Halo Wars: Definitive Edition FAQ

When you purchase an Xbox Play Anywhere game digitally, it’s yours to play on both Xbox and Windows 10. You only need to purchase the game once via Microsoft Store on your Xbox or Windows 10 device and it’ll appear in your game library wherever you sign in.

If you purchased the game on Xbox and want to play it on Windows 10, sign in on your Windows 10 device. If the game is already installed on your device, it’ll appear in your list of apps; otherwise, you can install it by opening the Store and selecting My library.

If you purchased the game on Windows 10 and want to play it on your Xbox console, sign in on your console and go to My games and apps. If the game is already installed, it’ll appear in your game list; otherwise, you can find it in the Ready to install section.

To learn more about Xbox Play Anywhere, and to see which games are supported, visit the Xbox Play Anywhere website. You can also see Troubleshoot problems with Xbox Play Anywhere games if you’re having any problems finding Halo Wars: Definitive Edition or content on your Xbox One or Windows 10 device.

Note Although Halo Wars: Definitive Edition is also available to purchase and play on Steam, it's not included as part of the Xbox Play Anywhere program.

Halo Wars: Definitive Edition can be purchased from Microsoft Store – visit the Halo Wars: Definitive Edition product detail page and select the option to purchase the game.

Halo Wars: Definitive Edition is also included as part of the Halo Wars 2: Ultimate Edition bundle. Once you purchase Halo Wars 2: Ultimate Edition, you'll automatically receive Halo Wars: Definitive Edition in your game library on Xbox One and Windows 10.

You won’t need to purchase Halo Wars: Definitive Edition separately as you already own it as an incentive for pre-ordering Halo Wars 2.

You can also purchase Halo Wars: Definitive Edition on Steam – visit Steam for more info.

To download and install Halo Wars: Definitive Edition on Windows 10, you need a device running version 1607, with OS Build 14393.0 or later.

Additionally, your device must be running a 64-bit version of Windows 10. If you have a 32-bit version, you won’t be able to play Halo Wars: Definitive Edition.

To see whether you're running an appropriate version of Windows on your device:

1. Go to Start, type About your PC, and then select About your PC.
2. Look under PC for Edition to find out which version and edition of Windows your PC is running. Make sure this is at least 1607.
3. Look under PC for OS Build and make sure this is at least 14393.0.
4. Look under PC for System type to see if you're running a 32-bit or a 64-bit version of Windows.

If you don't see a version listed, you need to update before you can download the game. There are a couple of ways you can do this:

• Go to Start and select Settings > Update & security > Windows Update. See if any relevant updates are available.
  Note If it's been less than 31 days since you upgraded to Windows 10, you won't get the 1607 update right away. This is to allow you to go back to your previous version of Windows if you choose. After the 31 days have passed, your PC will automatically download the 1607 update.
• See the Windows Update: FAQ page to upgrade your device to Windows 10 with the latest update.

If you have version K or KN of Windows 10, you may need to download additional software. These are available as a free download. To do this, visit https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3099229.

Yes, you need to have DirectX 11 with feature level 11.1 or later installed to play Halo Wars: Definitive Edition.

If you’re not sure if you have DirectX 11 installed, here’s how you can check:

1. Press the Windows logo key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type "dxdiag" and then press Enter to launch the DirectX Diagnostic Tool.
3. On the System tab in the System Information window, look for the DirectX version listed. The version must be 11 or higher to run Halo Wars: Definitive Edition.
4. On the Display tab for your graphics card, look under Drivers for the Feature Levels supported and make sure that 11_1 appears in the list.

The hardware requirements for Halo Wars: Definitive Edition will vary depending on whether you’re playing on Xbox or Windows 10. Visit the product detail page for each platform to determine the size of the game, the system requirements (particularly for Windows 10 devices), as well as any additional info about the game.

Note As this is an Xbox Play Anywhere game, you can purchase it digitally on either Xbox or Windows 10 and own both versions of the game. The product detail pages are called out for each platform for info only—you don’t need to purchase the game twice.

Xbox

To view the installation requirements for Xbox, visit the Halo Wars: Definitive Edition product detail page.

To see if your Xbox has enough available disc space to install Halo Wars: Definitive Edition:

1. Press the Xbox button  to open the guide, select Home, and then scroll right to My games and apps.
2. Check the available drive space displayed at the bottom-left corner of the screen. If you don’t have enough space, you’ll either need to remove some of your existing games and apps, or add an external drive to your console.

If you’re using an external storage device with your console and want to change the default installation location:

1. Double-tap the Xbox button  to open the guide, and then select Settings > All settings.
2. Select System > Storage.
3. Under Manage storage, your default storage location is indicated by a triangle in the top-right corner.

Windows 10

To view the system requirements for Windows 10, visit the Windows 10 Halo Wars: Definitive Edition product detail page.

If you don’t know your GPU (graphics processor) or VRAM (video memory), here’s how you can check:

1. Go to Start > Settings > System.
2. On the Display tab, scroll to the bottom and select Advanced display settings.
3. Scroll to the bottom and select Display adapter properties. The Adapter Type will display the name of the GPU, and the Dedicated Memory will display the VRAM.

See How to find out if a game will work on your Windows 10 device for more info about how to check your device.

To determine how much available disk space your Windows 10 device has, and to change the location your game will save to:

1. Go to Settings > System > Storage.
2. The used disk space for each drive on your device will be displayed. Make sure you have enough available space on your hard drive.

See Find out how much storage your PC has for more info about how to check your Windows 10 device.

We recommend that you check the device specifications first to make sure your device meets the minimum requirements.

If you've already purchased the game, you can try adjusting the in-game graphics options.

For a full list of tips and tricks to improve your in-game performance, visit the Halo Wars website.

The download time can vary depending on the speed of your Internet connection. On average, it takes about 3 hours to download 30 GB over a 20-Mbps connection.

Follow the steps in the What are the hardware requirements? section above to find the size of the game on Xbox and Windows 10. This may vary depending on which device you’re installing to.

The table below represents estimated download times based on current download speed.

Note This info is intended as a guide only, not an actual representation of download time. Bandwidth will be constrained and download time will increase during activities such as streaming content, playing games, or game streaming from your Xbox One to a Windows 10 PC

Example

If you're installing a 40 GB file and it's 25 percent downloaded (30 GB remaining) and your connection speed is 10 Mb/s, it should take about 4.4 hours for the download to complete. (This assumes that the download speed stays the same.)

While you're downloading the game, do not cancel the download or shut down your computer. The Halo Wars: Definitive Edition icon will appear in the listed Installed Apps section of the Start menu on Xbox, and in My Library on your Windows 10 device.

Note You may be subject to additional Internet fees while you download the game.

If you believe you’re experiencing a slow download of the game, visit Troubleshoot slow game or app downloads on Xbox One or Fix network connection issues in Windows 10 for additional troubleshooting steps.

You can use a mouse and keyboard or a game controller (Xbox One or Xbox 360 controller is recommended). If you use an Xbox One controller with your Windows 10 device, you'll need either a USB cable to connect it or an Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows.

You can also connect an Xbox One S or Xbox Design Lab controller to your Windows 10 device using Bluetooth. For more details, visit Using Xbox One Wireless Controllers on a PC.

Yes, you'll need a Microsoft account to play Halo Wars: Definitive Edition. If you already play games on Xbox One or Xbox 360, you can use the same account you use for those games to also play on Windows 10. For more details, see the Microsoft account FAQ page.

If you’re planning to be in an area with no online coverage, such as a long-distance flight or a sailing excursion, you can prepare your Windows 10 device to allow you to play Halo Wars: Definitive Edition offline.

For details on how to configure your Windows 10 device for offline play, visit Play games offline on Windows 10 using Offline mode.

If you play offline, some features, such as the ability to purchase additional items from Microsoft Store, will not be available. Additionally, any leaderboards will be unavailable while you're offline.

If you earn any achievements while playing offline, they will sync to your account the next time you sign in to Xbox Live on your device. Your game save progress will also sync when you sign in to Xbox Live.

You also won't be able to use the benefits of Xbox Live while offline. See Why should I sign in to Xbox Live with a Microsoft account? below for details.

You can install and play Halo Wars: Definitive Edition on any Xbox or PC, as long as you sign in and remain online. If you want to play offline, you must be on your home console or main Windows 10 device.

For example, if you share your main Windows 10 device with other people, and you sign in to the Store with your Microsoft account to download Halo Wars: Definitive Edition, you can share the game with one other user. That user can sign in with their own Microsoft account, and maintain their own game progress and achievements, providing they sign in before playing.

Yes! You can play in co-op mode locally, as well as multiplayer gaming with 2-6 players on either Xbox One, Windows 10, or Steam:

• Xbox One players can play with other Xbox One players.
• Windows 10 can play with other Windows 10 players.
• Steam players can play with other Steam players.

Note Cross-play multiplayer is not possible between Xbox One and Windows 10.

Note Halo Wars: Definitive Edition doesn't support cross-play multiplayer between Xbox One, Windows 10 or Steam.

No, the Xbox 360 version is different from the Xbox One and Windows 10 versions, so your progress and achievements won’t carry over.

When you connect Halo Wars: Definitive Edition to the Xbox Live service, you get the following benefits while you play on your Xbox or Windows 10 device.

Note You must connect to Xbox Live through the Xbox app to launch Halo Wars: Definitive Edition on Windows 10. See Do I need to be online or connected to the Internet to play Halo Wars: Definitive Edition on a Windows 10 device? above.

• Stay connected to the Xbox Live community, view achievements, watch game clips, and more.
• Store your saved games in the cloud and continue playing on a different PC right from where you left off.
• Play with your Xbox Wireless Controller on Windows 10 using the Xbox Wireless Adapter.
• Easily record, narrate, and share your most epic gaming moments with built-in Game DVR. Any game clips you capture while playing Halo Wars: Definitive Edition on Windows 10 can be accessed via the Xbox app. For more info, visit Benefits of running the Xbox app while playing a game on Windows 10. For Xbox One, see Record game clips with Game DVR.