Halo 1 & 2 for PC
This topic has moved here: Subject: Why the hell ?
  • Subject: Why the hell ?
Subject: Why the hell ?
  • gamertag: Jenkiz
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No7hing, but the Tru7h.

Why the hell are Halo 2's Video Card requirement so high ? This game was released in 2004 ! I remember playing it on the Xbox hoping to, one day, play it on the PC.

  • 06.27.2011 12:11 AM PDT

Because graphics have been improved.

[Edited on 06.27.2011 12:33 AM PDT]

  • 06.27.2011 12:32 AM PDT

Bring Back Rocket Race!!!


Posted by: Jenkiz
Why the hell are Halo 2's Video Card requirement so high ? This game was released in 2004 ! I remember playing it on the Xbox hoping to, one day, play it on the PC.


The PC port was released in 2007 though so naturally the requirements would be higher than the Xbox version. Most PC's today including laptops can handle Halo 2 Vista now.

But the reason why the requirements are higher is because aside from the improved high resolution textures, Halo 2 Vista also uses a completely new shader model version than the Xbox version. Plus, the engine has been updated and optimized to run on DirectX 9 rather than DirectX 8.1 on the original xbox. All of these improvements significantly increase the system requirements of the game compared to the original xbox version.

Now of course, you're right, the game still does have pretty high system requirements. Games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 which I believe has better graphics than Halo 2 Vista don't require such a powerful graphics card. So, I'd say the game's graphic engine is a bit inefficient, probably because it's completely based off the original xbox version and thus was not optimized for this.

Now on the other hand, the requirements might be reasonable. Assuming Halo 2 took the full power of the xbox to run, the game's system requirements would've been something like this:

Intel Pentium 3 or Celeron @ 733 MHz
64 MB RAM
64 MB Video RAM

Those requirements don't seem like much, but 64 MB Video RAM is kind of a lot for average PC's back in 2007. Plus, since the game's graphics are significantly updated in the PC version, those specs can be doubled or even tripled. Therefore, if it's doubled, 128 MB video RAM would be required which was pretty high for computers, especially laptops back in 2007 or pre-2007. Actually, the requirements of Halo 2 Vista are about double of the xbox version. The RAM is tripled probably because of Windows Vista and Games For WIndows Live.

But yeah, that's why. Hope that answers your questions.

  • 06.27.2011 12:41 AM PDT
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  • Noble Legendary Member

Halo 1&2 PC forum's resident OC ReMixer. Like rockified and metalized video game music? Subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Yeah. That's right. I don't have a 50 in H3. I never got Onyx in Reach. If a game sucks too much, I won't even bother trying for such trivial "accolades". Besides, I've done way more things that take far more skill and talent than anything that can be done in a video game.

The requirements are so high because it's an extremely shoddy port. Hired Gun didn't bother optimizing the graphics correctly. There are people running CoD MW2 cranked that have to run H2V on low because of Hired Gun's crappy job porting over the graphics.

  • 06.27.2011 1:26 AM PDT

Bring Back Rocket Race!!!


Posted by: DusK
The requirements are so high because it's an extremely shoddy port. Hired Gun didn't bother optimizing the graphics correctly. There are people running CoD MW2 cranked that have to run H2V on low because of Hired Gun's crappy job porting over the graphics.


But then again, COD MW2 isn't a graphically demanding game to begin with. I can run it on my school laptops which have a single core Intel Celeron with 1 GB of RAM. The video cards are Intel-based and can barely handle Windows Aero. However, they do support all the latest standards (pixel shaders etc.). Of course playing MW2 on a laptop like that makes the game look like something you'd find on the Wii.

Hired Gun didn't just port the graphics. They improved it a lot and upgraded the engine to support newer standards as well as adding more graphical enhancement options. Halo 2 Vista specs are only about 2x that of the original xbox. For most PC's today, it's not that big of a deal. Back when original Xbox came out, most PC's didn't even have 64 MB graphic cards. I'd say 128 MB is pretty average today for low-end graphic cards which is why most PC's can run Halo 2 Vista now.

However, I don't deny that the graphics engine is inefficient. Clearly it wasn't fully optimized to take advantage of all the modern standards.

[Edited on 06.27.2011 1:47 AM PDT]

  • 06.27.2011 1:46 AM PDT
  •  | 
  • Noble Legendary Member

Halo 1&2 PC forum's resident OC ReMixer. Like rockified and metalized video game music? Subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Yeah. That's right. I don't have a 50 in H3. I never got Onyx in Reach. If a game sucks too much, I won't even bother trying for such trivial "accolades". Besides, I've done way more things that take far more skill and talent than anything that can be done in a video game.

It wasn't even optimized well enough to take advantage of standards of its release year. Stop dickin' around. There's no point in lying to defend this game. The graphics are coded like crap. Fact. Stop misleading people.

  • 06.27.2011 1:49 AM PDT
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  • Elder Legendary Member

Yes, I am a hypocrite, and I'm sorry. I really do mean well, but I'm not running on all cylinders.

Everytime someone buys a copy of Halo 2 Vista, a puppy dies.

The comparison screens are a bit unfair since the Xbox shots are obviously digital photographs of the screen and not actual digital images.

  • 06.27.2011 2:11 AM PDT

Bring Back Rocket Race!!!


Posted by: DusK
It wasn't even optimized well enough to take advantage of standards of its release year. Stop dickin' around. There's no point in lying to defend this game. The graphics are coded like crap. Fact. Stop misleading people.


It's also a fact that the graphics are significantly better than the xbox version. Whether they run efficiently or not was not my point. My point was that the graphics are better and were improved from the xbox version. It's not like the graphics are the exact same or were downgraded. Just because you had a bad experience with Halo 2 Vista doesn't mean everyone else will. I'm just merely listing all the positives of Halo 2 Vista while all you do is whine and complain about the negatives of it.

  • 06.27.2011 2:11 AM PDT
  •  | 
  • Noble Legendary Member

Halo 1&2 PC forum's resident OC ReMixer. Like rockified and metalized video game music? Subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Yeah. That's right. I don't have a 50 in H3. I never got Onyx in Reach. If a game sucks too much, I won't even bother trying for such trivial "accolades". Besides, I've done way more things that take far more skill and talent than anything that can be done in a video game.

Positive: Textures resolutions and screen resolution has increased.
Negative: The game requires an absurdly powerful video card considering how much the graphics still suck.

Not a good trade-off imo.

  • 06.27.2011 2:29 AM PDT

Bring Back Rocket Race!!!


Posted by: DusK
Positive: Textures resolutions and screen resolution has increased.
Negative: The game requires an absurdly powerful video card considering how much the graphics still suck.

Not a good trade-off imo.


I agree with you. But if you have a computer that can handle Halo 2 Vista at good settings (most new computers today can), then I don't see the harm in getting Halo 2 Vista. Especially because it's now the only way to play Halo 2 online since the XBox version can't play online anymore and XBC is kind of limited.

  • 06.27.2011 2:36 AM PDT
  •  | 
  • Noble Legendary Member

Halo 1&2 PC forum's resident OC ReMixer. Like rockified and metalized video game music? Subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Yeah. That's right. I don't have a 50 in H3. I never got Onyx in Reach. If a game sucks too much, I won't even bother trying for such trivial "accolades". Besides, I've done way more things that take far more skill and talent than anything that can be done in a video game.


Posted by: General Heed

Posted by: DusK
Positive: Textures resolutions and screen resolution has increased.
Negative: The game requires an absurdly powerful video card considering how much the graphics still suck.

Not a good trade-off imo.


I agree with you. But if you have a computer that can handle Halo 2 Vista at good settings (most new computers today can), then I don't see the harm in getting Halo 2 Vista.

I do. That's $10 you could have spent on a game that's actually good.

[Edited on 06.27.2011 2:39 AM PDT]

  • 06.27.2011 2:39 AM PDT

Bring Back Rocket Race!!!


Posted by: DusK

Posted by: General Heed

Posted by: DusK
Positive: Textures resolutions and screen resolution has increased.
Negative: The game requires an absurdly powerful video card considering how much the graphics still suck.

Not a good trade-off imo.


I agree with you. But if you have a computer that can handle Halo 2 Vista at good settings (most new computers today can), then I don't see the harm in getting Halo 2 Vista.

I do. That's $10 you could have spent on a game that's actually good.


Halo 2 Vista is every bit as good as the Xbox version, maybe even better in some aspects. Therefore, I think it's a good game. The Xbox version was a legend. Perhaps the PC version will never be as famous or legendary as Halo 2 Xbox, but in terms of quality, it's just as good if not better.

  • 06.27.2011 6:22 AM PDT


Posted by: General Heed

Posted by: DusK

Posted by: General Heed

Posted by: DusK
Positive: Textures resolutions and screen resolution has increased.
Negative: The game requires an absurdly powerful video card considering how much the graphics still suck.

Not a good trade-off imo.


I agree with you. But if you have a computer that can handle Halo 2 Vista at good settings (most new computers today can), then I don't see the harm in getting Halo 2 Vista.

I do. That's $10 you could have spent on a game that's actually good.


Halo 2 Vista is every bit as good as the Xbox version, maybe even better in some aspects. Therefore, I think it's a good game. The Xbox version was a legend. Perhaps the PC version will never be as famous or legendary as Halo 2 Xbox, but in terms of quality, it's just as good if not better.

I was fine with this post right up until it's just as good, if not better quality. H2V doesn't match H2X there, since the game is incredibly buggy and many people have a hard time getting it to run, let alone playing it on a PC. The fact that basic features such as good m+k support, mod tools lacking compared to their console counterparts and online co-op (which is sort of available through a sadly unfinished mod) make H2V seem like a considerably less quality game compared to H2X. However, the upgraded texture's are nice, along with achievements, but it's clear that the port was aimed at die hard fans of H2X, rather than Halo PC gamers.

  • 06.27.2011 8:03 AM PDT

Bring Back Rocket Race!!!


Posted by: Wilis_kid

Posted by: General Heed

Posted by: DusK

Posted by: General Heed

Posted by: DusK
Positive: Textures resolutions and screen resolution has increased.
Negative: The game requires an absurdly powerful video card considering how much the graphics still suck.

Not a good trade-off imo.


I agree with you. But if you have a computer that can handle Halo 2 Vista at good settings (most new computers today can), then I don't see the harm in getting Halo 2 Vista.

I do. That's $10 you could have spent on a game that's actually good.


Halo 2 Vista is every bit as good as the Xbox version, maybe even better in some aspects. Therefore, I think it's a good game. The Xbox version was a legend. Perhaps the PC version will never be as famous or legendary as Halo 2 Xbox, but in terms of quality, it's just as good if not better.

I was fine with this post right up until it's just as good, if not better quality. H2V doesn't match H2X there, since the game is incredibly buggy and many people have a hard time getting it to run, let alone playing it on a PC. The fact that basic features such as good m+k support, mod tools lacking compared to their console counterparts and online co-op (which is sort of available through a sadly unfinished mod) make H2V seem like a considerably less quality game compared to H2X. However, the upgraded texture's are nice, along with achievements, but it's clear that the port was aimed at die hard fans of H2X, rather than Halo PC gamers.


I don't recall the xbox counterparts every having official mod tools. And the ones available are no where near as extensive as the xbox versions. You can create so much more in Halo 2 Vista than Halo 2 Xbox.

And Halo 1 PC also didn't have campaign co-op even though the xbox version did. But i guess you're right that H2V was meant for H2X fans. I was a fan of H2X and I like H2V for similar reasons that I liked H2X.

  • 06.27.2011 3:27 PM PDT

Halo 3

I just don't like how there's no structure to the matches in H2V. I need matchmaking. Just a personal view I guess.

  • 06.27.2011 4:43 PM PDT