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Can Your PC Run Halo Infinite?

Here’s the rig you’ll need to finally finish Master Chief’s fight on Dec. 8.

 & Jordan Minor Principal Writer, Software

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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It’s been six long years since Halo 5: Guardians, the last core Halo game and a bit of a disappointing one at that. Now, Halo seems poised to reach new heights with the long-awaited Halo Infinite. Originally slated to launch alongside the Xbox Series X and Series S last holiday season, Master Chief’s latest adventure finally arrives on those next-gen consoles, the Xbox One, and Windows 10 PCs on Dec. 8. For PC players, that gives you plenty of time to make sure your specs are up to snuff.


Why the Halo Infinite Hype?

Halo is Microsoft’s most important franchise. The first Xbox launched with the first game, and without that sci-fi first-person shooter’s massive success, Microsoft never would have gotten a foothold in the console market. The franchise has since come to PC, but Halo made the Xbox, and fans hope Halo Infinite will do the same for the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.

Halo Infinite energy sword

Developer 343 Industries may have inherited the series from Bungie, but Halo Infinite looks to be the most ambitious Halo game ever. Wide-open campaign missions harken back to the first game’s exploratory opening moments. Halo Infinite is technically Halo 6, and it promises to wrap up some Cortana story threads lingering since Halo 4 began this second trilogy. But between the vast subtitle and gameplay overhaul, we expect this is just the beginning, not an end.

Meanwhile, Halo diehards (including our own Matt Buzzi) have walked away from recent multiplayer preview betas feeling impressed and optimistic. Halo Infinite may adopt a more Destiny-esque live service model in how it doles out content into the future, but even at launch, there should be plenty to enjoy.  


Where Can You Buy Halo Infinite?

You can preorder Halo Infinite for $59.99 from Microsoft’s Xbox store or from Steam. Xbox Game Pass subscribers will immediately gain access to the campaign the day the game launches. The multiplayer component will be free for everyone. 


Halo Infinite's Minimum System Requirements

  • OS: Windows 10 RS3 (64-bit)
  • CPUCPU: AMD FX-8370 or Intel i5-4440
  • Memory: 8GB RAM
  • GPUGPU: AMD RX 570 or Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti
  • DirectX: Version 12
  • Available Storage Space: 50GB

Halo Infinite's Recommended System Requirements

  • OS: Windows 10 19H2 (64-bit)
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel i7-9700k
  • Memory: 16GB RAM
  • GPU: Radeon RX 5700 XT or Nvidia RTX 2070
  • DirectX: Version 12
  • Available Storage Space: 50GB

Halo Infinite vehicles

How Can You Play Halo Infinite?

As a shooter releasing on both consoles and PC, Halo Infinite supports both gamepads and mouse-and-keyboard setups. Players on both platforms can compete against each other, but ranked play sets filters so you only find matches against other people using your same control scheme, to keep things fair. 


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About Our Expert

Jordan Minor

Jordan Minor

Principal Writer, Software

My PCMag career began in 2013 as an intern. Now, I'm a senior writer, using the skills I acquired at Northwestern University to write about dating apps, meal kits, programming software, website builders, video streaming services, and video games. I was previously a senior editor at Geek.com and have written for The A.V. Club, Kotaku, and Paste Magazine. I'm the author of the gaming history book Video Game of the Year: A Year-by-Year Guide to the Best, Boldest, and Most Bizarre Games from Every Year Since 1977, and the reason everything you know about Street Sharks is a lie.

The Technology I Use

I use the newest Android and iOS smartphones for testing, but I currently use an iPhone 14 as my personal phone. I just hate that we gave up headphone jacks.

I've always favored gaming laptops over desktops. On that note, I have a 16-inch HP Envy with an Intel Core i9-13900H CPU and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. No matter what machine I’m working on, an alarming amount of my personal and professional life revolves around cloud-synced Google Drive files.

For food subscriptions, my household sticks with CookUnity and HelloFresh for meals. Video streaming is a bit more complicated. While there are too many services to list, we're subscribed to most of the major ones. These days, I find myself drawn to HBO Max's movies and shows, as well as Peacock's reality trash.

I've been a lifelong Nintendo fan, and I sincerely believe the Nintendo Switch will go down as one of the best gaming consoles of all time. It has an unbelievable library of new and old games from Nintendo and third-party companies. The handheld/console hybrid approach makes playing games so much more flexible, a legacy that continues with the Nintendo Switch 2 and Valve’s Steam Deck.

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