Microsoft continues to blur lines between its Xbox One and PC players with the Xbox Game Pass, and no reveal signals this change more than Halo: The Master Chief Collection finally coming to PC. With Master Chief’s tale being exposed to a new audience, the developers are adding a chapter that was missing from the collection with Halo: Reach coming to both PC and Xbox One players. For those awaiting the release, 343 Industries previously said it could go live for select players later this month if “everything goes according to plan.”
But it appears those plans could be changing. According to a new blog post by 343 Industries, the flighting for Halo: Reach may take longer than initially anticipated. Earlier we reported that flights could happen as soon as this month but there’s a possibility that might not be the case. The developer explains that while the version geared for Xbox is “looking and playing great already,” internal builds for PC still need some work. Bugs and the full UI/remap key functionality are currently on 343’s list of items to address before the Halo: Reach beta launches to the public.
343 Industries occasionally tests games via “flights,” which are technical or alpha tests limited to its Insider community. These allow the team to test very specific key performance indicators (KPIs), giving them an opportunity to iron out unexpected kinks before a full release of the game.
Halo: Reach is the sixth entry in the Halo franchise, but takes things back to events that took place before Halo: Combat Evolved. The planet Reach is on the verge of destruction at the hands of the Covenant, and players take on the role of a member of Noble Team, an elite supersoldier squad that was dispatched to investigate the planet.
Current owners of Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One will get Halo: Reach’s multiplayer content, including Forge and Theater, automatically. The campaign and firefight modes will be available as premium DLC, but it will all be collected together for those that play the collection via the Xbox Game Pass subscription. The updated version will run at 60 frames per second and 4K, while also including the feature that allows the individual delivery of campaign or multiplayer content like other titles in the collection. We reviewed the Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and declared it a “superb remastering of all four games.” The addition of Halo: Reach should give new and existing Halo players access to the best versions of highly coveted Halo entries.
If you want to put yourself in the best position to receive an invite to the Halo: Reach test on either Xbox One or PC, there are a few steps you have to take. First and foremost, you have to be registered as a Halo Insider. If you’re new, make sure you verify your email address. PC users will also have to upload their DxDiag on the Halo Insider website and link their account to their Steam ID.
Updated on April 18, 2019: 343 Industries blog post reveals that Halo: Reach beta could be delayed.
