Classic Halo games are getting this huge boost on Xbox Series X

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Older Halo games will run at 4K and 120 fps — that should make the wait for Halo Infinite a bit easier

Halo: The Master Chief Collection
(Image credit: Microsoft)

Halo Infinite might be delayed, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to enjoy some Halo action on the Xbox Series X, as Halo: The Master Chief Collection will be fully-optimized for Microsoft's next-gen consoles. 

That means you’ll be able to enjoy classic Halo games at 4K resolution and running at a blazing fast 120 frames per second on both the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. Launching November 17, just after the new Xbox consoles launch on November 10, the optimized Halo games will also be available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers. 

Now it’s hardly surprising that tweaked versions of older Halo games are coming to the new next-generation Xbox console, or that they’ll run a lot faster than before. Throwing 12 teraflops of graphics power at games that date as far back as 2001 is bound to result in a boost in performance. 

However, Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 have both received remasters and already look a lot better than they did when they launched. So running them at 120 fps rather than 4K and at 60 fps is still something to get excited about. 

The jump from 30 fps to 60 fps then to 120 fps can result in very noticeable hikes in how smooth and responsive games feel, especially first-person shooter titles. As such, having Halo games run at 120 fps in both campaign and multiplayer could make all the difference between pulling off a perfect headshot and missing miserably. 

And this all bodes well for other older Xbox games to get solid optimisations for the Xbox Series X. We’d love to see games like the original Fable get a huge resolution boost and run a lot more smoothly, as well as other classics like Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. 

Ideally, you’ll need a TV or display with a 120Hz refresh rate to take full advantage of the 120 fps frame rate. But even if you don’t, games optimized for the Xbox Series X that can hit 120 fps are likely to feel very smooth indeed. 

Xbox Series X and Series S pre-orders are now available, though you might find it tricky to secure one as the consoles have been selling out very fast. 

Roland Moore-Colyer
Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.