Halo on PS5 now more likely thanks to Unreal Engine 5 claim multiple sources --[Reported by Umva mag]

There may be more reasons than suspected for Halo moving to Unreal Engine 5, as rumours of a remake and PS5 port intensify.

Oct 8, 2024 - 15:30

Halo on PS5 now more likely thanks to Unreal Engine 5 claim multiple sources --[Reported by Umva mag]

Halo in Unreal Engine 5, showing two characters fighting outdoors on a rocky surface — Is Halo headed for PS5? (Halo Studios)

There may be more reasons than suspected for Halo moving to Unreal Engine 5, as rumours of a remake and PS5 port intensify.

The news that 343 Industries has undergone a shake-up – even changing its name to Halo Studios – has been broadly welcomed by fans, including the fact that the developer will now start using the Unreal Engine 5 graphics engine instead of the aging Slipspace Engine.

Using Slipspace, instead of an off-the-shelf alternative, was said to be one of the main reasons for Halo Infinite’s troubled development but it’s already been suggested that that’s not the only reason for the move to Unreal Engine 5.

There’s always been much speculation as to if and when a Halo game might come to PlayStation 5 and now two different sources are suggesting that the changes at Halo Studios are specifically designed to allow for just that.

Given the fact that Halo Studios could barely get Slipspace working on the Xbox it would’ve been a nightmare trying to port it over to the PlayStation 5, so switching over to the widely used Unreal Engine 5 instantly removes that problem.

This is the point that Digital Foundry boss Rich Leadbetter made in an article on Eurogamer, although he didn’t claim his comments were based on any insider knowledge.

‘From a multi-platform game development perspective, moving to Unreal Engine 5 would certainly be easier for the developer than porting across the existing Slipspace engine,’ he said.

‘This is complete conjecture,’ he added, ‘but Halo Infinite has evolved into the kind of live service game that would benefit from a multiplatform release, just as Sea Of Thieves has.’

Microsoft’s feelings on live service games, especially following the failure of Concord, have never been made clear, but while they’ve announced far less of that sort of game, compared to Sony, it’s certainly true that Sea Of Thieves has been successful on the PlayStation 5.

It’s already been rumoured, by less tested sources, that Halo Studios is working on a remake of the original Halo: Combat Evolved, and the two subsequent games, in part specifically so that they can be ported to the PlayStation 5.

More recently Tom Warren, senior editor at The Verge, highlighted one of his reports from June, in which he suggested that ‘some form of a Halo: Combat Evolved remaster’ is being considered for ‘rival consoles’.

He said at the time that it was ‘early days’ for the project and that an official announcement was not imminent, which could also mean that the idea was cancelled.

Originally it was speculated that the remake may be intended as a launch title for the next gen Xbox console, rumoured to be aiming for a 2026 release. That would make some sense but if it was also to be released for PlayStation 5, even after a set period of time, that would negate the idea of it being a killer app for Microsoft’s new console.

Xbox’s approach to multiformat releases remains uncertain, with the only big name title scheduled at the moment being Indiana Jones And The Great Circle next spring – following the Xbox release this autumn.

If the rumoured Halo remake were to follow a similar pattern, or even to launch simultaneously on PlayStation 5 (and perhaps Switch 2), that would make very clear that there are no longer any red lines in terms of Xbox exclusivity.

Halo's Master Chief wielding a blue, glowing weapon in Unreal Engine 5, surrounded by rocky mountains — Master Chief could end up on a Switch 2 too (Halo Studios)

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