Halo’s move to Unreal Engine 5 would make it easier for developer Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries) to bring Xbox’s flagship first-person shooter to multiple platforms, including a release on PlayStation 5according to technology experts.
In statements to EurogamerDigital Foundry head Richard Leadbetter said moving to Unreal 5 makes cross-platform development easier compared to the current Slipspace engine.
“It is logical that an engine designed for its deployment on multiple platforms easier to use than technology created for Xbox and PC,” Leadbetter said.
The new releases have been well received
Although Microsoft’s cross-platform gaming push has seen the likes of Rare’s Sea of Thieves and Obsidian’s Grounded make the jump to PlayStation 5, the company has yet to announce any Halo games for a console other than Xbox.
Despite the reaction from some die-hard Xbox fans, Microsoft’s cross-platform push appears to have been a success. Sea of Thieves, for example, topped Sony’s sales chart earlier this year, and Xbox boss Phil Spencer has said the company’s franchises are stronger to head to PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.
In fact, More releases are coming for PlayStation 5like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, although a few months after MachineGames’ adventure arrives on PC and Xbox, and Doom: The Dark Ages, from id Software. Could Halo be next?
In August, Spencer stated that Xbox’s cross-platform push is due in part to the need to contribute more money to Microsoft’s video game businesswhich is now forced to surrender after acquiring Call of Duty developer Activision Blizzard for $69 billion last year.
“We run a business,” Spencer said. “It is true that within Microsoft we have the bar very high in terms of what we have to offer the company. Because we receive a level of support of the company that is simply incredible.
“So I look at this, how can we make our games as strong as possible? Our platform continues to grow, on console, on PC and in the cloud. It will be a strategy that works for us“.
So far, Microsoft has used games released over a year ago for its cross-platform push rather than entirely new games, but that will change soon with the release of Indiana Jones. The most spectacular move would be to bring Halo to PlayStation, given the shooter’s symbiotic relationship with Xbox. But would Microsoft carry it out? As Peter Moore, former head of Xbox, recently told IGN, Microsoft would be debating whether to bring Halo to PlayStation right now.
The move from Halo to Unreal comes amid a tumultuous time for Xbox, which this year has seen 2,550 layoffs in the video game division and the closure of several studios. Meanwhile, Xbox Series its potentially wavering commitment to exclusives and the console business.
