Today's Halo Infinite presentation wasn't running on an Xbox Series X, it has been confirmed. Instead, the demo was running on a PC with similar specs to the Xbox Series X, Microsoft stated during a presentation about Halo Infinite.
Gameplay demos running on PCs rather than official hardware isn't out of the ordinary, but it is a bit strange that Microsoft decided to showcase Halo Infinite on PC first, even with comparable specs. There's still no Xbox Series X release date, but the console is confirmed to launch this holiday season, which is just a few months away, so running the demo on PC is a bit of an eyebrow-raiser from a consumer standpoint. Clearly, the game was at least being played with an Xbox controller, as it featured the same button prompts.
Fans likely wouldn't have noticed much of a difference if the gameplay demo was running on a Series X, though, as the console packs quite a punch in terms of system specs. The Halo Infinite campaign gameplay debuted in 4K60, and likely would've looked just as smooth if the demo was running on an Xbox Series X. Microsoft isn't emphasizing hardware as heavily as it used to, instead shifting focus to building a platform, which may explain the decision, at least in part.
Since the campaign demo, the game has garnered a mostly positive reaction, though there have been criticisms about Halo Infinite's graphics. Some fans expected much higher fidelity considering what Halo 5 accomplished on the Xbox One in terms of visuals. Accusations that the game being on both Xbox One and Xbox Series X may be holding it back visually have circulated, but it isn't clear if that's the case.
However, Microsoft does intend for Halo Infinite to be a 10-year game, so fans of the franchise can expect it to be around for a while. At the end of the day, gameplay matters far more than visuals, but if Infinite is intended to last a decade, graphics may become a point of contention for many fans.
PC or Xbox Series X version aside, the game looks like it will be quite the twist on the Halo formula. During the gameplay demo, Master Chief opens a full-screen map with a variety of icons, prompting many to believe that Halo Infinite will be a semi-open world game. That has major implications, and it will be exciting to see where 343 Industries takes it.
Halo Infinite is currently in development.