It doesn’t happen often publishers bring major game franchises to VR. Although Bethesda has shown some efforts in this regard, they are virtually the only company to do so. Microsoft may shake things up a bit, though. In fact, they are working on a mixed reality version of Halo, together with 343 Industries. This is a big development, to say the least, even though no specific information has been revealed.
A new Halo With VR and AR Features?
It is a bit unclear what we can expect from a mixed reality version of Halo. It is evident this particular type of game certainly lends itself to VR and AR elements. Microsoft and 343 industries have begun developing this game already, but they do not share specifics. As is to be expected, this leaves a lot of room for speculation. The gaming industry is known for wild speculation, to say the least. Right now, people are already wondering if the VR version of Halo will be bundled with the HoloLens in the near future.
It is safe to assume mixed reality headsets will support this new version of Halo. More specifically, the Windows Mixed Reality headsets will be able to. The game franchise is agnostic to Xbox and Microsoft. It will not land on other types of devices anytime soon, nor should it. Exclusive titles are often considered to be a problem, but some titles justify this strategy. For Microsoft and Xbox, that means Halo is exclusive to those specific platforms now and probably forever.
It is good to see Microsoft focus on the gaming industry, though. Every knows VR, AR, and mixed reality isn’t suitable for productivity purposes right now. Nor will they be in the near future, that much is evident. However, bringing a well-known game such as Halo to mixed reality will certainly have some interesting results. It also shows the mixed reality industry is slowly evolving as we speak. It is unclear what the future will bring, though, but there’s plenty of reason to get excited.
Moreover, it also means Halo will have some VR elements to it. Considering how most developers struggle in this regard, the expectations are pretty high where Microsoft is concerned. With HTC potentially abandoning the VR scene altogether, there is plenty of room for new players to make a big impact over the coming months. If Microsoft is successful with this particular venture, the landscape will get shaken up considerably.
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