When you think of Halo: The Master Chief Collection (MCC), more likely than not your first thought will be about its nightmarish history with bugs. However, thanks to both 343 Industries (343i) and its partner companies, the majority of the performance issues may end up being a thing of the past, beginning later this summer.
Using data collected from MCC Insider Program feedback, developers are slowly but surely fixing the various problems that currently plague Halo: MCC. In addition to this, they are also looking to add some things to the game as well. If all goes according to plan, these new features will make playing the MCC a more streamlined experience.
Not a bug, but a feature
One of the best things on the assembly line for the MCC is the ability to choose which specific Halo titles from the Collection you have installed at any given time. Dubbed "Intelligent Delivery" by Microsoft, this feature will allow you to save massive amounts of hard drive storage on your Xbox One if you only want to play one or two of the four Halo games included with the Collection. You will even have the ability to uninstall foreign languages for more space.
Another improvement being made to the MCC is an increase in texture streaming speed. If you're unaware, texture streaming refers to how quickly your game will render things like maps, props, and other objects that make up the "physical" part of singleplayer and multiplayer experiences. The Master Chief Collection is known, among other things, for its notoriously long loading screens, so hopefully improved texture streaming helps solve that issue.
Finally, the game will get full LAN support, which is something that the competitive multiplayer side of the Halo community has been asking for since the MCC's release in 2014.
Making it look pretty
Eventually, full Xbox One X enhancements will be making their way onto the MCC, which will most likely make the already impressive visuals of Halo 2: Anniversary even more breathtaking. As part of the enhancement, MCC will also offer players the opportunity to change lighting settings fairly extensively. Both high-definition brightness and contrast can be edited to suit various preferences; you'll even be able to control how the game renders its brightest lights.
Last but not least, MCC's user interface is being completely redone. Everything from the main menu to the screens for matchmaking will all be more consistent, streamlined, and responsive when the next patch for MCC goes live.
Your thoughts
What do you think of the efforts being made to improve and restore The Master Chief Collection to full strength? What are some changes or features you would like to see come to the Collection? Let me know your thoughts.
And if you'd like to sign up for a chance at being a part of the community-driven MCC Insider Program, you can do so here. Make sure to keep an eye out for when play testing sessions are open. You can also purchase The Master Chief Collection for $29.99.
