Microsoft’s Halo series heading to rival PlayStation

Microsoft is bringing one of its most popular and recognizable game franchises to a rival console for the first time.

Halo, the science fiction shooter game starring the armored Master Chief, is coming to PlayStation 5 next year; This was something that was unthinkable for game fans when it was first released in 2001.

A remake of the first game, Halo: Combat Evolved, has been announced under the name Halo: Campaign Evolved for Microsoft’s own Xbox hardware and Sony’s PS5.

It will also be released on PC and playable on mobile phones and tablets via Microsoft’s cloud streaming technology.

This is the latest sign that Microsoft is moving away from console makers’ traditional approach of keeping their own franchises and characters exclusive.

Halo is often credited with helping Microsoft first enter the gaming market with its original Xbox, although it arrived after Nintendo and Sony’s consoles were already popular.

But while Microsoft is rapidly expanding its presence in the industry and acquiring several rival studios – $69bn (£56bn) including Call of Duty maker Activision – had a hard time convincing gamers to buy their latest console.

PlayStation 5 reportedly outsold Microsoft’s Xbox Series S and X consoles globally more than two to one. Nintendo’s hybrid Switch console has been even more successful.

Microsoft is instead implementing a strategy of being able to play its games in more places, including PCs, tablets, phones and the new handheld console. ROG Xbox Ally.

This includes the introduction of Game Pass, a subscription service that for a monthly fee gives players access to a library of games in a style similar to services like Netflix and Disney+.

Although there has been a rivalry between PlayStation and Xbox players for a long time, some fans of the Halo series are happy to see the game reaching more people.

YouTuber Kara, who streams under the handle @Eldeeable, tells BBC Newsbeat that Halo is a big part of her life.

“Combat Evolved was one of the first games I played on Xbox,” he says.

“I played it in split screen with my little brother and I loved it.”

He said the announcement was “massive” and that “the internet broke a little bit.”

Some Xbox owners have criticized Microsoft for not keeping Halo an exclusive game, but this reflects a broader move away from exclusivity, with PlayStation releasing games from The Last Of Us and the Horizon series on PC, and Nintendo even making some games with its own characters available on mobile phones.

This shouldn’t be seen as a bad thing for Kara.

“I know there’s been some discussion about it coming to PlayStation, but I don’t see any reason why it should be that way,” he says.

“I think it’s a win for all the players.”

Damon Conn, the game’s executive producer, agrees, and promises the remake will appeal to fans old and new.

“At its core, Halo is about connection; we’re excited to meet the next generation of gamers on their platform who will fall in love with Halo like we did,” he says.

“We’re not trying to rewrite Halo’s legacy; we’re trying to immerse you like never before.”

Additional reporting by Georgia Levy-Collins and Peter Gillibrand.

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