Halo 5 Beta: Scope Aiming Does Improve Accuracy

Aiming has changed in Halo, with players invited to join the Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer beta discovering that aiming down sights does indeed improve accuracy – something developer 343 Industries said would not be the case when they announced the feature. 

The biggest complaint about the beta by far is that that aiming down sights makes your bullet spread tighter, which improves your accuracy, this is in-spite of 343's claims that this wouldn't happen. 

As YouTuber Akki n Nyxi demonstrates in the video above, the SMG, BR, and the AR each have a tighter bullet spread when used in smart-scope mode. In a statement to Kotaku, 343 commented: 

"I want to clarify the function of the smart-link system. There is no penalty to hip fire while using smart-link. It's really important to us that you maintain freedom of movement, your shots remain accurate, etc. so that we aren't disrupting the natural movement and flow of Halo. In the case of automatic weapons (eg: AR, SMG) there is a slight improvement to shot spread while zoomed in via smart-link. However, the obvious trade-off is that getting shot while using smart-link will de-scope you, disrupting any benefit. 

"A reminder that H5:G is still very much in development and this beta is about getting the game in the hands of fans so that we can use your feedback to improve our multiplayer experience for the game's launch next fall. I appreciate all of the impressions that people have shared so far and look forward to receiving even more feedback once we launch the beta on December 29th."

It worth noting that the whole point of having the beta is to allow the developers a chance to iron out any issues and if there's enough of an uproar over scoping, perhaps that's something which will be dropped or at least modified in time for the game's release next year.