Baldur’s Gate 3 finally leaves early access and enters full release this August, but the underpowered Xbox Series S means Xbox players will likely miss out.
Amongst the announcements made at last week’s PlayStation State of Play was Baldur’s Gate 3 finally receiving a release date of August 31, 2023. This no doubt left players on PS5, Mac and PC elated that the full version of the hotly anticipated RPG is set to arrive soon following an extended period in early access. Players on Xbox, however, currently aren’t expected to be able to play on day one, and the reason is Microsoft’s digital-only Xbox Series S console.
Developer Larian Studios hinted as much in a statement to IGN soon after the new trailer was shown. “We’ve had an Xbox version of Baldur’s Gate 3 in the works for some time, but we have run into some technical issues,” the studio said. It goes on to cite problems with split-screen co-op as the primary concern, revealing that an Xbox version is being worked on but that co-op isn’t comparable on both Xbox Series X|S.
Split-screen co-op seemingly works fine on PS5, then, at least to the extent that Larian is confident confirming Baldur’s Gate 3’s release at Sony’s own digital event. This console exclusivity therefore isn’t by design, with Larian going on to explain: “we want to make sure each version lives up to our standards & expectations.” Studio boss Swen Vincke also took to Twitter to confirm that no exclusivity between Larian and PlayStation has been signed, saying, "Relax. We still aren't playing the exclusivity game."
There’s still a chance that Baldur’s Gate 3 will launch on Xbox this August 31, 2023, but only if Larian can get successfully get split-screen co-op working flawlessly on the Xbox Series S. In the meantime, the new trailer also revealed that J.K Simmons will voice a character, whilst we got a proper look at the Deluxe and Collector's Edition.
Roll the dice
Baldur’s Gate 3 is no doubt one of the most ambitious RPGs set to release this year, with Larian Studios building off the success of its celebrated Divinity: Original Sin games to give fantasy fans a robust role-playing experience. What I’ve played in early access promises an impressive degree of player choice and story flexibility, hence why it’d be a shame for players on Xbox Series X|S to miss out.
The inclusion of split-screen co-op might not be make or break for a lot of modern players. But in a game like Baldur’s Gate 3, where the entire adventure revolves around journeying out and making decisions as a unique party of heroes, sharing the experience with friends is crucial to channelling that true Dungeons & Dragons like experience.
I’m confident that Larian will find a workaround and get the game out on Xbox eventually, but glad that other platforms won’t be punished while it does so.
