Console Gamers Finally Getting Access to Baldur’s Gate 3: Xbox Release Coming Soon
Gamers all over the world have been eagerly waiting for the release of Baldur’s Gate 3, the highly anticipated role-playing game developed by Larian Studios. However, one major subset of gamers has been left in the dark regarding when they can experience the chaotic joy of the game – console players.
While it has been confirmed that Baldur’s Gate 3 will be releasing on PlayStation 5 on September 6th, Xbox players have been uncertain about when they can expect the game to hit their console of choice. Thankfully, a recent tweet from Larian Studios’ CEO, Swen Vincke, has shed some light on the situation.
In the tweet, Vincke stated that Xbox players can expect Baldur’s Gate 3 to arrive “this year.” This news comes as a relief to Xbox players who have been eagerly waiting to dive into the immersive world of the game. Vincke also assured players that all improvements made for other platforms will be present in the Xbox version of the game.
However, Vincke did mention one limitation for Xbox players – the Series S console won’t have split-screen co-op functionality. This may disappoint some players who were hoping to enjoy the game with their friends locally. Additionally, cross-save progression for Baldur’s Gate 3 is only confirmed to work between Xbox and Steam, potentially hindering cross-play between PS5 and Xbox players.
While this announcement is certainly good news for Xbox players, it does highlight the challenges developers face when creating next-gen games for different console models. In a previous post by Larian Studios’ director of publishing, it was revealed that implementing the split-screen feature on the less powerful Series S console was technically prohibitive.
Typically, Xbox requires that a game’s features be present on both versions of its consoles. However, it appears that Xbox CEO Phil Spencer has given Larian Studios permission to release Baldur’s Gate 3 on the Series S without the split-screen functionality.
Although the vague release window of “this year” does not provide Xbox players with a clear idea of when they can explore the world of Faerûn, it is hopeful that the wait won’t be too long after the game’s PlayStation debut on September 6th.
With Baldur’s Gate 3 being one of the most highly anticipated games of recent years, players from all platforms are eagerly awaiting the chance to embark on their adventure through this immersive and expansive world. For fans who have yet to experience the game, the wait is almost over, and soon console players will finally be able to join in on the excitement.