Halo: Campaign Evolved launches with cross-platform support on Xbox, PlayStation, and PC

It's a big day for Halo, as Halo: Campaign Evolved launches today, July 23, in early access. Beyond the excitement that normally surrounds the launch of a new Halo game, the release is especially notable because today will also be remembered as the day Halo finally came to PlayStation after more than two decades of console exclusivity on Xbox. The sci-fi series debuted in 2001 as a launch title for the original Xbox, and the franchise has been exclusive, at least on console, to Xbox ever since--until today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sUil_Tj_OQ Why now? Why is Halo now, after all these years, finally coming to PlayStation? According to developers, the aim is to "bring players back together" and help the franchise reach new audiences. “There are people who have never been exposed to Halo. Maybe they’ve always been on Sony products, switched consoles at a certain point, or just missed it at the time. We want to bring players back together,” executive producer Damon Conn said. Creative director Max Szlagor added that, “Halo is best played when we have a large, healthy community.” Releasing Halo: Campaign Evolved on PS5 is a “way to grow, expand, and reconnect the Halo community,” Szlagor said. “We want to honor the Halo legacy on PlayStation, and we’re paving the way to expand our Halo universe–that’s how we see it,” Conn added. “And it’s not a small thing. We don’t, and we won’t, take it lightly. We definitely feel the weight of it.” Also, money That all may be true, but another factor at play here is money. Microsoft bringing Halo to PlayStation is also a way to make more money, and that's important for Xbox given how unhealthy the business is currently. Microsoft's new multiplatform strategy has already helped Microsoft generate hundreds of millions of dollars bringing its games to PS5, so it's not surprising to see Microsoft bring another major franchise to a rival console. The pivot to releasing Xbox games on rival consoles came from the Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond days, and now that they are gone, new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has suggested the company will return to more exclusives. Halo veteran Brian Jarrard said in 2025 that Halo games will be on PlayStation going forward, so Campaign Evolved may not be the last Halo game on a Sony console. Whether or not Sharma and her team could change this, however, remains to be seen. What Halo games are coming next? Years ago, Microsoft announced that multiple new Halo games were in development at Halo Studios, and they will be developed using Epic's Unreal Engine. Halo: Campaign Evolved is the only one that's been announced, but Halo 2 and Halo 3 remakes are reportedly also in the works. Beyond those, a report said Microsoft is working on a new live-service Halo game. For more on Campaign Evolved, check out GameSpot's breakdown of how to play with your friends across platforms. Campaign Evolved's early access starts today for people who buy the game's $70 premium edition. The standard edition ($50) unlocks on July 28. Game Pass members get the game with their subscription, but they can buy a $20 upgrade to the premium edition to start playing today. Campaign Evolved is a remake of the original Halo, with improved graphics and features. It also includes new prequel missions. However, there is no multiplayer.

With Halo: Campaign Evolved's early access period set to kick off on July 23, you may be wondering just how to enable cross-platform play so you and your fellow Spartans can kick grunt butt across PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. Well, the process is actually super simple, so let us break it down for you right here. As outlined in a July 22 blog on the Halo Waypoint site, playing this Halo remake with your friends is easy. All you have to do is know their Gamertag or Username, search for and add it to your Xbox friends list--either on the Xbox site, from the Xbox Game Bar, or in the Xbox mobile app--then add them to your party from the "Cross-Platform Friends" list of the "Play Co-op" menu when they're online. And just like that, you're playing Halo: Campaign Evolved with your friends on a platform other than an Xbox. Weird times we're living in, but it really is that simple. It's worth noting that you don't get immediate access to Halo: Campaign Evolved's early access just by buying the game. As is customary with these sorts of things, you’ll need to preorder the $70 Premium Edition to get into the early access pool. If you have preordered the $50 Standard Edition, you can upgrade to the Premium Edition to gain early access, but that will run your wallet $20, bringing the total to the Premium Edition price. And if you got it via Xbox Game Pass, you can upgrade to the Premium Edition for $20. Preordering either version nets you the Foundry Armory Pack, which comes with legendary looks for Master Chief's iconic Mark V Mjolnir armor. Opting for the Premium Edition comes with some extra goodies, though, such as a digital artbook and short story, as well as the game manual and five additional Master Chief armor skins and six weapon skins. Halo: Campaign Evolved will launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on July 28--and it's a day-one release on Xbox Game Pass. Be sure to check out the release times so you can be ready for when the game officially comes out.

Microsoft's next big game is Halo: Campaign Evolved, which launches at the end of July for Xbox, PlayStation, and PC. Ahead of that, Microsoft has published the official release times for the game, which begins with early access on July 23. Read on to find out exactly when Halo: Campaign Evolved release where you live. Microsoft also published preloading info and PC specs. Halo: Campaign Evolved early access release times July 23 8 AM PT 11 AM ET 4 PM GMT July 24 12 AM JST 1 AM AEST 3 AM NZST Halo: Campaign Evolved global release times July 28 8 AM PT 11 AM ET 4 PM GMT July 29 12 AM JST 1 AM AEST 3 AM NZST Halo: Campaign Evolved is launching soon. To get the five days of early access, people need to buy the game's $70 Premium edition or the $200 collector's edition--however, the CE is currently sold out. Campaign Evolved is included with Xbox Game Pass, but subscribers don't get it until July 28. They can, however, pay $20 for an upgrade to get early access. Preloading Like with any exciting new release, players want to get started the moment they can, and preloading helps support that. Preloading for Campaign Evolved begins July 22 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET. Here is the full schedule, as shared by Halo Studios: July 22, 8:00 a.m. PDT Xbox Series X|S: Collector’s Edition, Premium Edition, Standard Edition Windows PC: Premium Edition, Standard Edition PlayStation 5: Collector’s Edition, Premium Edition July 23, 8:00 a.m. PDT Steam: Standard Edition July 26, 8:00 a.m. PDT PlayStation 5: Standard Edition PC Requirements Additionally, Halo Studios published the PC hardware requirements for Halo: Campaign Evolved. You can see the minimum specs below, along with medium, high, and ultra settings in the graphic. CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 or Intel Core i7-10700K GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Super / AMD Radeon RX 6600 / Intel Arc A580 VRAM: 8 GB RAM: 16 GB Storage: 100 GB SSD OS: Windows 10 22H2 64-bit or Windows 11 Halo: Campaign Evolved is a remake of the 2001 original Halo: Combat Evolved, and it's releasing this year for the franchise's 25th anniversary. It's coming to Xbox Series X|S and PC, as well as PlayStation 5, marking the franchise's debut on a PlayStation platform after more than two decades of exclusivity on Xbox. See at Amazon In addition to better graphics and updated features, Halo: Campaign Evolved includes Operation: Meteorite, which is a set of three prequel missions. For more, check out GameSpot's Halo: Campaign Evolved buying guide.