Halo: Campaign Evolved has officially entered early access on the Xbox App and Game Pass, but players using the ROG Xbox Ally X are facing significant performance hurdles. The game defaults to a Very Low graphics preset with a 30 FPS lock, which forces the handheld to draw 27 to 28 watts of power just to maintain that baseline. This setup feels restrictive for a device that is technically more powerful than competing handhelds, leaving buyers wondering if they need to tweak settings to get a playable experience.
Default settings lock framerate at 30 FPS while drawing 27 to 28 watts of power
Microsoft released this title as part of the broader Halo franchise, and it is now available globally for $69.99. The game runs on the ROG Xbox Ally X, a PC handheld powered by AMD hardware. While the device is capable of higher speeds, the game's default configuration does not take full advantage of the hardware's potential out of the box.
The default performance profile locks the framerate at 30 FPS and sets the render scale to 100%. This combination results in a steady battery drain of around 27 to 28 watts. Players who want to see higher numbers can enable FSR upscaling on the High setting, which pushes the framerate into the 50s. However, this boost comes with a visual cost, as the upscaling introduces noticeable shimmering pixelation across the screen.
There is an alternative upscaling method called TSR that offers better visual fidelity than FSR. The tradeoff is that TSR delivers lower performance compared to the FSR High setting. A reviewer noted that playing on the Xbox Ally X feels like making major compromises, which is surprising given the hardware's power relative to other devices like the Steam Deck. Users must choose between a smoother framerate with visual artifacts or a cleaner image with lower frame rates.
We looked at the last Halo: Campaign Evolved update earlier while tracking balance and stability themes. The current early access build requires manual configuration to achieve a balanced experience on handheld hardware. The game is confirmed to be available now on the Xbox App and Game Pass for $69.99.
Source: Halo, SteamDeckHQ
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