Why Halo: Master Chief Collection isn't coming to PC (for now)

Sure, it's an outrage that Halo is a consistent no-show on PC nowadays, but why? Theories abound - both conspiratorial and otherwise - but according to 343 Industries executive producer Dan Ayoub it's simply a matter of resources. Speaking to Kotaku , he says no amount of similiarities between the hardware architecture of the Xbox One and a typical PC can allow for a simple transition. And besides: the studio's focus is entirely on Xbox One at present.

"From a technical standpoint, you look at the architecture of the Xbox One and there are some similarities to the architecture of a modern PC," Ayoub said. "That certainly makes that sort of cross-platform development easier. But beyond that the ease goes away. Master Chief Collection is massive. We have to coordinate four games, 100-plus maps, a lot of new cinematics, and Halo 2 Anniversary."

When reminded that the original Halo still boasts a lively playerbase on PC, Ayoub responded that PC is still a part of Microsoft's business plan, providing some slim hope that there's a future for Halo on the platform.

"That's one of the things I love about the PC community," he said. "You've got so many cool things going on [with fans]. And then you've got the breadth; PCs are everywhere all over the planet. Obviously as part of Microsoft PCs are part of our business. When you look at that market and community, there's almost limitless possibilities in terms of what we can do."

Check out the full interview over here. In the meantime, here's Chris Thursten making a case for why Halo belongs on PC .

Shaun Prescott

Shaun Prescott is the Australian editor of PC Gamer. With over ten years experience covering the games industry, his work has appeared on GamesRadar+, TechRadar, The Guardian, PLAY Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and more. Specific interests include indie games, obscure Metroidvanias, speedrunning, experimental games and FPSs. He thinks Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed is an all-time classic that will receive its due critical reappraisal one day.