With Microsoft bringing Halo: The Master Chief Collection to PC, a wide swath of gamers who haven’t owned Xbox consoles will get to experience numerous Halo games for the first time. The Master Chief Collection, which originally launched in 2014, contains the first three sequential Halo games and Halo 3: ODST.
To celebrate their arrival on PC, Microsoft is also adding Halo: Reach. Reach is actually the first game in the series timeline, so it’s fitting that it will join The Master Chief Collection on PC. Don’t worry, Xbox One users. Halo: Reach is also being added to the Xbox One edition. The campaign and firefight will be paid DLC on Xbox One, but the multiplayer will come as a free update.
No release date has been set for Halo: Reach on Xbox One, but Microsoft and 343 Industries will host a beta for both Xbox One and PC users. Here’s how to get into the Halo: Reach beta.
Register as a Halo Insider
Only Halo Insiders will gain access to the private beta. Becoming a Halo Insider is free and a simple process. Simply sign into your Microsoft account and enter the required information here. If you’re a new Halo Insider, you must verify the email address you enter to complete the process. 343 Industries notes that often this confirmation email filters to your junk/spam folder.
PC users need to upload extra information
If you’re on Xbox One, you won’t need to enter any additional information after becoming a Halo Insider. PC users, however, need to upload their DxDiag and link the Insider account with their Steam ID. Your DxDiag is the DirectX Diagnostic Tool that helps to test video and sound functions on your PC, as well as troubleshoot any issues that may arise. You’ll be asked to run the DxDiag.exe file and then upload the text file results to the site. The text file results inform Microsoft about your rig.
343 will host multiple “flights”
The Halo: Reach beta is designed to examine KPIs (key performance indicators) to help the developers fix any issues that may crop up before launch. Seeing as the original launch of The Master Chief Collection was plagued with online connectivity problems, it makes sense that 343 and Microsoft want to be diligent with the testing.
For that reason, Microsoft is conducting multiple “flights.” This means that you may not get into the beta when it kicks off, but according to Microsoft, “Your time will come.”
The beta might start before the end of April
After signing up, you’ll have to play the waiting game. According to a recent post from 343, the beta could begin on Xbox One and PC by the end of the month, provided that “everything goes to plan.”
