Halo Infinite Gets Rocky PC launch

If gamers have learned anything in the past console generation or two, games are rarely shipped to perfection on their release day. Day One/Zero patches and post-release support are now the norm. Even the most high-profile titles with endless amounts of hype can arrive in agonizingly-broken shape, rendering pre-orders and day-one purchases an unpromising decision. Unfortunately, Halo Infinite, which saw a massive delay for polish, is struggling on the PC platform in its first few days.

While the game itself plays as smooth as butter and is a heap of fun, the installation has given PC players massive headaches. On launch day (December 8th) the game required an update to access the campaign, despite a pre-load. No problem, this is standard for release day, right? Well, there’s more: players needed to designate if they were downloading the HD texture pack with the game, which required them to download an additional 16 gigabytes if not, and even more if so.

After this long download, which would take hours on those with slower connections, the game could finally be played. However, the following day, the desktop shortcut lost its icon for players on Xbox Game Pass for PC. Upon clicking it or attempting launch by any other means, the Windows Store would direct players to the Xbox App page for installation. Either uninstallation/reinstallation or an iffy workaround was then needed to play the game again.

It’s certainly a unique type of launch, but for the time being, Halo Infinite is up and running and the campaign is a blast. With tons of accessibility and graphics options, the port to PC feels complete and offers a great experience, even if it’s lacking features like replaying story missions or teaming up with buddies for the time being. Here’s hoping those features are implemented smoothly, as the game’s rough development deserves to see its end with grace.