Halo: Campaign Evolved Scales Well from PS5 Pro to Xbox Series S Despite Its Full-Throated Unreal Engine 5 Features

Halo: Campaign Evolved marks the first time that a series title has launched simultaneously on Xbox and PlayStation consoles, with four target platforms varying significantly in performance terms. How does the new remaster and its Unreal Engine 5 underpinnings scale from Xbox Series S to PS5 Pro? And does this ambitious remake deliver a consistent experience across all four machines?

Starting with the Xbox Series X, players are presented with a 30fps quality and 60fps performance mode. Surprisingly, the graphical disparity between the two modes is minimal, as both use the full gamut of UE5 features - including VSM, Nanite and hardware-accelerated Lumen reflections and diffuse global illumination. While close inspection reveals subtle differences in BVH coverage and lighting density, the lower-detail RT is unlikely to be noticed during active gameplay.

However, performance mode still has some necessary concessions. Foliage density is reduced for grass and shrubs, while shadows appear softer and lower-res compared to quality mode. Ground detail, such as small rock formations, is also slightly sparser. Image quality also differs; the performance mode is noticeably softer, and both modes suffer from unavoidable chromatic aberration and film grain, which can homogenise the visual output. Despite these minor issues and some Lumen noise, the overall lighting remains stable enough to not draw too much ire. In terms of internal resolutions, we measured ~1224p in performance mode and ~1440p in quality mode - decent counts for a UE5 title using almost all of the headline features. The upscaling target in quality mode also appears to be higher than in performance mode.

In terms of performance, the Series X is remarkably consistent. The quality mode maintains a locked 30fps, while the performance mode delivers a stable 60fps throughout the vast majority of the campaign. Occasional frame-rate drops in performance mode appear in the most demanding firefights - such as the hangar shootout in chapter three - but these are infrequent exceptions. Pre-rendered cutscenes remain locked to 30fps on Xbox and exhibit periodic dropped frames, which disrupts the otherwise smooth pacing of the real-time gameplay.

Xbox Series S performance is equally impressive. Despite its hardware limitations, the console manages to leverage the same core Unreal Engine 5 technologies as its more powerful sibling, including hardware Lumen reflections. While there are visual trade-offs - such as significantly reduced foliage density, lack of foliage animation in performance mode and more aggressive texture filtering - the game retains a broadly similar visual character to the Series X. The internal resolution is significantly lower, typically hovering around 720p in performance mode and around 800p in quality mode, but the performance remains largely consistent.

Moving to Sony's hardware, the PS5 offers an experience almost identical to Series X, with consistent settings and performance characteristics across both quality and performance modes. While minor variances in shadow handling or tessellated detail can be spotted in side-by-side comparisons, the two consoles are effectively on parity in terms of image quality and overall presentation. Notably, the cutscene stuttering observed on the Xbox platforms is absent on the PlayStation consoles, providing a more cohesive experience.

The more powerful PS5 Pro elevates the experience further, particularly in its performance mode - which mirrors the settings of the base console's quality mode. By using Sony's enhanced PSSR upscaling, the Pro also produces a noticeably sharper, cleaner image that mitigates some of the lingering anti-aliasing artefacts seen elsewhere. Resolutions hover in the 1224p range, just like the base machine, but resolved image quality is substantially better. Frame-rates are also smoother than PS5, with few dips even in heavy scenes.

The Pro quality mode is a bit less exciting. Visual settings seem broadly on par with the PS5 quality mode, with similar foliage density and lighting detail. Image quality is better though - PSSR 2 should take the lion's share of the credit here, but internal resolutions are also somewhat higher than the base machine. One shot that counted at 1440p on the base console hit about 1728p on the Pro, for instance.

Beyond the technical comparisons, Halo: Campaign Evolved is undeniably a beautiful game. It serves as a near-perfect showcase for Unreal Engine 5, with high-end lighting and materials that bring the iconic Halo aesthetic to life with unprecedented fidelity. The synergy between Halo's art design and Lumen's per-pixel diffuse GI creates a visual experience that significantly outclasses previous entries in the series, including Halo Infinite, successfully capturing the tone of the 2001 original while updating it for contemporary tastes.

Ultimately, Halo: Campaign Evolved stands as a technically astute remake that comes highly recommended across all platforms. While there are minor performance quibbles and some criticisms regarding the forced use of post-processing effects like chromatic aberration, the game succeeds in delivering a high-end next-gen experience. Whether on the base consoles or the premium PS5 Pro, the title remains a testament to the versatility of Unreal Engine 5 and the talent of the developers involved.