Halo: Spartan Assault for Xbox One launches Christmas Eve, runs in 1080p at 60fps

The Xbox One version of top-down action shooter Halo: Spartan Assault will launch on December 24, Microsoft announced today. The game runs in 1080p at 60 frames per second, the company said.

Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 version has been delayed to January 2014, though Microsoft did not say why. Both versions of the game were previously planned to launch in December.

Halo: Spartan Assault for the Xbox One will sell for $15 when it launches exclusively as a digital product. Users who have already purchased Windows 8 or Windows Phone 8 (or purchase it before December 15), can buy the new version for $5. The Windows version of Halo: Spartan Assault sells for $7, meaning those who want to double-dip can do so for $12.

Halo: Spartan Assault on the Xbox One features a new cooperative mode, new weapons, and the previously released paid expansion Operation Hydra. The new cooperative mode sees players joining with others on Xbox Live (it is not clear if local multiplayer is supported) and taking on the classic Halo enemy The Flood in wave-based battles. Producer Dan Ayoub stressed that players will need to work together to emerge victorious.

When the Xbox 360 version launches in January, players won't be able to join matches with friends on the Xbox One, as cross-platform play is not supported, Microsoft said.

Halo: Spartan Assault, developed by Vanguard Games in association with main Halo studio 343 Industries, originally launched for Windows device in July. Microsoft has not shared sales data for the game to date.