Halo: Campaign Evolved System Requirements and Recommended Specs

Halo must be one of the most beloved, widely recognized video game franchises out there, with the protagonist Master Chief standing shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Mario, Sonic, and Crash Bandicoot. Halo: Combat Evolved was the system-seller for the original Xbox, allowing it to stand a chance against the overwhelming success of the PlayStation 2. The popularity of the franchise means it’s no surprise that the original game is being remade again, this time under the title “Halo: Campaign Evolved.”

Given that it’s been 12 years since the last remake, hopes are high that this one will look visually spectacular while retaining the soul of Halo’s distinctive art design. Judging by the PC specs on the Steam Store page for Halo: Campaign Evolved, we’re in for a treat here.

• OS: Windows 11 (64-bit)
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7700 / Intel Core i7-12700K
• RAM: 32 GB
• GPU: AMD Radeon RX 9070 / Nvidia 3080 Ti
• Storage: 100 GB

• OS: Windows 11 (64-bit)
• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 / Intel Core i7-10700K
• RAM: 16 GB
• GPU: AMD Radeon RX 6600 / Intel Arc A580 / Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super
• Storage: 100 GB

Interestingly, only the minimum specs list a suitable Intel Arc GPU. Additionally, there is a co-op campaign option with crossplay, but no true competitive multiplayer mode to speak of, which means you’ll probably be able to get away without enabling Secure Boot for this one.

The minimum specs aren’t too tough, but there is no indication as to what performance level you can expect with those. The screenshots and gameplay videos do look like Halo: Campaign Evolved is going to be very high fidelity, so if you’re only just about hitting those minimum specs, you might not be in for a great experience.

In terms of upgrades to make, a new CPU or GPU should be top of the list. CPUs are not normally a pivotal upgrade to make for a single-player FPS game, but Halo’s levels are far less linear than the typical FPS campaign. You could also consider a RAM upgrade for the same reasons, but with the pricing where it is right now, this might not be on the cards.

However, an upgrade that continues to get cheaper is a high-resolution OLED monitor, which arguably produces a greater visual enhancement than new internal hardware. A XENEON 34WQHD240-C is a great choice here.

In case you’ve been living under a rock since 2001 (who can blame you, to be honest), then here’s the scoop: It’s a sci-fi FPS game with a healthy mixture of on-foot and vehicular gameplay. You are Master Chief, a cybernetic soldier with a tragic backstory that results in him being better at everything than everyone else.

The ship you’re on is being chased by evil aliens, and you’re ejected (along with the ship’s AI) down to an undiscovered world, so the aliens won’t find out where Earth is. Down here you run into many other problems and must shoot and drive your way to victory.

Gameplay-wise, it’s a standard FPS game for the most part, though the environments aren’t nearly as linear as more recent FPSs. Additionally, this being a remake of the first game of a now-legendary franchise, there’s a deep, deep lore that is worth exploring after you’re done with it.

Though Halo and its sequels have already been remade multiple times, Halo: Campaign Evolved is notable as it’s the first time the franchise has appeared on PlayStation consoles, as in the days of the console wars it was a vital exclusive for the Xbox platform. However, the PS audience, in addition to us on PC, aren’t getting a totally 1:1 remaster of the original Halo: Combat Evolved. According to Halo Studios, there will be altered levels, some new sections put in, and a wider array of weaponry that’s been retroactively inserted from the games that came after.

This is in addition to the choice to use Unreal Engine 5.0, a total switch from the original “Blam!” engine developed in-house by Bungie. This, of course, will result in a much higher fidelity, though potentially at some expense to the art direction, as Unreal Engine games do tend to end up looking quite similar. That being said, it’s an exciting time for Halo fans and even more exciting if you haven’t managed to play the landmark original yet.