You may have seen today that Baldur's Gate 3 has received a PC release date of August 3rd and a PS5 release date of September 6th, but there's been no sign of an Xbox date. There's a good reason for that - the game's not ready yet!
Speaking to IGN, developer Larian explained that the Xbox Series S version of Baldur's Gate 3 isn't running the game well enough in split-screen mode right now, with the studio blaming the issue on BG3's overall size and complexity:
"You're very free in what you do, more free than people expect. That means you can run into a really big city that's much more dense than people expect. You can do all kinds of craziness, so it requires a lot of optimisation. On certain platforms we're just faster than on other platforms. It just takes us time. That's the reality of development."
Microsoft has brought in engineers from the Xbox Advanced Technology Group (ATG) to try and get Baldur's Gate 3 working effectively on Xbox Series S, and according to Larian, this has been a big help.
The hope right now is for the game to launch on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S at some point in 2023, although this isn't a promise. The intent is to only make "very limited" compromises at most, which is also why it's taking more time.
According to IGN's knowledge, Microsoft is still mandating feature parity across Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, so even if the studio decided to ditch split-screen for the latter, it seemingly wouldn't be allowed. It sounds like Larian is still very keen to get it working effectively on Series S anyway, so here's hoping a solution will be found soon!
"Everybody wants this out on Xbox. It's not that we don't want it out on Xbox. It's just that, our problem — and this is us, Larian — is that we just made a very big game. And it's a very complicated game."
What are your thoughts about this? Tell us down in the comments section below.
[source ign.com]
Comments 31
What? The same series S that IS NOT (according to Phil Spencer) holding back the series X? The series S was a huge miscalculation on Microsoft's part. At some stage, if the series X gets "pushed to it's limit" then surely the lower spec series S won't be able to cope? Series S is fast becoming the problem child. That's just my opinion, but it sure seems that way. I do hope I'm wrong though.
@Hutchilawd It's not holding back the Series X in this case. The Series X version probably runs just fine.
It's holding back itself. 😁😁
Note: Joke - I understand your point
Is this what people mean by the current generation hasn’t really started in earnest?
Xbox need to scrap the policy of games being released simultaneously on both consoles. Series X players are missing out because the S version isn’t up to standard. Surely that also leads to a potential loss of sales to the competition if the game isn’t out on the same date.
I have nothing against a series S version, but release it separate when it’s ready instead of letting it hold back the X. It’s ridiculous.
I'm getting it on my x. Can't wait
Xbox continues to be the place for RPGs. Can't wait for this game, whenever it wants to release.
What's the point of making the most powerful console this generation if your going to hamstring it to the S.
@fizban3332 The Series S is not holding anything back. Not as long as the most widely-used graphics card isn't even in the 20 series of graphics card. It's crazy how the media and fanboys (not saying you are one) have such a grip on how people think.
You know what people will say in a few years? That the Switch Too is holding things back. We all know that thing is going to outsell the living daylights out of the PS5 and Series X, which will mean everyone, including a possibly independent Activision, will have to develop for it. And if what they said is true that it'll be weaker than a PS4 slightly, then expect PS4 games until 2031 as well.
Gamer hyperbole is scary, and needs to be warded from our own conclusions.
Sleeper hit of the year.
This may be more of delaying so it doesn’t conflict with Starfield. They have the same fan base I would think and it would be smart to “refine” it a bit until early 2024.
@YonkoBuggyTheClown
The place for RPGs? We don't even have Final Fantasy lol.
@Krysus 100+ hours with multiple play throughs each time. This is a day 1 buy for me!
@BooBreaker FF ceased to be a true RPG years ago… at best an ARPG with the last one…
@BooBreaker yeah, that's an Action game now lol.
@BooBreaker There are some hits that are missing the console, but they're all JRPGs. Xbox has some others, not all, like the Trails series plus most western RPGs and cRPGs and a good lot of strategy games. Although some may still be considered niche, are still more mainstream than some JRPGs. So yeah, I think it is the home of RPGs.
JRPGs aren't the only kind of RPG.
@YonkoBuggyTheClown
It's a shame that I don't really have any interest in western RPGs anymore. Tried playing Mass Effect recently and had to stop playing due to boredom and I remember loving that game when I was a teen but now all western RPGs are just a slog for me. Final Fantasy is one of those series that I still love but mostly the older titles and XIV which is the mmo.
@YonkoBuggyTheClown playstation has the best rpgs I'm not being a fanboy it's the truth I have both systems
@AlwaysPlaying I'm still debating what to get it on. Leaning towards PS5 with the 60fps/4k mode. If not for the file size I'd just put it on SteamDeck and play it forever. Xbox is a deep third currently. Considering the amount of content with it...not sure I'm gonna buy anything next year after TotK, BG3 and Starfield.
@Dan1283 if Playstation ever got off its ass and enabled full Back-compat, I would agree with you. But Xbox has them beat in depth with that particular feature.
@Dan1283. You mean Switch has the best Rpg
people saying the xbox and playstation are the place for rpgs IT IS ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE.
@Hutchilawd its bs if it can run on minimum spec pc no problem it can run on an S.
Its easier to code for a console as opposed to a pc. The real problem is they aren’t putting as much hours into xbox dev time as the think the sales will be on ps5/pc.
Also who wants to play an RPG in split screen mode, i sure as hell don’t.
@YonkoBuggyTheClown you’re exactly right, console are in-effect pc’s just with one (or two in the cade of xbox) specs unlike Other Pc’s. To suggest the series s is holding back game development is just bs. Devs put the optimisation time into where they think sales are and this case the S comes last.
I'm sorry, @YonkoBuggyTheClown and @DaddyDuder , but I disagree. The Series S is holding back the Series X. If you read the article, it clearly states so. The game is ready to be released on the Series X. It would be released on the X at the same time as the PS5 version were it not for the fact the Larian cannot get the game to run efficiently on the S. So it is absolutely crystal clear that the reason the game is not being released on the X, at the same time as the PS5 version is due to the S. This is absolutely the definition of the S holding back the X.
As for the playing in split-screen option, I think you will be surprised at how popular this option is. I don't know whether you have played either Divinity Original Sin 1 or 2, but that game was an absolute blast in co-op, and I'm sure BG3 will be the same. Although I won't be playing it in split-screen, I will be playing at least one run in co-op...
This issue puts me at a slight moment of indecision! I already have the standard PC edition. However, I also have the Collector's Edition pre-ordered for both the PC and the PS5. I would happily cancel my PS5 version if I could get my hands on the Xbox Collector's Edition instead. Hopefully we get an idea of a release date before the PS5 version ships so that I can swap over to the Xbox version
Larian makes absolutely fantastic CRPGs, I think they are second only to Owlcat these days and not having BG3 on Xbox is annoying. I do think the feature parity rule is a hard one that they will not allow to be broken. I would prefer local coop be dropped from Xbox, it's a niche feature. That no one gets to play the game on Xbox because this niche feature doesn't run on Series S... isn't the fix here common sense? UNLESS, oh boy, there is another clause for third parties saying that Xbox must have exact feature parity with Playstation. I could definitely see that being the case.
@Fiendish-Beaver that is the fault of the developer. When people say holding back they mean that the Series S is the cause why games can’t look better or perform better on the X and the PS5. As long as there are people making games for stuff that are worse than the S, that isn’t true.
Larian studio not optimizing for the S from the get go is not the S’ fault. They need to do better.
@Cashews to be fair, when I made my comment, I was not talking about JRPGs, which seems to be all that people care about. I care about JRPGs but not that much as I’m bored of anime these days. But I was referring to western and cRPGs.
It is much the same thing, @YonkoBuggyTheClown. Whilst I understand your point, if developers are unable to optimise for the S, but can for the X and the PS5, then it is down to the S as much as anything. If developers are having to put in extra effort to get a game to run the same on the S as the X, then that is down to the console, not the game. In all honesty, I would not be surprised if some games completely skip the Xbox for this exact reason, and because Microsoft insists that games must be able to run on both consoles.
As the generation enters its final years, and games become even more demanding, as they have done every single generation, this problem is going to become even more exacerbated. When that happens, developers will have to choose between:
1. Spending considerable hours and money getting a game to run on the S to the same standard that it does on the X
2. Dumbing down games on the Xbox so that they can play on both so that the X ends up with an inferior version of the game than it otherwise would (and potentially seeing the PS5 getting the superior version), with the S setting the standard for the X
Or
3. Simply skipping the Xbox completely, which I would not at all be surprised if it hasn't happened before.
If developers are struggling with the S, then it is ultimately the S that is at fault more than anything...
@YonkoBuggyTheClown no matter what kind of rpgs you like if your system has exclusive rights to Shin Megami Tensei V and Xenoblade - among many, many others - no one can definitively say Sony and Xbox are the rpg consoles.
If Starfield releases as promised I'd probably put xbox shared with nintendo at the top spot and Sony not in the conversation. No one is going to be speaking of FF16 in a positive light in a year; including Square Enix. Baldur's Gate 3 might be good. The series S really sucks.
@DaddyDuder I did wonder about the whole rpg splits screen thing. A little strange isn't it? I always find RPG's as a lone, immersed in the story kind of thing. Someone sitting next to you munching crisps and slurping coffee would kind of kill the 'ambiance' 😂
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