Pretty much since the launch of the game in late 2021, the Halo Infinite community has been very vocal about player de-sync issues in online multiplayer. Well, it looks like our prayers are being answered as 343 provides a huge update on the future of its under-the-hood multiplayer tech.
Taking to Twitter this week, Halo community manager John Junyszek has detailed lots of the team's plans for the long-term future of Halo Infinite. Networking seems to be right at the top of its priority list, with "fundamental changes" in the works at 343 Industries. Here's what Junyszek had to say about the future of Halo Infinite networking:
"We touched on it during a Spartan Chatter earlier this year but wanted to speak to it again since it’s coming up as a common topic after Season 5’s launch. Previously, our focus was on improving the existing system bit by bit. However, we recognized that this was not having the impact that we wanted – and you expected – so we decided to pursue fundamental changes to the underlying networking model.
Since this decision was made, the team has been heads down on a more comprehensive overhaul. An endeavor of this scale takes time, which is why we haven’t had many updates to share. Significant work has been done here already, with more still underway. We’ll share more when it gets closer to a public testing phase."
While it sounds like it's going to be a while before we see and feel these networking changes on public servers, it's good to see 343 take this seriously and look to properly fix the issue in the long-term. It's been a long-standing issue, but hopefully we're well on the way to 'de-sync' being a thing of the past in Halo Infinite.
If you're unsure on what de-sync is or haven't spotted it yourself in-game (it doesn't happen that often in our experience), it's basically a feeling that your shots don't land because the enemy's position isn't synced up with your on-screen experience - leading to missed shots and frustrating firefights. If this is stamped out by 343 in future, it should make for smoother online play across the board.
In that same Twitter post, Junyszek also addresses several other areas that are being looked at and worked on at the Halo developer, including improvements to the Custom Game Browser, Spartan Customization, general game stability and more.
Is this a big problem in your experience? Happy to see it being worked on? Lower your shields and drop your thoughts down below.
[source x.com]
Comments 8
Considering this has been a major problem since launch that many have complained about i'm surprised they are just addressing it now. Hopefully it fixes all the sync issues.
It is about time.
Every time I have an itch to play Halo, it is always ruined by desync.
What's whole is when my girlfriend and I play it on a ur side by side TVs, you can see how dramatically desynced it is with our screens showing dramatically different things.
Reminds me of the lag that was an everyday occurrence back in Halo 3, the amount of times I'd assassinate someone and then it would suddenly jump forward and I'd have missed them and instead been killed...
When I played MCC recently it was massively better, and not had too many issues with Infinite - so hopefully whatever 343 have done and are doing will resolve the final gremlins and be useful for future releases too...
From my perspective, I think it makes sense to completely overhaul what they inherited from Bungie - even though they have spent time/effort in updating and tweaking things over the years. If the Networking was anything like the Engine, its probably long overdue a complete overhaul, maybe even consider building/using a new system for the Long Term future.
Obviously that will take longer and you don't want to 'switch' over or take the game 'offline' for any longer than necessary. It seems like they have 'exhausted' all the tweaks etc and not seeing enough impact to keep flogging away at their old existing system and looking at an alternative.
Since Xbox One, there is no proper Halo matching in Japan. Very slow matchmaking times make it hard to play even if you like the gameplay.
@xboxjapanfan sadly that won't change without a population there to play it.
Europe is definitely better but even it lags way behind North America and possibly South America too.
@ParsnipHero Thank you. Xbox in Japan is recovering, but as far as Halo is concerned, its popularity remains down, and I pray for the day when online play will be as comfortable as it was with Halo Reach for Xbox 360.
@xboxjapanfan here’s hoping!
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