Halo: The Master Chief Collection is officially coming to PC

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And it includes Halo: Reach

Master Chief Collection
Image credit: Microsoft

The rumors were true: Microsoft is indeed bringing Halo: The Master Chief Collection to PC, through both Steam and the company's online store. 

The news was announced via a post on the Xbox Wire, which included the news that Halo: Reach will also be joining the collection.

Unfortunately, however, you won't be able to play all the games included in the collection all at once: each will be updated for modern graphics and re-released in chronological order over an unspecified span, so it's unclear when owners will play the final game in the bundle, Halo 4.

But we know what they'll play first – Halo: Reach, the prequel released in 2010 for the Xbox 360. And as a bonus, those who bought the collection on Xbox One will get the remastered multiplayer content (including Forge and Theater) at no additional cost. If they want to play Campaign and Firefight, though, they'll have to pay for a digital bundle that includes both. 

Xbox Game Pass holders, of course, get all of MCC content (including Reach) for free.

Halo, piece by piece

You won't have to buy the whole collection if you just want to play certain titles, as you'll be able to buy them individually as they become available, per Xbox's post. Best of all: "each game will evolve and grow over time with community input."

Who knows what that might end up meaning, but it suggests Microsoft's committed to sustaining the game's multiplayer scene and growing the PC community. Perhaps, just perhaps, that might include esports:

The Xbox team post promised more news to come, which is welcome for the fans who have been waiting to play the later Halo games every since Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 came out on desktop years ago. You can almost hear the fans beckoning for 60FPS and 4K/HDR support, which the post promised for Halo: Reach on Xbox One.

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David Lumb
David Lumb

David is now a mobile reporter at Cnet. Formerly Mobile Editor, US for TechRadar, he covered phones, tablets, and wearables. He still thinks the iPhone 4 is the best-looking smartphone ever made. He's most interested in technology, gaming and culture – and where they overlap and change our lives. His current beat explores how our on-the-go existence is affected by new gadgets, carrier coverage expansions, and corporate strategy shifts.