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Halo Infinite to be natively developed for the Xbox Series X

For anyone that was wondering whether Halo Infinite was being built for Xbox One and Scaled up or Xbox Series X and scaled back, here is your answer. The Optimized for Series X badge is fairly all encompassing and also includes natively developed games that will be on both generations of consoles. That being said, I'm really curious as to how this affects the game on both consoles and what features the Xbox Series X version will have over the Xbox One version of the game. This makes me think they will have significant differences, however, I feel cross-gen multiplayer will be somewhat limited. I'm sure we will find out more closer to the end of July, but I'm optimistic.

Games featuring the Optimized for Xbox Series X badge can showcase anything from virtually eliminating load times via the Xbox Velocity Architecture, heightened visuals and hardware-accelerated DirectX raytracing powered by our custom, next generation GPU, to steadier and often higher framerates up to 120fps. Titles displaying the Optimized for Xbox Series X badge can include:

  • Brand new games built natively for the Xbox Series X such as Halo Infinite.
  • Previously released titles in which a developer has enhanced their title using the Xbox Series X development environment to dramatically leverage the power and features Xbox Series X has to offer, like Gears 5.
Let’s take a closer look at what you’ll be getting when you’re playing a game that’s been Optimized for Xbox Series X:

 
Y
Either there’s two different Games or it just means they developed the XSX version alongside the X1 as opposed to porting it at the end.

Language.
Yeah.
I mean the best case scenario is that they have nothing similar to each other. But I doubt that. No one has yet suggested there are two separate teams making the game.
 

-Arcadia-

Banned
I think this just means that it’s a new game, and uses Series X, as opposed to the other example shown, old games being reworked and reengineered to take advantage of the platform.

It doesn’t seem to decisively mean that Infinite was developed with the Series X specifically in mind as the only consideration, unfortunately.

To be fair, if it was, we probably wouldn’t be seeing it for another two years. Cross-gen is the only reason we have a Halo for launch day, and getting a Series X version with every single extra bell and whistle is a pretty awesome get. : )
 

JimiNutz

Banned
Built the game natively on XSX.... But still has to run on original XB1 hardware.

The gap between the original XB1 hardware and XSX is so fucking huge that I can't even begin to imagine what this game is gonna look like and run like on that original XB1 hardware.
 

Daneel Elijah

Gold Member
Maybe some parts of Halo Infinite that are playable in Xbox SX will be in cinematics in Xbox One? That way there is an incentive to upgrade to the SX and most people who will play it on Xbox One will still have almost everything ? For example a section in which we control a spaceship that would not be possible with a HDD ? Either way that game will have a lot to do: swan song for the Xbox One, help sell Xbox SX and do great on both.
 

01011001

Banned
my prediction is that the Xbox One version will either have no splitscreen or limited splitscreen for 2 players while Series X will have 4p splitscreen.

also in the campaign there might be loading where there is none on Series X.

there won't be a massive difference in its design
 

V4skunk

Banned
I picture a game designed in scope around a zen2 cpu and ssd run on a jag and notebook hdd. Then I wake up.
I can be possible. It just depends how much they were willing to sacrifice on the Xbone versions.
The biggest thing is the SX memory solution.
I imagine the SX will have a much larger lod distance and have more things going on in the distance like battles etc....
We'll see though.
 

Rolla

Banned
It doesn't matter if you build and IP from the Series X and port down to the 2013 Base XBOX One

Or

If you build an IP natively from the 2013 base XBOX One and scale up to the Series X


The point is you still have to make an ip run on the 2013 hardware which limits the scope of the game.
 

martino

Member
i still think pushing draw distance, and adding lot of static details can be enough to eat a huge part of next gen power with same game design.
current gen is at a really bad state there currently (and rely a lot on procedural placement)
do we know if they double the xone framerate too ?
 
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Nikana

Go Go Neo Rangers!
Very tricky wording though. Saying its built natively doesn't mean its design isn't in the same scope as it would be without the other versions existing. It really depends on if they go back/forward and add/remove things that couldn't be done due to lack or addition of new features. They have done it before with games like Forza Horizon 2, only time will tell.
 

supernova8

Banned
For anyone that was wondering whether Halo Infinite was being built for Xbox One and Scaled up or Xbox Series X and scaled back, here is your answer. The Optimized for Series X badge is fairly all encompassing and also includes natively developed games that will be on both generations of consoles. That being said, I'm really curious as to how this affects the game on both consoles and what features the Xbox Series X version will have over the Xbox One version of the game. This makes me think they will have significant differences, however, I feel cross-gen multiplayer will be somewhat limited. I'm sure we will find out more closer to the end of July, but I'm optimistic.




They can put out whatever marketing spiel they like. We'll see what it looks like come July. If it ends up being an upscaled Halo 5 with some extra whistles then we'll know they were bullshitting us.
 
Built the game natively on XSX.... But still has to run on original XB1 hardware.

The gap between the original XB1 hardware and XSX is so fucking huge that I can't even begin to imagine what this game is gonna look like and run like on that original XB1 hardware.

XSX-I'm guessing dynamic 1440p-native 4k/60fps,ray tracing,better draw distances, more detail etc

XB1X-dynamic 1080p-1440p/60fps at XB1 settings

XB1 -dynamic 720p-900p 60fps or even dynamic 720p-900p/30fps
 
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ManaByte

Member
It doesn't matter if you build and IP from the Series X and port down to the 2013 Base XBOX One

Or

If you build an IP natively from the 2013 base XBOX One and scale up to the Series X


The point is you still have to make an ip run on the 2013 hardware which limits the scope of the game.

It didn't limit Shadow of War last gen. Again, the nemesis system in that only fully worked in the next gen versions. The only version that was limited was the past-gen versions.
 

NahaNago

Member
I seriously doubt this. Haven't they been working on this game for years just for current gen. They had a supposed in engine trailer back in 2018. I can see this game simply being have a remaster type port to the new xbox. Could be a spiderman like deal where it was originally a ps4 game but updated to take full advantage of the ps5.
 
I seriously doubt this. Haven't they been working on this game for years just for current gen. They had a supposed in engine trailer back in 2018. I can see this game simply being have a remaster type port to the new xbox. Could be a spiderman like deal where it was originally a ps4 game but updated to take full advantage of the ps5.

They would have been building the game on pc with XSX equivelant specs in mind years prior
 
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NahaNago

Member
They would have been building the game on pc with XSX equivelant specs in mind years prior

I would have figured that they would have started working on halo infinite at least in 2016. Maybe they could have split development off in early 2019 when Microsoft had a firmer idea of what specs they would be working with.
 

teezzy

Banned
It doesn't matter if you build and IP from the Series X and port down to the 2013 Base XBOX One

Or

If you build an IP natively from the 2013 base XBOX One and scale up to the Series X


The point is you still have to make an ip run on the 2013 hardware which limits the scope of the game.

Did Wii ports limit 360 and ps3 games?
 
I would have figured that they would have started working on halo infinite at least in 2016. Maybe they could have split development off in early 2019 when Microsoft had a firmer idea of what specs they would be working with.

My guess is that the new SlipSpace Engine is designed with next gen in mind. The XB1X/XB1 versions will be significantly stripped down enough to run.
 

ManaByte

Member
My guess is that the new SlipSpace Engine is designed with next gen in mind. The XB1X/XB1 versions will be significantly stripped down enough to run.

The Xbox One versions will look like Halo 5 with loading screens and buffering. The Series versions will be seamless with all the next gen graphical features.
 

Daneel Elijah

Gold Member
It didn't limit Shadow of War last gen. Again, the nemesis system in that only fully worked in the next gen versions. The only version that was limited was the past-gen versions.
The difference between last gen and this gen is that we got a revolution in I/O AND a huge upgrade in CPU, not just a better GPU. A game made with SSD in mind will simply not be possible on HDD without huge changes especially if the team doing the game is ambitious. Same for the Zen 2 CPU: if it is used even close to 50%, that game will be complicated to port as it is. The question is if One X can do 4K what will XSX do beyond frame rate and RT?

I believe that some games can be great even if constrained by older hardware. Zelda Twilight princess for example . And the same way that MGS4 and MGS5 are both on PS3 they are completely different but still both push the consoles they are on hard. But the SSD is key for potentially way better things that what we have been accustomed to this gen. That why I am not sure that the same can be said to Halo. If Halo infinite was only made for Xbox One or only the Xbox SX what would have been the differences ? It will be interesting in the future : the next Halo after Infinite will have how many ideas that were thought for Infinite but couldn't be done due the Xbox One constraints ?
 
It doesn't matter if you build and IP from the Series X and port down to the 2013 Base XBOX One

Or

If you build an IP natively from the 2013 base XBOX One and scale up to the Series X


The point is you still have to make an ip run on the 2013 hardware which limits the scope of the game.
How many games you developed? I see you are an expert.
 
MS had their own Shadow of War type situation this gen with Horizon 2. It was the same title on 360 but was not the Xbone version. 343i is a huge developer, they could probably develop two different versions simultaneously.

But either way, it’s a launch game. Why is it a big deal if it’s just current gen design with fancy graphics and XSX features? Look at the PS5 event. What was Spider-Man? It looked like it was the same game as PS4 with better graphics and SSD benefits. GT7? Looked like a standard sim racer from this gen. Ratchet? You can jump through dimensions in some segments but the core gameplay was standard stuff. HFW wasn’t gameplay but the cinematic they showed was just a sequel to a Far Cry or Horizon game from this gen.

Everyone’s excited for Demons Soul and it’s a PS3 game at its core. I just don’t get the double standard. If we are two or three years into the XSX life and it’s still getting Xbone ports, that’s a problem. At launch who gives a shit.
 
I dont think that's how it works. Something developed for next gen consoles from the ground aiming to use whole next gen power cant run on older machine. Imagine spiderman , horzion or god of war on ps 3. They would need massively dumb down version for previous gen
 
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cormack12

Gold Member
They'll probably pull in higher level assets from the source into the engine for the XsX version and lower ones for the other versions. Maybe even one LOD division. This obviosuly takes time, so it would require the dev to already have it in the workflow or MS to fund the difference, otherwise we'd be talking about how PS4 held back TLOU2 from the Pro right - but people are saying it's the best looking game this gen....I'm getting bored of the wars to be honest on here. I thought we were like better than the children on reset. Seems we're mature enough on social ideology but become Sunnyside talking about game boxes.
 

DrAspirino

Banned
Built the game natively on XSX.... But still has to run on original XB1 hardware.

The gap between the original XB1 hardware and XSX is so fucking huge that I can't even begin to imagine what this game is gonna look like and run like on that original XB1 hardware.
Quite simple: scale down EVERYTHING.

I play GTA V in an intel Core i5 Skylake IGPU with 8 GB of RAM and everything at minimum and 720p. It plays and has some hiccups here and there but overall the performance is not much different than an X360.

And bear in mind that the GTA V PC version was designed around a dedicated GPU, much more RAM and 1080p.

If an engine is good, it can scale up or down either way in x86 architecture.

Heck, I can even play Destiny 2 with everything at minimum. It's not great, but it's playable.

If you don't believe me, this guy makes Doom Eternal run on ultra low settings on low-spec PC.
 
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I dont think that's how it works. Something developed for next gen consoles from the ground aiming to use whole next gen power cant run on older machine. Imagine spiderman , horzion or god of war on ps 3. They would need massively dumb down version for previous gen

The new Ratchet and Clank could totally run on PS4, minus the SSD warping load times, and cutbacks in other areas. The new Gran Turismo could totally run on PS4 minus the Ray tracing, and cutbacks in other areas. Neither of those games wowed to the point of saying " no way those couldn't run on PS4 and look great."
 
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CrysisFreak

Banned
Exactly. Witcher 3 - one of the most beautiful games of this gen running on a switch. Does the fact it runs ona switch means it is ugly on a PC?


To some degree yes they gimped the project because current-gen consoles were weaker than expected, which is why pre-release versions of Witch3r look much better than the final version.
 

GHG

Gold Member
To some degree yes they gimped the project because current-gen consoles were weaker than expected, which is why pre-release versions of Witch3r look much better than the final version.

Console gamers won't want to admit this unfortunate truth.

The same thing is happening with Cyberpunk 2077 when you look at aspects like NPC density.
 

DrAspirino

Banned
I really laugh at how ignorant or blind some console players can be regarding scalability. It's like they've never even had to retort to tweaks and tricks to run a game on a potato pc.

Any game (and I really mean it: ANY GAME) that can run natively on PS5/XSX, can run on PS4/Xbone tweaking down absolutely everything (like the guy in the Doom video did). EVERY SINGLE ONE.

True, they may not look pretty and have loading times, but that doesn't mean it's impossible.
 

Daneel Elijah

Gold Member
The One X game will be broken into chucks with loading screens and buffering like Halo is now. The XSX will have a seamless world.
That is a way to do it. But with a difference of 40x in I/O between the Xbox One and the SX I am not sure that it will be enough. A seamless world mean the ability to go back at any time and often the need to do so. To be honest I have never played any Halo game so I do not know what to expect for Halo Infinite. I have been interested in it since the E3 trailer and find the fact that it is a cross gen game with 3 consoles (Xbox One, One X , Xbox SX +PCs) and the expected system seller of the SX fascinating.
Everyone’s excited for Demons Soul and it’s a PS3 game at its core. I just don’t get the double standard. If we are two or three years into the XSX life and it’s still getting Xbone ports, that’s a problem. At launch who gives a shit.
Demon's Souls is a remaster. It was an amazing game that spawned a new genre that gave me and others hundreds of hours of fun. Nostalgia and the fact that it will be the occasion for many of From Software fans to discover this title for the fist time is enough to make it a great exclusive. But the expected system sellers are more games like Spiderman Miles Morales or Gran Turismo. Halo Master Chief Collection or a Mass effect trilogy remaster would be an equivalent to the Demon's Souls remaster. I don't see anybody say that would be a bad idea. I personally don't mind Halo Infinite being a cross gen game. But the same way that Zelda Twilight Princess was delayed to be ready for Wii I do believe that Halo Infinite was delayed to be on Xbox SX.

For the other PS5 games it is a matter of taste I suppose? I love Ratchet & Clank and care more about the fact that a new main entry is coming than anything else and trust Insomniac to give me a great game. I don't need it to be on PS4 . Games like Cyberpunk will be probably be amazing in both gen so I just hope that Halo will do the same.
 
Show us the sauce for this!
Certain things like the SSD can complicate things. With that said, all games are made on a high end rig first, and then scaled down to fit the hardware. One will be using 4K assets, the other won't, for instance. It is not that big a deal
 

Azurro

Banned
I love their wording, of course Halo Infinite is being natively developed for Series X since, well, you know, they are coding a version of it for that console. However the game is still designed as a cross gen game and hampered by that.
 

cormack12

Gold Member
To some degree yes they gimped the project because current-gen consoles were weaker than expected, which is why pre-release versions of Witch3r look much better than the final version.

Everything will be gimped to an extent. Any 'PC only' game that isn't targeting NVMe, 32GB RAM and a high end graphics card is 'gimped' in the same way. It's just a term for people to argue over.
 

ManaByte

Member
To be honest I have never played any Halo game so I do not know what to expect for Halo Infinite.

So you’re arguing in a Halo thread without a frame of reference.
oQtLDLM.gif

You’re out of your element, Donnie.
 
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