Halo: The Master Chief Collection Offers Cross-Progression With Xbox

Halo developer 343 Industries took part in a Reddit AMA back in March to talk all things Halo: The Master Chief Collection. It was confirmed then that progression will carry over from the Xbox version of the collection to the PC. However, last week the developer confirmed that the door does indeed swing both ways. The game will support cross-progression, allowing you to continue your game on either platform.

Community director Brian Jarrard confirmed the feature on Twitter. He wrote that everything will carry over, including “progression, unlocks, stats, etc.” between Xbox and PC. In other words, you could start your playthrough of Halo 3 on PC, then continue it later on console, if you wish. I’m already imagining going from my computer chair to my bed to keep playing on my HDTV.

Additionally, while Jarrard didn’t outright promise cross-play, it is a feature the team is now considering. This is a different stance than the one taken during the AMA in March. Back then, 343 confirmed that there would be no cross-play between the different platforms. At the time, Jarrard wrote that the developer was more focused on getting the games up and running with a keyboard and mouse setup. And, of course, that the games ran well at a higher resolution and improved framerate. Clearly, some good progress has been made for the developer if cross-play is back on the docket.

Progression, unlocks, stats, etc.. will carry over between PC/console. In terms of playing together crossplatform, currently not planned for launch but it's something the team is accounting for and will evaluate over time.

— Brian Jarrard (@ske7ch) May 2, 2019

Reach for the Stars

We still don’t know when the PC version of Halo: The Master Chief Collection will arrive. The stars are telling us that it will be available sometime this year. It will release in parts, with Halo: Reach first out of the gate, followed by the rest soon after. However, it doesn’t appear that the developer is rushing to get the games out either. Clearly, the team is taking its time to make sure that it’s done right. Which, to put it cheekily, is a far better effort than what was given the console release.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection will arrive on PC via Steam this year. You won’t need an Xbox LIVE Gold subscription to play, only a Microsoft account.