Do you need Xbox Live for Halo: Reach on PC?
Learn whether you need to sign up for Xbox Live Gold to play Halo: Reach, or other games in the Master Chief Collection, on PC.
Halo: Reach is now on PC and many players are wondering whether they need Xbox Live to play online. The reason for this question is that all Xbox titles require an Xbox Live Gold subscription in order to play multiplayer. But with the Master Chief Collection on PC, and PCs having no inherent subscription service, it all gets a bit murky.
Do you need Xbox Live for Halo: Reach on PC
As to whether or not you need Xbox Live to play Halo: Reach on PC, the answer is yes and no: you need an Xbox Live account to play Halo: Reach on PC, but you do not need the full Gold subscription. The distinction here is important. An Xbox Live account is entirely free whereas the Gold subscription is only for console players.
If you’re playing Halo: Reach or any of the other Halo titles in the Master Chief Collection on PC, you will not need to pay any extra on a Gold subscription. You can sign up for an Xbox Live account and immediately get into the action of playing multiplayer, Firefight, and the campaign with other people.
It’s worth noting that even though you may have purchased Halo: Reach through Steam, you must still sign in using an Xbox Live account. The reason for this is that all the information still gets sent through Microsoft’s services. This also adds another layer of assistance when it comes to playing Halo: Reach with friends, if they can’t join via a Steam invite, try sending one through the Xbox Console Companion app.
Outside of the cost of purchasing Halo: Reach or the Master Chief Collection, playing these Halo titles on PC is free. There is no subscription cost and you won’t need to sign up for Xbox Live Gold. The only thing you need to sign up for is an Xbox Live account, which is entirely free.
