In preparation for the Xbox Series X, 343 Industries is developing a shiny new game engine called Slipspace that's going to power Halo: Infinite. The engine will likely test the power of gaming laptops as the new Halo title is confirmed to arrive on PC.
343 Industries recently published a video on YouTube detailing some of the development of Halo: Infinite, and Halo franchise director Frank O'Connor talked about what Slipspace means for the future of Halo.
"We had to create an engine that was more powerful for next-generation development, but also more nimble, so the creatives and engineers are able to work more easily and iterate faster," O'Connor said in the video. "This technical groundwork is vital to build a platform for the future of Halo."
The visuals in the teaser trailer for Halo: Infinite were stunning. But if we think back to Gears 5, that game got a massive visual upgrade from Xbox to PC, so we're expecting to see the same from Halo: Infinite. That is, if gaming laptops can keep up with next-generation console hardware.
"You have to make tools that allow you to make new features that maybe weren't thought about," said David Berger, engineering director at 343 Industries. "You've gotta give the content-creators room to ideate outside of that."
We're excited to see what 343 Industries has to offer that will differentiate Halo: Infinite from the rest of the franchise, and how Infinite will differ between Xbox and PC. And it seems that 343 Industries might be close to showing off another reveal, as Halo Community Director Brian Jarrard tweeted about playtesting in his office.
If you’re at the studio on a Saturday for a playtest, is it really “work?” 🤔 Do what you love and it’s never “work.” 🤘February 8, 2020
While we won't get the big picture until Halo: Infinite launches later this year, there will be beta tests before that happens. Unfortunately, Xbox will get the first taste, but PC will come later, so we'll eventually get to compare and contrast both versions.
