343 Studios Hints at HDR Support for Future Titles, Halo Wars 2 Will Release Without, but Still Looks Fantastic in 4K
Some people out there are hailing HDR (high dynamic range) as “the next 3d.” Although these people would be technically wrong, the sentiment holds up as HDR adds significant depth to an image through contrast, that has never before been achieved on viewing devices. More and more current triple-A game titles will be releasing with full HDR support, but it looks like Halo Wars 2 will miss the train… at least at launch.
343 Studios recently spoke with Fenix Bazaar saying, “Unfortunately, we are not going to have HDR support for Halo Wars 2. We do support 4K on PC, which looks gorgeous, and you definitely need to play that because it’s stunning.” It is possible that 343 could run a patch on Halo Wars 2 that could eventually update the title to run HDR, but doesn’t seem likely. Top-down-view RTS games like Halo Wars are made or broken by their engaging strategic gameplay and faction balance more so than any graphical concerns. Perhaps 343 Studios is banking on Halo Wars 2 looking better than good enough on 4K. It honestly does look great so maybe they are on the right track.
Halo Wars 2 has been in development for quite some time and is scheduled to release on PC and Xbox on February 17th. Even though this launch won’t see HDR support, it’s not something 343 Studios is ruling out. Speaking of HDR support for upcoming projects, 343 had this to say, “It’s something that, certainly in future titles, we’ll be looking to support… Unfortunately, not for this launch.” The general buzz about Halo Wars 2 says that the game is bigger and better than the original, and despite being an RTS on console, the game controls amazingly well on the Xbox One. If you’re an Xbox gamer, you may have to wait for Halo Wars 3 to make use of your HDR TV. But if you’re a PC gamer, give this bad boy a try, and we promise you won’t be disappointed with the look of the game in 4k.