console gamers. With this hybrid approach, PC gaming is becoming the new console market. Traditional consoles like PlayStation and Switch will need to rely on their loyal fanbase to support their closed ecosystems, which are more costly compared to PC services. Third-party games are more affordable on Steam, key stores, and Game Pass.
Sony and Nintendo, if they lose third-party sales from PC consoles and Steam, will have to depend even more on their loyal fanbases, who are willing to buy exclusive games at full price to generate decent revenue. Nintendo has already been doing this for years, as its relatively weak hardware doesn't support AAA third-party games. Instead, Nintendo relies heavily on its first-party titles and iconic franchises like Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and Pokémon to make most of its profits.

@TheGameThrifter

I have to respectfully disagree, since we are not currently comparing streaming services, but actual hardware. And with hardware there will always be differences, and quality of life improvements, etc to choose one over the other.

@TheGameThrifter Yes and? what has Sales got to do with anything? It doesn't change the fact that the Series Consoles for their entire life cycle have only been 1 'option' to play Xbox Games. Most 'new' gamers aren't playing on Console - PC's are far more affordable and mainstream than they were a decade ago, than they were 25yrs ago when Microsoft neglected their PC platform to bring their PC games and DirectX API to mainstream gamers with affordable and subsidised hardware.

As I said, why buy a Series S or X? Unless you 'prefer' the Console type gaming experience a locked, fixed spec and curated gaming device offers or its the 'best' option for your budget (cheap up front costs for hardware that punches above its price point), its not the 'best' or 'only' option for everyone.

Xbox has been on PC for nearly a decade, however, the XB1 did have a period of time when it was the 'ONLY' Xbox platform and of course cheapest way into the Xbox platform. During that life cycle, Games stopped releasing Exclusively as Xbox was merged into Microsoft - PC gamers that maybe bought an Xbox one for Exclusives, now didn't need to play on it as Xbox was on their 'preferred' platform.

Cloud was still very much in its early days with a much more limited library and wasn't 'great' in many places so XB1 still remained as the Cheap entry point.

Now you don't need a Series S - the 'cheap' entry point - XB1S/X owners can stream the games not released on their XB1 Hardware - Starfield, Indiana etc, play on devices they have, inc any PC/Laptop or many iOS/Android devices. A LOT of PC's will still play the latest games at Console like settings (1080/30 with medium/low graphic setings) and it doesn't cost that much more to match/better a PS5 Pro with an intel DLSS based GPU built in.

So EVERY PC gamer, which has become more affordable and Mainstream over the past 25yrs since Xbox brought PC gaming to a 'mainstream' market doesn't need (or want) a Series console. Steamdeck is a fantastic handheld thar many Kids will go on to play on PC rather than a Console for their big screen hardware of choice. So Xbox PC is their 'Xbox' platform on their PC so can offer Game Pass PC with Day 1 releases on their PC patform.

All that will affect their Series hardware sales. the Majority of Xbox gamers don't want or need the Xbox Console because they play on Xbox (PC or Cloud) without wasting money on a 'console' and whatever additional costs are required. Buy CoD on PC, play it all year no sub costs, buy on Console, still need to pay for a year of Essential subs to play it, play via streaming, yes it may have a monthly fee - but no Hardware costs or additional fees required - just a simple monthly subscription and all those games available to play on whatever hardware you happen to be on at that time.

So explain to me why ANYONE, other than those that 'prefer' a Console or it suits their budget best, would buy a Series console when 'Xbox' is on PC and Cloud too - regardless of whether a few games release Day 1 on Playstation hardware too?

@Markatron84 I wouldn't be surprised if Halo Infinites MP - which is Free to Play on Xbox/PC, doesn't expand onto PS with the release of Halo:CE.

If not the current Halo: Infinite - a 'remake' in UE5 with all the Maps and a 'new' Forge will be released to co-incide with Halo: CE on all platforms - Probably renamed too (Halo: Online) as 'Infinite' may have some stigma or expectation (expect H:I to be remade and released on PS5 too simultaneously) attached to that name.

I do think they'll bring a Halo MP mode to PS to grow their Online community and user base. Maybe that's why its not been mentioned with Halo: CE because Halo MP will be a F2P game on all devices soon...

I’ll probably get it for PS5 Pro. My Series X has collected dust the last year after it and One X being my primary consoles since 2017.

40+ years of consoles relying on exclusive games to make them desirable can't be by chance. And then there's Microsoft, fortunate enough to own one of the most legendary video game protagonists, Master Chief, and they hand him over. They are on a terrible decision streak.

It's been very clear that it's a 3rd party Microsoft gaming so there's no surprise here, it's been rumored by credible folks for a while so really can't be a shock to anyone.

@TheGameThrifter

They can't sell consoles because they keep telling people not to buy their consoles. They've been saying people don't need an Xbox since 2016...

And then you wonder why their sales are so low. Its because Xbox stopped being JUST their Console. All Xbox Games are on their 'Xbox' Platforms, hence EVERY Xbox game is on PC, Console, Cloud. They've stated that at every Show since so is it any wonder that the Console is not as popular.

No-one needs to buy a Series console - unless it offers the best bang for buck to suit your budget (inc the Series S and its performance for its cost) or because you prefer or have a history with the Xbox Console - don't want to be bothered with PC's or Cloud options. So 30m for what is not needed or even wanted by a LOT of gamers as they have or 'prefer' to game on PC or Cloud based devices is quite impressive - even if dwarfed by PS or Switch sales. If you have an RTX5090 based PC, what incentive do you have to buy an Series console at all? Games are 'worse' in performance/graphical quality, probably cost more to play - especially online as that requires a Subscription on Console and even Game Pass Day 1 release tier is much cheaper on PC. Even a 'cheap' PC can play Xbox games - if not natively at playable settings, certainly via streaming - point is there is NO pointi in wasting money on hardware you don't need/want...

My old Student laptop or mobile phone can let me play 'Xbox', and my Gaming Laptop plays Xbox games at series X like Graphics but better frame rates. Much better if I reduce Res or use DLSS. Point is Consoles are expensive and not the ONLY option with Xbox. Cheaper options, not just streaming, but PC's - if your willing to game at 1080p (or lower with FSR on Handheld PC's) and 60fps (or even 30fps on Handhelds) with Console like medium/low settings make the need or desire for an Xbox Console 'obsolete' because Xbox is much bigger than just the Console, Xbox is ON PC and Cloud too...

I won’t even answer this clickbait… Oh well I will:

IT SUXX

I've never really cared about Halo outside of a super casual passing interest, so I don't care. It does, however, signal the Xbox consoles are done for.

Sea of Thieves already did that, but it was just the opening shot. This is the death blow.

I can’t wait for the Pushsquare review: 7/10

@BAMozzy

I do think they'll bring a Halo MP mode to PS to grow their Online community and user base. Maybe that's why its not been mentioned with Halo: CE because Halo MP will be a F2P game on all devices soon.

I certainly wouldn't bet against that. I would also hope that Halo Studios have learned a lesson or two from Infinite; namely, how to adequately and consistently support a F2P live-service game.

The more people get to play it on whatever system they want the better. As long as the game is finished and not a buggy mess. I find console exclusivity to be archaic these days as the consoles are so close together in power and architecture. Plus so many exclusives come to pc sooner or later soooo...just take the jump and release games on all stores.

Don't feel much about Halo specifically, played enough of the series and not really itching for more. Though it does hammer home the point, for me, that having an Xbox moving forward is an unnecessary purchase.

I have an Xbox series X but my main console is my PS5 and I play majority of games on it, and will be picking up Halo on it, but I also think that we are at the point where gaming needs to be on all platforms to survive. Sony releasing and publishing Helldivers 2 on Xbox I hope is a start to more games being ported over to give developers more revenue to keep building amazing games for everyone to enjoy. I think if Sony released the Last of Us and Horizon games, and Spiderman and Ghost of games on Xbox they would have incredible success

@Balaam_ To be fair, SEGA is killing it nowadays, and you could argue their current output rivals that of a first-party publisher. I know I myself am much more interested in SEGA's game lineup at the moment than most of the stuff Nintendo has recently released.

did exclusives sell xbox series x/s consoles no at least xbox knows putting games on ps5 and switch will sell games and make them a lot of money..

Meh.
The only people who really seem to care is some petty Playstation owners because it gives them the opportunity to go nah, nah, nah-nah, nah.

I understand that I am in the minority, but I am done with Microsoft going forward. I just use my Series X as a dvd player and to play older games. My PS5 Pro is my main console now and in the future, it will be a PS6. I vote with my wallet. I don't support almost anything Microsoft is doing these days with the Xbox. I feel there are alot of stupid decisions being made. I don't care how smart it is on their end, I am speaking as an ex-customer of the Xbox brand. Halo going to PS5 is the nail in the coffin. The brand has gotten so political with their messages and it's gotten pathetic. Microsoft is now trash. Happy gaming.

@Romans12 You’re actually not that much in the minority. Quite a lot of Xbox fans are turning their backs on Microsoft right now for the exact same reasons you mentioned. It’s pretty obvious on many forums and social networks.

I'm good with this "Halo: Campaign Evolved" game releasing on also on PS5, next to Xbox and PC. The 4-player cross-platfrom coop sounds awesome. I actually agree with @BacklogBrad & @Bobarino that Halo Infinite (and maybe MCC) should release on PS5 as well. I have some PS5-only friends (one of them was a big Halo fan during the og Xbox era) and having a Halo multiplayer game to connect again would be great for us. Maybe a PS5 release of Infinite and a good sales numbers might have made some campaign DLC expansion and a satisfying story closure possible.

But what I don't like about this new "Halo 1 remake", based on the released footage, it's that it is again basically a re-skin of Halo 1, even though we already have the Halo Anniversary Edition. It has the exact same level layout, same enemy and item placements, same mechanics as Halo 1, only with the addition of a sprint. For veteran Halo players this isn't a new experience. Also while Unreal Engine 5 looks awesome at a glance, the shown footage was stuttering badly in motion. I hope they can fix the stuttering somehow.

I only got a Series S because I wanted to play Xbox exclusives. Now when my Gamepass Ultimate sub expires next year, I'll sell it and continue playing Xbox games on my PS5

@Netret0120 In my opinion people should be able to play games on their preferred platform. Not be held hostage on a console via exclusives. Either way Microsoft will earn money, no matter where you play. 😉

Watching Microsoft throw Xbox owners under the bus whilst proclaiming everything is an X-Box has got to be some of the most anti consumer bs ever conceived. I'm glad all their first party games are being developed for other platforms, as we can all play them on our Xbox of choice, most likely a PS6 when it releases.

I look at it like this, Halo and even Gears are not going to generate the revenue they need to be successful on just the Xbox. They want these games to be huge hits and the only way it’s going to happen is by putting it on the platforms with the most users. Xbox lost the console war. 🤷🏼‍♂️

As a Xbox user it's sad watching a product I invested in die. As a halo fan I'm happy I will be able to play it on the ps6

Short term it does not affect me. I don't care what other people can and cannot play.

Long term - much more likely that I will switch to Playstation for next gen.

To be honest i don't miss out if any or all games go to playstation, i still get them on xbox which is where i main on console. More platforms means more money, more money may mean studios remain safe because the profit is higher. More players means more support for games and for longer.

As long as i get to play on my xbox this gen and next gen then i lose nothing really, and the coop and pvp player pool is expanded. I play every system each gen and have all 4 but xbox will always be my main console for all games.

Is Xbox dead? No.
Is the Xbox console dead? I think so.

With this Microsoft is giving people no reason to buy the next Xbox if they can play their games anywhere. I bought a series X specifically for Hellblade. Now I can get that (and everything else) on PS5, so I've got no reason to buy a new Xbox when I love the playstation exclusives - especially with gamepass being so expensive

Microsoft really needed to tier their multiplat strategy.
Tier 1 IPs (Halo and Gears in my opinion) - only ever on Xbox and PC
Tier 2 IPs (smaller games like double fine ones) - 1 year exclusive window and we'll then announce If they come to others
Tier 3 IPs (call of duty and elder scrolls) - multiplat from day 1.

I suspect Microsoft's new strategy will be to have the most powerful console in the next gen, so it appeals to hardcore gamers only who are willing to may the get the BEST version of a game. I think that's a big risk and won't pan out positively.
If they held out one more generation I think they could have hooked everyone in Gamepass (at the old pricing) and then doubled down on cloud

I'm cool with it. Makes no difference to me in the slightest.

When will people finally understand that Xbox fans are far more mature than the toxic PlayStation community? But let’s be clear — we’re talking about a remake here, just like Gears of War: Reloaded, which came out over a decade ago. It’s obvious that Xbox is sticking to a strategy of timed exclusivity for new IPs, while sequels — like Forza Horizon 6, for example — follow a different path.

It’s all part of the plan: introduce the franchise to new players, and once they’re hooked, steer them toward the Xbox ecosystem if they want to play future installments on day one.

The Xbox ecosystem remains far more advantageous across the board — with Game Pass, Xbox Play Anywhere, and day-one access to new releases — rather than paying full price two years later for a single-device experience.

@SodaPop6548
It may or may not be dead. But finally the right thing is happening in gaming.

Buying hardware should not be about which games I can and cannot play. Buying hardware should be about the hardware specs and the platform services provided with hardware.

And honestly I don't think XB is dead. There is a loyal following to the console of about 35 mln gamers. With them including other stores in the future releases, I expect some of PC gamers to buy the next console too. If anything next generation, I expect a modest improvement on XB sales. As a PC gamer if you could get a mid-range gaming rig for $1,000 you would probably jump in.

Xbox died 2 years ago.

This is just like seeing all the Sega exclusives on Xbox.

The only difference is MS stringing certain gullible fans along. We're making another console, IM SUPER SERIAL YOU GUYS!

The only sad part for me is that xbox seems to be following playstation/nintendo down that route where they keep re-releasing games that were already updated. They expect us to be wallets out excited for another marginal update. Even with gamepass not making me buy this game, it is only getting a meh from me on excitement levels.

@NeoRatt what is the selling point for Xbox? I don’t think there is one, truth be told. I get that desire to have all games everywhere, I’m not even saying it’s wrong per se, but why on earth would anyone buy an Xbox anymore?

@BAMozzy Majority didn't stop playing Xbox to play on a tablet or phone or whatever. Xbox's games lost mystique. Once they went other places the games stopped being designed specifically for the console and console gamer. And it was honestly mostly for nothing.
What Xbox games have done well on PC? Starfield and Sea Of Thieves.
What games have tanked completely on PC? Probably too many to list, but I'll try.
Gears 5, Gears Reloaded, Forza Horizon 5, Hi-Fi Rush, Halo Infinite, Pentiment, Grounded, Avowed, Indiana Jones, Doom The Dark Ages, Quantum Break, Crackdown 3, South Of Midnight, Keeper, Ninja Gaiden 4, Psychonaughts 2 and the list goes on and on of failed PC ports.

The only thing it did was kill the perception of Xbox in general.

@fatpunkslim This is not true at all. The reason some games haven't launched day and date on PlayStation is because they were already too far in development for just Xbox. Everything in the future will launch at the same time. Microsoft isn't steering anyone towards Xbox at this point.

@NeoRatt Seriously? Xbox Series sales are under 30 million currently. They are being outsold month to month by the first Switch, which is so weird. Xbox is selling Wii U numbers currently.
If they come out with some weird PC thing next gen and it's over $1000, you honestly expect 35 million people to buy one? They couldn't get 35 million people to buy a Series S and it was often on sale for $199!

Competition is great for the industry. Look back to the PS3/360 era. Xbox 360 had a lower price and it forced Sony to drop prices. Sony added games to PS+ and that forced Microsoft to add Games With Gold. Xbox 360 had Gears and Halo and Sony countered with Uncharted and Killzone 2. Having companies compete for our money is beneficial for everyone, it breeds innovation.

@Alexface The problem is that graphics are diminishing returns currently. Xbox Series X was the most powerful and people largely ignored it. Not to mention developers optimize better for the PS5 because that's the console that is more popular, so power didn't really get used, and in fact the weaker PS5 came out on top in a lot of games by comparison.

@Sol4ris Yes, Xbox Series X was the stronger hardware and people ignored it.

Series S was the cheapest hardware and people ignored it.

To believe people will buy an Xbox next gen when it offers ZERO games to differentiate themselves from the competition is insanity. People wouldn't buy a $199 Series S and yet you believe some feature in a $1000+ Xbox/PC thing is going to sell people on one?

I think that Xbox, as a platform, is dead. But the brand still exists and will continue to do so as a multi-platform editor.

Just like Sega. That's life.

We got Sonic games on Nintendo consoles, nowadays. So, this is the same situation, here.

I'll keep and protect my Series X, as I still love this console, its UI, its ecosystem. But I won't buy another Xbox console, if ever any.

@TheGameThrifter
Who says they are only come out with one model next generation? I was talking about would appeal to gamers wanting the latest tech. I am positive they will also have a lower range device for casuals.

You look at current console prices and with the new tarriff laden world created by the USA, I doubt we will see new consoles for anything less then $700 on the low side.

I should clarify that I am canadian and am talking in terms of Canadian pricing. Typically USA pricing is $100-200 cheaper.

@SodaPop6548
The selling point I think next generation is quality/security/broadness of the gaming network, broadness of games that it can play (PC, XB, Stream), being able to choose game stores, value of GamePass (Activision, Blizzard, Bethesda, and XGS), and hopefully the best platform, performance, and variety of hardware choice as compared to competitors.

Also, I could see the big gaming hardware vendors such as Dell Alienware, HP Omen, ASUS ROG, etc. all switching their gaming PCs over to the new XB hardware. Giving console gamers tons of choice on configuration of their devices and PC gamers a simpler PC to maintain.

@neoratt Truthfully I hope you are right. I like Xbox, obviously, but they have lost the plot IMHO. I also disagree Gamepass has the value you refer to anymore. At least for me, it’s cheaper to buy the games I’d like to play. I don’t have the time to play enough games to justify the price any longer.

Don't care. Seriously, literally, do not care.

I'm fine with it being on any platform, they want more money/audience reach sure.

As long as the development is not a mess. FM8 or 23 or reboot is just a disappointment and unless I see much point I won't buy it unless it's decent. I'll get it when it's cheaper and give it a go but I'm not that excited for it right now. It's getting fixes/updates sure but I'm just not enjoying it much. Even FM6 while different the showcases were the only motivation for me, the core game just wasn't for me to remix how 5 was, 5 and 6 I don't like as much as 1 to 4 but still their structures were more compelling to me. PGR2 is restrictive but was more fun then FM6 was to me, not looking forward to GT7's progression, sigh.

As long as they balance how levels are. What they fix, add, remove or fix of padding in forerunner structures.

I'm interested, even Dualsense support (Impulse triggers are great on Xbox as well) but it's what they choose to do with it.

What length matters to people. To me not as much but it matters to many people.

I like quality, it's why I enjoy quality linear games ideas to showcase movesets/level design but games vary these days so eh. It's why no matter how old OG Xbox games or otherwise are I still enjoy their ideas regardless of how varied their weight are (I hate heavy characters unless it's Killzone or racing games or other odd games, most I find awful in modern games), I usually prefer floaty characters, not too floaty but just enough.

That or it's things to do.

I am enjoying many PS3/360/Wii shooters or even PS2/OG Xbox/GameCube ones due to their special weapons or movesets/abilities or level design. Making them fun.

Singularity has been a lot of fun.

TimeShift was fair.

Psi Ops is fun.

Titanfall 2 was fun.

Those things matter to me a lot when playing a game. Halo is good but it's what they do with it.

@TheGameThrifter
Yes I completely agree! It's a flawed strategy, which I think will bite them later.

Why do I get the feeling that this article is meant to upset me? Am I really supposed to have an opinion on everything?

Things in life change, I will enjoy gaming regardless of this. Hope the PS5 people who haven't played Halo before enjoy it. Other than that, I will keep on enjoying my own gaming, be that on my xbox, switch, 3ds, pc or whatever I decide using in the future.

I love gaming since I was 6 and started on an Atari 2600. It's been 30+ years, but you know what? at the end of the day it's just gaming, I ain't gonna get upset over behemoth companies and their strategies. I got more important things to worry about quite honestly.

I'd suggest the same to you all, enjoy gaming, ask yourself how important really are some of these things if they are truly upsetting you? Would you get upset if you favourite local food joint started growing and they sold the same in the neighbouring town too? Would you get upset if your favourite "streamer" (if you got one") changed platforms? Would you really get upset if your local supermarket stopped selling your favourite drink, but you could still buy it somewhere else (even if a it further away)? etc. etc. I mean, in some of these nope and in others, more than the initial annoyed sigh and rant, I wouldn't truly get upset.

Lifes goes on, gamer fellows...life goes on.

@GameOverScreen Meanwhile the PureXbox review will be 10/10 😉

Getting used to it now, even though I dont agree with the choice. All I can say is I won't be buying another Xbox next gen. Ill keep my s since I've purchased quite a bit on it, but I'm not going to continue buying into the brand. Ill just get xbox games on nintendo as they games come to that platform.

I dont mind it at all. I have never been one for console wars, so spreading the love across all platforms is a good thing. I buy all consoles, so now I can buy games for whichever platform I feel best suites that game.

I think it also forces platform makers to prioritize unique features in hardware and software to sell, which is pro consumer. (ie. Sony's controllers this time are amazing, but the PS5 lacks the multigame resume feature of the xbox which is huge for me)

I don't like it, but what are we going to do about it? LOL. MS wants to make more money and there's no justification for exclusives that beats it in an argument. Besides, we knew it was coming — the rumor & "news" mill taunts these type of things daily.

I don't care what they do... I just play games

Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard was a huge mistake, it is, so far Phil Spencer's biggest mistake. Phil Spencer and the Xbox executive team thought GamePass subscriptions would sky rocket and it truly hasn't. So Microsoft needs to recoup all $70 billion and regain it fast. Going multi platform, raising the price of GamePass along with games, going with a hybrid/console next gen machine that can play games from multiple fronts.

It's a net positive for gamers but another foot in the grave for Xbox as a brand.

I feel slapped in the face for being a long time Xbox fan.

Doesn't really bother me really.

With online multiplayer/co-op games, the more players the better IMO. I play a lot of Overwatch and before they added cross-play, the queue times were horrendous sometimes; so long that the queue time would often be longer than the match itself.

From a business POV, I think exclusives are absolutely a necessary part of selling hardware, but MS have been backed into a corner and forced to pretend like they don't matter.

The main thing that concerns me is the future of Xbox consoles. Being able to carry the bulk of my games library forwards across generations has been great, and many games have had free upgrades/enhancements too, but I have almost zero confidence in MS to continue producing hardware that allows that - or even producing hardware full stop, past the next generation.

End of an era, they're clearly lost the console war and they make all their cash and MASSIVE profits with software, they should just become a publisher first and produce hardware second because that is just where they're at. They crush Sony and Nintendo on revenue but still suffer on game quality and studio management in comparison. Yes I know good titles come from them, I've enjoyed them for many years.

I don't mind as it doesn't stop us from playing it; also we've had the original versions of 1-5 and infinite the who time 🤣 Hope the enjoy it and see what they have been missing 👍Speaking of series PS fans only have one of, Gear 5 Hive Busters was GREAT, why the hell haven't we had a sequel to that?!?

@CadErik Don't be it will be Great!!

@cross717 Only that they sold xbox's soul to MS for the money and now ms want it back to pay for the great ai sinkhole ($13 billion last quater) otherwise it was the move XBox needed, have you not notice since they bought them, it's not 'xbox have no games' anymore, it's xbox put out 5-6 more games that Playstation is now a year 🤣👍Which is a perfect cadadence and there was no way they were going to be able to do it without them

@TheGameThrifter Maybe $1000 dollars US as tariffs will most likely still be in place but, £800 uk, to play PC games too, well i have plenty steam and gog games i have bought over time and never much played but if i could on a console....Well i'm in!!
But Price is decided last to my understanding so this is all to early to be sure and sounds a lot like the usual pre pre launch times of consoles where no one knows anything but rumours sure are FUN!! 🤣

@FuzzieGinge88 Think they bought Activsion for 2 fold reasons, one needed games (this has worked) two stop Tencent from getting them and who else could have afforded it? Anyone happy Saudi Arabia bought EA?

@NeoRatt in the uk PS5 Pro is £700, who think the next gen of either system will be less than that and why? They would have to dicontinue the pro or reduce it, even then, i don't think so

Yes, absolutely right. They do have more games than before. And they have invested $80 billion in AI that most people don't want. We, the people know AI is going to take away our jobs.

Microsoft and Nadella are hell bent on not losing the AI 'war' as they lost the search war to Google. I think I'll be buying Playstation 6 next and go back to Sony as they seem to know what they are doing.

@cross717 Your call but they haven't for the last 2 years; chasing the live service dollar means only one first party game a year for the last two years!! When this happened to xbox it was all "Xbox has no games" but now it's happened to playstation, no a peep, Xbox Tax i'd say (just means PS have more fans than xbox and so have more Fanatics than xbox fans just by numbers)

@BattleMonkey They're saying $1200-$1400 and basically it's just a PC. That doesn't help push people towards Xbox, it pushes them away.

@TheGameThrifter who are 'they' because they are not Xbox, so it's just rumours, look up past console releases and rumours, they were well out 2 years before release, so this most likely is too