Whether it be the Xbox Series X or Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, scalpers have been quick to gobble up available stock and sell electronics at inflated prices, but it seems that Microsoft is trying to ward off speculators with its new AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT GPU Halo Infinite Edition.
In a blog post, Microsoft announced a new branding partnership with AMD and other hardware manufacturers. The item of most attention is a gorgeous AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT GPU inspired by Master Chief's Mark VII Mjolnir armor. It has the military green Master Chief is most known for, as well as gold accents around the middle fan. Clearly, for Halo PC fans, this is a must-have card. But Microsoft and AMD are all too aware of the current crunch on product production, and how quickly opportunists will be willing to flip this card for a hefty profit.
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Instead of selling the Halo Infinite Edition RX 6900 XT at stores, Microsoft and AMD are looking towards another system to ensure fans get this limited edition GPU.
"From the start, it was vitally important to both AMD and 343 Industries that a card this special ended up in the hands of our players," said Noah Benesch, product marketing manager for the Halo franchise in a Halo Waypoint post. "Rest assured, while the Limited Edition Halo Infinite AMD Radeon 6900XT won’t be going on sale, AMD, Halo and other partners will be offering players multiple opportunities over the coming weeks to get their hands on one. Stay tuned for an announcement later today [Oct. 21] on your first opportunity to enter and win!"
So, it looks like AMD and Microsoft will be raffling off cards. It's uncertain if the cards will be given away for free, or rather those that win will have the opportunity to buy one. That means that eager Halo fans will need to try their luck. Microsoft also did not unveil how much the card could potentially cost. Given that the MSRP on a RX 6900 XT is $999, it would likely be at least that. But considering it's a limited edition, if these cards are for sale, then it might be more.
Either way, keep an eye on the Halo Twitter account for the latest updates.
Along with the GPU announcement, Microsoft also unveiled that Ray Tracing would be coming to Halo Infinite both on PC and console. Considering that the Xbox Series S is significantly weaker than the Series X, we wouldn't be surprised if Ray Tracing is a feature reserved only for Microsoft's heftier console.
Microsoft also unveiled that, along with Razer, there will be a new Halo Infinite-themed mechanical keyboard, mouse and headset. These peripherals do not seem to be behind a raffle wall, meaning consumers should be able to go buy these items separately. A release date for these peripherals was not announced.
Halo Infinite is set to launch on Dec. 8.
