Following Sony’s announcement that it will no longer support physical game discs starting in 2028, Microsoft has confirmed that Halo: Campaign Evolved’s physical editions will include discs, including on PS5. Microsoft’s announcement likely doesn’t have anything to do with Sony’s, however.
In a Q&A, Microsoft said people who buy a copy of the game will get a physical game case and disc “so that you have tangible items to add to your collection.” This applies to the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S editions of the game.
The timing of Microsoft’s announcement about Campaign Evolved coming on a disc is conspicuous given it happened just after Sony confirmed its all-digital plans. But Microsoft no doubt had been planning to release Campaign Evolved on a disc for a very long time now given the logistics involved.
Sony’s announcement that PlayStation will no longer support game discs starting in January 2028 might make business sense for the company, but it’s also causing much consternation. While Sony’s own data shows an increasing share of digital game sales, the company still sells many millions of physical, disc-based games every year.
A lot of people still enjoy and seek out physical media. The decision has also led to even more concerns about game preservation and fears that Sony will make gaming even more expensive by eliminating the secondhand market.
For what it’s worth, some are saying the next-gen Project Helix console from Microsoft may not have a disc drive in its own push toward digital. It’s also been reported that Microsoft may soften the blow with a “disc-to-digital” program that will allow people to convert their discs to digital copies.
Campaign Evolved is a remaster of Halo: Combat Evolved, and if that sounds familiar, it’s because Microsoft already released a remaster of the original Halo in 2011 with Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. Campaign Evolved is a campaign-only remaster of the original game, featuring brand-new prequel missions and a variety of graphical and technical improvements.
The game launches on July 28 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, but if you pay more, you can start playing early. For more, check out GameSpot’s Halo: Campaign Evolved buying guide.