Halo MCC Update Adds Foundation For Cross-Gen Play With Series X/S

A new patch for Halo: The Master Chief Collection landed this week, and it lays the foundation for cross-generation multiplayer support for Xbox Series X and Series S when those consoles release in November.

The Version 1.1871.0.0 update is available now on Xbox One and PC. The update makes "improvements to cross-generation play in advance of the upcoming launch of Xbox Series X and Series S hardware."

This is seemingly the first confirmation that Halo: MCC will have cross-gen support, but it's not much of a surprise given a game like MCC with six different games and numerous modes and playlists needs a big player base to work well. If there was no cross-gen support, it would potentially cause trouble in finding matches for Series X and S players with the consoles having just released and not having a built-in audience yet.

There has been no word regarding Series X/S optimizations for MCC, so the game will likely run through backwards compatibility. However, if other games are any indication, there may still be benefits to playing on the new hardware, including reduced load times.

MCC is also getting cross-play support between Xbox One and PC, but this feature is not live yet. Halo Infinite will support play across platforms, as well, and will be the first main game in the series to launch on Xbox and PC at the same time. It was initially planned as an Xbox Series X/S launch title but was delayed to 2021.

The new update also introduces some "stability updates," while some changes to customization and Halo 3 weapon skin names have been implemented as well. You can see the full patch notes below.

In terms of file size, the update is 4.9 GB on Xbox One and 2.62 GB for the Microsoft Store and Xbox Game Pass for PC. The Steam edition sees the smallest update size overall, at just 50.7 MB. Halo 4 is still on its way to the PC version of the collection, but the game's beta test has been delayed.

Halo: MCC October 14 Patch Notes:

Install Size

Xbox

• Max size of 4.9 GB

Microsoft Store and Xbox Game Pass for PC (Xbox App)

• Max size of 2.62 GB

Steam

• Max size of 50.7 MB

Resolved Issues

Global

Gameplay

• Stability updates were made to improve the player experience
• Made improvements to cross-generation play in advance of the upcoming launch of Xbox Series X and Series S hardware

User Interface (UI)

• Added focus animation to the root Customization Menu
• Capitalized Halo 3 weapon skin names to align with the other menu options

https://support.halowaypoint.com/hc/en-us/articles/360050949651