Halo: MCC Xbox One X Enhancements And Other Updates Teased By Microsoft

Halo: The Master Chief Collection might not have gotten off to the best start at launch in November 2014. But it has rebounded well since then, thanks in part to Microsoft's commitment to improving the game with regular updates, and its player population remains good enough to find matches easily. Microsoft's updates for Halo: MCC continue with one of its biggest yet later this year that makes significant changes and improvements. In addition to that, Microsoft is updating the game to add enhancements for people playing on Xbox One X.

Halo community manager Brian Jarrard spoke about this update recently. He said on the latest Inside Xbox episode that the work-in-progress version that the studio is testing now looks "gorgeous and stunning." He added, "The first thing Xbox One X owners will notice is the visual enhancements. Now with Xbox One X, we have a full visual enhancement suite, including HDR support." You can watch the full clip below from Inside Xbox.

And regarding the wider MCC update, Jarrard pointed out that the changes that speed up matchmaking times and improve the UI will be available for everyone, not just those on Xbox One X. The developer also listed off some upcoming features the studio is working on for Halo: MCC, including "legitimate" LAN support, an "intelligent delivery system" that allows you to install only the parts of Halo: MCC that you want (see a work-in-progress image below), and the ability to install other language packages. He added that a custom gamer browser will also be added, while developer 343 Industries has "bigger ideas" that it will implement later. Microsoft is allowing some members of the public to test these upcoming features.

Halo: MCC is a huge package that comes with Halo: C2, Halo 2 Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4. As part of its effort to make up for the game's launch struggles, Microsoft added Halo 3: ODST's campaign to the package for free.

Microsoft hasn't announced a sales figure for Halo: MCC, but total Halo franchise sales jumped from 60 million to 65 million after the game's release, so it's likely moved millions of copies. The fact that the game still has an active player base and it's not hard to find matches also suggests the game sold well.

Halo 6, or whatever Microsoft decides to call it, is in development but has not yet been officially announced. What has been announced is a new Halo game for arcades called Fireteam Raven.