According to a report posted on VGC (good site that, you should read it), there's a possibility that Xbox's big new shooter, Halo Infinite, could skip an Xbox One release and focus exclusively on Microsoft's imminently available next-gen console, the Xbox Series X.
VGC cites Reddit user 'Sponger', who has a record of correctly revealing Xbox news (so we're told). Said leaker claims that Halo Infinite developers 343 Industries aren't yet able to get the game running at 1080p on the Xbox One S, writing:
"[The] current version of Halo Infinite on Xbox One S is nowhere near 1080p (even lower than 900p) and is having serious asset loading issues (much worse that you have seen on PC demo)."
Advert
It stands to reason that if 343 can't get Infinite running to a suitable standard on the outgoing hardware, they might not release the game for the One range at all - even if they are able to run the game on the more powerful Xbox One X.
'Sponger' continues, detailing what 343 are considering in order to get Infinite clicking on the most basic of Xbox One consoles:
"Idea is to change at the engine level how assets load, make RT as default (improve/unlock some assets), improve geometry, post-processing and add more CPU bound interactivity."
Advert
If Halo Infinite was to skip current-gen machines, that'd be hugely disappointing for Xbox, who had announced that their in-development first-party titles, for the next couple of years, would release for both Xbox One and Series X. They've announced a handful of next-gen exclusives since then, but Infinite was always pegged as a One and Series X cross-gen title.
But we do know the game has... problems, certainly. It was delayed from a 2020 release into 2021 earlier in August, and senior folk at Xbox were even considering slicing Infinite into separate pieces so that something could release this side of Christmas, alongside the Series X console. Infinite's gameplay reveal during July's Xbox Games Event stream had some questioning just how 'next-gen' it seemed to be - and 343 themselves admitted in the wake of that reception that the game needed further work.
And 'Sponger' adds that Xbox is up for delaying Halo Infinite further still, to 2022, if 343 Industries can't get it to where the game needs to be, before then. They write: "It's pretty messy up there with decisions, but they are convinced that they need to make the best Halo game ever."
Advert
I'm pretty sure that most Halo fans will happily wait however long is necessary if the result is, indeed, the best game the series has ever seen. But it can't be stressed enough how unfortunate it is that one of Xbox's flagship franchises won't be hitting stores around the same time as its new console (or even in its relatively immediate wake). There's no doubt that'll have a number of buyers delaying their purchases - something that could see PlayStation steal a considerable commercial lead for a second generation in a row.
Featured Image Credit: Xbox Game Studios / 343 IndustriesTopics: Halo, Xbox One, Xbox, Xbox Series X, 343 Industries, Halo Infinite