Halo: Reach tests on Xbox One delayed due to memory limitations, PC on schedule

Halo: Reach on Ultrawide
Halo: Reach on Ultrawide (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Halo: Reach is being actively tested on PC.
  • So far, Xbox One tests haven't commenced.
  • 343 Industries said that this is due to memory limitations on the original console.
  • Halo: The Master Chief Collection is part of Xbox Game Pass.

A few weeks ago, public testers finally got their hands on Halo: Reach on PC. The game already runs smoothly and looks great. However, many console gamers were wondering when they could get their hands on the native Xbox One version of Halo: Reach.

Unfortunately, it looks like that won't happen for a while because the team at 343 Industries has run into problems with memory limitations. The customization system has been overhauled and now uses Unreal Engine 4. Between the eleven different engines in Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and seven different games, the Xbox One can't handle it. The team is hard at work on a solution, but it's unclear when that might happen.

The team said the following on its website. Luckily, the PC build is going strong and flighting will continue on schedule.

As has been stated previously, making any game is hard, let alone where you're dealing with eleven game engines and seven complete games under the roof of one title sharing the same hardware resources. One key goal that has been a part of bringing Halo: Reach into Halo: The Master Chief Collection is that for Xbox One, the team has been attempting to bring Unreal Engine 4 online for new character customization options on Xbox... This, however, has proved to be quite challenging as the Master Chief Collection was already close to memory limits running on the original Xbox One consoles. Bringing the entire progression and customization system... also requires memory to be used to run the additional Unreal Engine 4 engine. Currently, a lot of progress has been made in getting it up and running, but the title still is not within memory constraints to properly run on the Xbox One. In order to flight on Xbox One, we need to be within these limits, otherwise, instability will be an issue. Until the team has an adequate solution for this unique issue, flighting on the Xbox One will continue to be delayed. That being said, the team is pushing hard on a solution as they want to flight the Xbox One build as soon as possible. Until then though flighting will continue to remain solely on the PC build.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a part of Xbox Game Pass so you can play it immediately if you're a subscriber. There are a couple of options when it comes to getting Xbox Game Pass. You can pay $10 a month on Xbox One, or you can pay $15 a month for Xbox Game Pass on Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass on PC, and Xbox Live Gold. The bundled package offers a lot of savings so that's the one I would recommend.

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Asher Madan

Asher Madan handles gaming news for Windows Central. Before joining Windows Central in 2017, Asher worked for a number of different gaming outlets. He has a background in medical science and is passionate about all forms of entertainment, cooking, and antiquing.