Baldur's Gate 3 Xbox Version Seemingly Pushed To 2024 Due To Series S 'Technical Hurdle'

This is such a shame, but it also exposes a problem that the S has and that shows us what many had thought when the specs of the S were first announced, and that is that there will come a point this generation, where the S is going to hold back the X. We have now reached that point. Very unfortunate, but inevitable...

@Fiendish-Beaver yes, my thoughts exactly...

Games much more technically intense than Baldur's Gate 3 have launched with no issues on the Xbox Series S. It a simple matter of lowering graphical output, turning down some other settings. This is the equivalent of not releasing on PC because the Steam Deck will run the game less than stellar.

If they really cared about not showing favoritism they would delay the launch on all consoles, including Playstation

@Fiendish-Beaver That point might come, but it's not baldurs gate 3, I have benchmarked this game in far weak hardware and it did run just fine, ofc at 30 fps, but fine!
Steam Deck is also running around 30 fps, which is fine for a Turned based game.
If steam deck manages it, Series S would do it with ease, it seems to me that the dev team is having issues with something related with the system, but the performance makes no sense given how much weaker and lower end hardware manages to run the game.

I am not a developer I admit, but I cant help but think this is more an issue with the developer, over the Series S console itself.

We have seen much more technologically challenging games come out on the series s, with no issues.

Just sounds like a poorly optimised game

Well .... Damn. The point of budget console Series S is more accesibility and increased Xbox platform adoption by the masses after Xbox One disaster. I think it's good decision but the execution left many to be desired. Specs are too far apart, few games released for the S lacks feature parity with the X such as performance mode. Then it will eventually scare devs because of more work of optimizing for Series S that will lead to delayed release of Xbox version just like this game. Devs that don't want to deal with that mess will just skip Xbox platform which ultimately meaning less games compared to competitor and well ... less adoption by consumer because of less games.

I like the idea honestly, Series S, small enough to be put into backpack and accesories like xScreen is just perfect for the S. But i think it's not wise for Xbox to do another budget console again for the next-gen, too much headache for devs when X & S specs are too far apart.

@endlessleep how many devs have had such a problem with the S?

If the problem is split screen then make it so players have to stay on the same screen together and cannot just wander off.

One environmental render, no problem.

@Fiendish-Beaver Don't think it's the Series S at all, it will work,
just think it takes more time, Series S is weaker yes, but it runs games that are much more demanding for sure.
Dev issue here for me!

@Kaloudz Surely you have a Series X my friend.
If so get one!
I blame the devs here as in, they need more time etc, to work this out. Series S hasn't had these issues before, runs other more demanding games fine!

@ZuneTattooGuy Why should everyone else suffer because MS have imposed a clause that only affects Xbox? Should Football Manager have been delayed on all platforms because there was an issue solely with the PS5 version? I'm sure you wouldn't have been happy if that had happened. This isn't the first time that local co-op has come up as a problem, even MS's own first party studio had to abandon local co-op for Halo Infinite so dismiss it as something that is easy to fix is quite frankly ridiculous.

@ZuneTattooGuy Even MS have acknowledged the problem and sent engineers to help Larian so it’s definitly not as simple as just moving some sliders. Also it’s not favouritism still releasing on the PS it’s a business decision. Delaying on PS would piss off a massive install base, destroy their expected quarterly profits and shake confidence in the brand. And aside all that why should PS fans suffer because of an Xbox problem? You know full well if roles were reversed you would not be happy about an Xbox delay because a game couldn’t run properly on PS.

@Fiendish-Beaver spot on man, it’s sad to see. Xbox need to drop its policy for releasing both X/S versions together. Let the S come later if needed.

@Ep_13 Baldurs Gate 3 is a very complex and demanding game, don’t underestimate it.

If we look at the facts here, PS5 BG3 releases Sept, X/S 2024 sometime. Whether it’s Xbox’s policy or the devs to blame Xbox gamers are missing out and that looks bad. Xbox also can’t be happy. This game is going to be massive and won’t be on Xbox day 1.

I love the implication that the Series S's design has been a challenge for some devs, worked until someone came along with a complex SPLITSCREEN game.

MS just didn't expect a dev to go SPLITSCREEN OR ELSE!

There are some ignorant comments in here blaming Larian. This is 100% on Microsoft 3x over. Yes rhe XSS has a less powerful GPU and you can just "turn down some sliders" to make games work on it... except that isnt the only difference. It has less memory. Before the consoles launched Digital Foundry said it would be a problem, here we are. Running 2 separate instances of a massively ambitious crpg needs that memory.

Issue 2 is MS imposing feature parity requirements between XSS and XSX. In general, this is a good idea and well intentioned. However it has become apparent that exceptions should be made. MS really believes that if the XSS cant handle split screen, then no Xbox gamers, be it on XSX or XSX, should get the game at all? And this won't be the last time this happens.

Issue 3 is not being talked about but there is almost certainly a mandate from Xbox that games launch with feature parity on Xbox with Playstation, where available. So this entire situation is Microsoft's fault. They released a console with less memory than the XSX and PS5, and said if you want to release a game here it has to do everything it does on the other 2. If you are an Xbox owner, you are being screwed over here by MS simply because they are afraid of the optics of bending the rules for a game here or there. If they say the the XSS cant do something, it's a black mark on the system. So instead, none of us get to play the game at all. Very cool, MS.

It's not the graphical settings that are causing a problem, @4Klassic, it is the split-screen element. The game probably won't run on the S at the same graphical fidelity as on the X anyway, but as the article points out, it is playing split-screen co-op that is not working properly. I'm not aware that you can even play the game split-screen on the Steam Deck, as I didn't realise that was even an option...

What games will allow one person to be on an entirely different part of the map in split-screen co-op, @Ep_13 and @Savage_Joe? That's where the problems lay. BG3 is not a simple game. This is a game where FOUR characters can be in FOUR entirely different battles on FOUR completely separate parts of the map at the SAME time. So what other games that have been released this generation can do that? This is not a simple case of two characters running around on the same screen, on the same part of the map, but controlled by two players. BG3 is a much more demanding game.

It seems to me that so many people do not understand the demands of this specific game.

@Savage_Joe The steam deck doesn't need to support split screen so the comparison is fairly irrelevant. Larian has never said that there is an issue getting the game to run on Series S outside of that.

It is all about the split screen functionality. I wouldn't be surprised if the issue wasn't more about the limited memory the system has available than the GPU hardware.

@Ep_13 The Series S has been nothing but issue after issue for devs.

It is also part of the reason when games drop with split screens no, you generally only get two player split screen instead of four like we used to.

The Series S should have been to the Xbox what the digital PS5 was to Playstation. Same CPU/GPU/SOC, same RAM etc. With the difference being no disc drive.

I'm of the camp that Microsoft needs to discontinue the S and slash the price of the X.

I say this as someone that owns two Series Xs.

@4Klassic So you're saying you're playing it on a steam deck, in 4 player split screen. Which is the issue this game is having on Series S.

Series S is definitely an issue. Console needs to be made to make development as easy as possible to naturally draw games. The PS3 was the same issue for Sony which even caused developers to favor the 360 that gen. Sony did a 360 in PS4 by working closely with developers to make developing much easier. Xbox seems to have gone backward with this to gain marketshare on price

@ZuneTattooGuy Split screen is far more intense on performance. Also why you rarely see it nowadays.

@Fenbops needs to be launched at the same time.
Xbox is right!

@InterceptorAlpha it hasn't at all.
Not to this extent at all. Come on now! Most games are fine on it!
99%, this will work, I bet ya!

Sounds like a limit in talent vs a limit to the machine seeing how there are much more advanced titles on the same console. While I do think Microsoft should have launched the S with a One X matching (technically exceeding) 6Tflops and the same RAM as the Series X there is very little to differentiate the two otherwise. Other than RAM management and speed I don't understand what the technical hurdle might be.

@JCFan1979 As someone above already said, Microsoft have literally been assisting them with trying to get the technical issue resolved and it seems like even with that assistance they are still struggling. Just because a game doesn't look as pretty as others doesn't mean that there aren't some highly complex operations going on in the background.

@Ep_13 Should Football Manager have been delayed on all formats because there was an issue with the PS5 version?

Oh, boy, @JCFan1979! You clearly have no clue as to who Larian are and what they have achieved before the release of Baldur's Gate 3 and what they have achieved with BG3. Take a look at the review scores for Divinity Original Sin and Divinity Original Sin 2 on Steam (I'll save you the bother 87% and 93% respectively). They are both magnificent games that have huge replayability with run times for a single run of up to 200 hours. They are simply beloved. DoS2 is regarded as being the best CRPG of all time.

BG3 is going to to top both those games hands down. The game has 174 hours of cutscenes. 1.5 million fully voiced, spoken words. That's 3 times the entirety of The Lord of the Rings. It is going to be a masterpiece that will will every Game of the Year award for the this, and most of next year too. Don't believe me? Wait for the reviews to drop later this week...

https://www.gamesradar.com/baldurs-gate-3-has-triple-the-word-count-of-lord-of-the-rings-and-its-cutscenes-are-twice-as-long-as-game-of-thrones/#:~:text=Baldur's%20Gate%203%20has%20triple,as%20Game%20of%20Thrones%20%7C%20GamesRadar%2B

@Kevw2006 The issue with Football Manager was that Sony did not send them any dev kits, so they could not make a Playstation version.

"because to make games for a platform, you need a dev kit. To get a dev kit, the platform holder have to want the game on the platform. We spoke with Sony, we have no dev kits. We spoke with Microsoft, they sent them to us."
— Miles Jacobson (@milesSI)

source: https://www.gfinityesports.com/football-manager/football-manager-playstation-coming-to-ps4-ps5-devkits-news/

@Moonglow I kinda agree with this. What's going to lose more sales: lack of split-screen or a 4 month delay? However, I respect Microsoft's hard rules about Series parity. If they budge on this, it opens the door to all kinds of cuts for Series S. They've said they don't want anyone playing a game on their platform to feel like a second-class citizen and they've made good so far. Larian cut split screen for D:OS2 on Switch; why can't they just cut it for Xbox entirely and release day and date with PS5? They could implement a buddy pass system on Xbox as a mea culpa, too.

They seriously need to get rid of parity clause between x and s. This will only get worse as the console generation goes on.

@Sakai That was for Football Manager 2021, Football Manager 2023 was announced to release on PS5 the same day as all of the other versions and then delayed just before release for an unspecified reason. Going by the logic on here all versions of the game should have also been delayed until the issue with the PS5 version was resolved.

@Kevw2006 Thanks for the info, I had never heard of that.

I am not sure why anyone would say all versions should be delayed, that makes no sense. Just release each version as and when its ready.

@Fiendish-Beaver
Local splitscreen only supports two players. Which is impressive enough, and clearly where the issue lies with the Series S. It's almost certainly a memory issue, given that the CPUs are very close to each other. Series S is probably struggling storing two instances of the gamespace at one time.
I think it is an edge case overall.

@ZuneTattooGuy its not favoritism that Sony launched one SKU that works well with development. They have every right to get the game out and start selling it to make their investment back.

@Sakai Agreed, incidentally the BG3 PC version is releasing a month before the PS5 version so it's not like it's even releasing everywhere else at the same time anyway .

Ahh, righty oh, @Batty5. I assumed that the 4 player co-op would of the main game would carry over to splt-screen. I'll be playing the game in 3 player online co-op on the PC, and either solo on the PC or the PS5 (not made my mind up yet!). I will also play it on the Xbox eventually too, though then it becomes an issue of whether my mates buy the game on the Xbox as well as the PC as to whether that will be solo or in co-op. I won't be playing this game split-screen at all...

Parian is relatively small, so it’s going to take time. It sounds like they want to release as best they can. So it makes sense to delay it.

Or would people rather them release it not ready?

@Savage_Joe this is a memory issue. Compare usable memory in an XSS to a Steam Deck, then maybe you'll understand what is going on here. MS shot themselves in the foot and now XSX owners are paying the price.

@Ep_13 I whole heartedly disagree. There’s absolutely no need for games to have to be released on the same day across Series X/S. It’s a stupid policy and in this case has put the game back months on the Xbox side. So Xbox themselves will lose sales of the game straight off the bat, they’re hurting their own ecosystem.

If I had the choice I would play this on Xbox when it’s released in September, instead I’ll be playing on the rival system.

@Kaloudz that's a shame, should have invested, S is great, for first timers to Xbox or a 2nd console, but all Xbox nerds should be on the Series X if possible. Save up my friend

@Fenbops you're in the minority, it's customer service etc.
It's a great policy and will be respected.

@Fenbops You've miss understood why they do it.
Parity etc, it's vital and important. They aren't going to make an exception.

@Kevw2006 Eh? That was a dev mishap, this is different.

I suppose the issue for them, is parity. If something is being released on X, it also has to work as is on the S. So when one gets delayed, it effectively holds the other back. So cutting that content, basically makes this an inferior product to the ps5 and PC. (Resulting in less sales and evidently a worse review score) Microsoft would be better off implementing a separate code release, so games can be released separately against either console. But I suppose that would effectively make the S redundant. (And old gen) unfortunately we all knew this would happen.

Absolutely agree with you one both points, @Fenbops. I shall be playing this on the PC and then on the PS5. I have the Collector's Edition pre-ordered for both (in fact, I've had the game since Early Access, which I pre-ordered too). Eventually I hope to play it on the Xbox too, and add a further Collector's Edition then as well. Not saying I'm a Larian fan, but... 😂

@Ep_13 It's exactly the same scenario, there is a development issue that is causing one version to not be ready at the same time as others. Except in this case it's due to MS imposing feature parity on devs. It would be unfair for everyone else to have to wait just because series S is holding back the Xbox version.
See how great you think enforcing feature parity is the more and more Xbox versions are under threat or delayed due to the party requirement.

@Fiendish-Beaver Looks like you are a big fan. I'm looking forward to playing splitscreen with my daughters. Sadly, in separate games, lol. Also playing solo. All on my PS5. Probably won't get it day one, much to my daughters' dismay, due to the fact it is coming out for the PS5 on the same day as Starfield. I'm a huge Bethesda fanboy, so priorities.

@Ep_13 Series S made it possible for me to have an Xbox to go with my PS5 and Switch.

Yes, I absolutely love Larian's past couple of titles, @Batty5. I honestly think the BG3 is going to be the game to beat at all future Game of the Year Awards, but also think that none will. My view is that every game up until now should have at least one point deducted from their review scores, so that BG3, can take it's rightful place as the only game to ever achieve a 10/10. 😂

I'm also a huge Bethesda fan. I have many of their Collector's Editions taking up much room in my house, including full-sized Fallout 76 Helmets, Pitboys, and you name it! I also have the Collector's Edition of Starfield pre-ordered. My biggest hope is that I have managed to complete my solo run of BG3 on my PC before Starfield comes out. I don't think it is any coincidence that BG3 is coming out on the PS5 the same day as Starfield releases. I'm sure Sony were looking for something to fill the void left by not having Starfield, and BG3 was the strongest candidate. It also means I don't have to rush into playing BG3 on my PS5, because I'll be knee-deep in Starfield come September... 😜

This just popped up on my Google news feed and thought it was appropriate:

Baldurs gate 3 dev does not believe Series S holds back gaming

Link: https://tech4gamers.com/baldurs-gate-3-xbox-series-s-hold-back/?fbclid=IwAR0zunxApa4ofoSiDrcsODkTc9jO5d3-kNuHvbQymL6qVA5kS_k-Z7AYKu0

"I think it’s an okay proposition to say we have two devices, we want compatibility across the devices.”

“To answer your question, it just defines parameters within which you have to develop and there are ways of doing that.

“They just take development efforts."

They liken the Series S to developing on PC is the short version.

"The PC platform has always offered a similar dilemma due to new graphics cards every two years, and the Xbox Series S is no different. According to Swen Vincke, Larian Studios does not have enough resources to work on all versions simultaneously."

The studio is just too small, it's more a dev issue than a hardware limitation

I like why they did it in the first place, but it has backfired heavily in my opinion for them. They should have had the Series X and a digital edition of it, £100 cheaper. As others have said, I think as this gen goes in, more and more third party games will continue to have this issue. Personally I don't think first praty will be too biggie because they are only developing mostly for the ecosystem.

Hopefully next gen they just do the one console in terms of spec, a disc version and a discless one.

@themightyant Maybe just an excuse to release a bit later than Starfield… your suggestion was dead on.

I completely agree with you, @TheAshCohen09. The S seemed like a really good idea when it was first announced, and the concerns surrounding whether it would impact games on the Xbox were completely dismissed at the time.

Next year will likely see Sony bring out a mid-generation refresh, which I just cannot see Microsoft doing because of the issues surrounding the S. Mid-generation refreshes are better versions of the existing console, but they still enable games to be played on both versions of the console. With the S, whilst you could bring out a better version, Microsoft will still expect every game to be capable of running on the existing S, meaning that if the S is already holding back the X, then it will really be holding back the X/S-Plus (or whatever it would be called). It almost seems pointless to bring out a mid-generation refresh.

My hope is that they have learned from this generation, and also from what Sony have done, and next generation they bring out two consoles with exactly the same inner-guts, but just one being all digital, and one with the disc-drive (just as Sony have done this generation)...

@GunValkyria I hope they do. People gotta stop looking at X as being held back by S and start looking at S as the primary console. The S is pro-consumer. It's cheaper, plays all the same games, and is elevated by the X and Microsoft's decree for console parity. More controllers in hands for less money should be every platform holders goal.

@Jenkinss
The Xbox Series S uses the same processor as the Series X, has 6 gb less of Ram which it runs with less than 16 gb of RAM on the PC and it's video ram is less than the Series X. It can run Diablo 4 and multiple other next gen games in split screen no problem. It can be done it's just lazy developers being lazy

Having played the Divinity games on the X360 that looked awful, the slow down was shocking and all round the performance of the games was dire. They also had a glitched achievement.

I played divinity original sin and that wasn't exactly silky smooth.

Don't know if its competence thats the issue, but blaming the series S publicly isn't exactly professional. I dont care for coop and its not available on the steamdeck.

My biggest concern is that it will be Baldurs Gate in name only. Still i own it but not playing anymore until launch

@ZuneTattooGuy i avoided going as far as calling them lazy. But i do agree with you.

I remember when devs used to compress files, optimise etc...

@Total_Weirdo I believe they already had it.

@BBB Tecent has a 30% share of Larian Studios, the developers of this game. Trust me Tecent can fund the Xbox Series version easily. So again it's just the developers being lazy

@themightyant Have you seen the reaction to any time a developer release now, and patch later?

I have great respect for Larian Studios, they'll prioritise their PC audience since they are the biggest followed by PS5, meanwhile it will take longer to make sure the game works on the Series S with split screen. They have openly stated that the Series S is not holding back gaming.

As always the armchair developers here can't stop lamenting Microsoft for releasing the Series S...they clearly know better than Larian😅.

@BBB
They have announced the Xbox version they've been quite vocal about it's delay and the Xbox Series S version. You can't call yourself an independent studio when one is the largest gaming companies owns 30% of you

@themightyant Fully aggree, whatever it's series S fault or larian lack of skill, features like this shouldn't be mandatory for releasing the game.
They could either drop it entirely on Xbox until they find a way or simply microsoft should allow them to release the game on series X with split screen and Series S without it.
It's much bigger deal for me to not have a performance mode on Series S than features like this, and yet lack of performance mode is (understandably) not a parity requirement features.

Anyway, for big fans of larian this is a big loss of xbox, whatever larian decided to give more resources to the Playstation port or whatever people think the issue is, the reality is, it is what it is.

More BS because of parity with a lesser console. If you shell out less $ it’s reasonable to expect a lesser return.

@BBB
It's not my fault if you comment on an article before reading it. So I guess the website I'll show you is this one on this exact article. If Doom Eternal can run on a Switch, this can be easily ruining on the Xbox Series S. It just requires a good development studio to put a little effort in.

I'll just be glad when this lands on Xbox. Put the split screen at 540/30 for all I care. I have no use for it.

@ZuneTattooGuy Diablo 4 is a last gen game that runs on the xbox one vcr edition. Try again.

This is a prime example of the Series S holding back the Series X. Microsoft really need to get rid of the feature parity clause or have dedicated teams to help third party studios to get their games working on Series S as this is down to MS deciding to release a weak spec’d console this gen. As the console generation goes on and with games getting more technical, devs are only going to be able to do what they can to get their games running on the Series S.

@themightyant Larian can’t win here imo.

They delay to make sure it runs as MS require and so it runs same as PS = bad devs etc, Series S is perfect.

They release without PS equality = Larian bad dev, MS get inferior product, Sony must have paid etc etc.

As most sensible people post, it’s more they are a small studio who are openly admitting they are having a few issues, and it will take them time. It’s good they want to release a finished product rather than it being rushed out.

@themightyant I wasn't going to compare it with Halo as there been other instances. Where are we still getting this idea that Larian Studios is a small studio? They have over 400 employees across 6 studio locations.

@Jenkinss
Here are the minimum system requirements for BG3:
System: Windows 10 64-bit.
Processor: Intel I5 4690 / AMD FX 8350.
Memory: 8 GB RAM.
Graphics: Nvidia GTX 970 / RX 480 (4GB+ of VRAM)
DirectX: Version 11.
Storage: 150 GB available space.
Other: SSD required.

So this game can run on a potato of a computer but not on the Xbox Series S?

Here's a quick solution: why not release a streaming only version for Xbox Series S? Then release it native for every other console. Once you have the Series S version available let people choose to upgrade?

@ZuneTattooGuy It's primarily a PC game though and that has been their main focus on development so will have spent far more time optimising it for lower spec PC's. It's up for debate why the PS version is coming sooner but I wouldn't be surprised if only having one SKU to aim for contributed to that. You seem to be completely ignoring the fact that even MS themselves have acknowledged that there is an issue and are actively trying to help them with the series S version.
Also, I'm purely guessing here but my thinking would be that releasing a streaming only version would fall out with the feature parity that MS insists on. Not everyone has access to good enough internet to be able to stream games in sufficient quality so it's not really viable as the only option.

@Kaloudz Black Friday I got the LG C2 42 for about £700 I was so chuffed, John Lewis and amazing deal.

Best tv ever owned and all it does is play my Series X. Stunning!!

@Kevw2006 It's not unfair, it's great customer service.
These are the rules, they have been in place for years for the Series S and X, it's harsh but makes perfect sense, Series S and X owners are in the same boat and want to enjoy the game at the same time.

@Ep_13 making everyone else have to wait because there is an issue on Xbox is not great customer service or consumer friendly. I actually agree that it is a good thing that Microsoft are enforcing parity across Series S and X but if that then causes development issues and delays for Xbox versions then Xbox gamers are going to have to get used to having to wait a bit longer for games, there is absolutely no reason that other platforms should be made to wait for an issue on a specific platform. I would expect this to happen if there were any issues with PS or Switch too, and it has already happened in the past.

@ZuneTattooGuy Yes, and let's see how well it runs in split screen on those specs. The game will run great on the Series S. It's just not going to run in split screen. Just like Halo Infinite "ran" in split screen on the Series S.

FYI I'd be totally on board with your next post about a streaming option. If you go back to my post #19 my issue here is with Microsoft not allowing for a case by case exception. I want what you want, we're on the same side here.

This is a blockbuster CRPG. You're calling this an incompetent developer, meanwhile on social media there are huge conversations about is Baldur's Gate 3 unfair to other RPG developers because it's too high budget and too polished, other CRPG developers can't compete now with the high bar that it's setting. So you need to first understand this is not some garbage indie game, this is a blockbuster AAA genre defining game that is pushing CRPGs forward by miles, and is going to be on a bunch of GOTY contender lists even in this packed year. Microsoft has been wanting for games, and here is a developer that wants to put their game on Xbox, and Microsoft is telling them to F*** off unless they can get split screen working on the console with 10GB of shared RAM? I mean come on man, the optics here are awful.

I highly recommend you watch this youtube video from Slandered Gaming, he's an absolutely fantastic youtuber who covers CRPGs in particular. So his take here isn't from an Xbox guy, it's from a guy covering Baldur's Gate, but he's very knowledgeable. This isn't his first video on the subject. You can also catch some of Larian's CEO in this video. It's not very long, well worth a watch. It will help you understand why I'm so frustrated with Microsoft here, but also that Microsoft put themselves in an impossible situation.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_Lo6EHkwLQ

@Kevw2006 No it's hasn't, they need parity, that's all it is.
Devs need to figure it out and ask MS for guidance. And send in the Ninjas.

They cannot and will not make exceptions Kev, that is plain to see. It is a good move and important. Best for all involved Xbox users get it at the same time, this has not happened in the past and we don't want staggered realises at all. Would be daft! It might happen one day, but for now it's a contract clause etc.

Ship both and get it done!

@Ep_13 I think you've totally misunderstood what I said. I was meaning that games have released on a specific platform (eg Ps, Xbox or Switch) due to a specific problem with one version, not that a game has been delayed on Series S but released on Series X earlier. I absolutely agree that if parity has been mandated then that should be what happens and it should release for both at the same time.
The release is already staggered as it releases on PC a month before it does on PS anyway and an Xbox version hasn't actually been officially announced yet. All they have done is confirm that there was no exclusivity clause preventing it and that they have been working on one but as yet the Xbox version is not officially confirmed

After watching gameplay videos of BG3 I'm even more confused. Am I missing something? The cutscenes look nice but the game likes like BG1, BG2 and the Diablo Series. So I fail to see why this can't run easily on the Xbox Series S

@ZuneTattooGuy the game can run perfectly fine on the series S.

Larian as struggling to make the co-op part work flawlessly so it runs the same as series X. They’ve openly admitted they are struggling to acheive what they want. Personally I like the honesty for a change.

I’m guessing you would prefer them to release it half assed? Then you can complain they did a bad job?

@Kaloudz Kind of crazy to think disabling split-screen coop on the Series S is not a viable option. The game will lose sales momentum with a split-platform release. I would like to see data on how many people across consoles and PC use split-screen coop in BG3.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner
I would like more transparency. Show us it running in split screen on the series S and struggling. I feel like it's a bunch of bull, explain how this game is so much more resource intensive than Diablo 4?

@ZuneTattooGuy They could have just said nothing, and from some of the responses I'm honestly beginning to think they should have just said nothing. They were refreshingly open and honest about the problems they were having and people still don't believe them. Why would they lie about it? I'm pretty sure MS would be coming out fighting if they were making a baseless claim. Just because you don't like what they are saying, and because other devs have got other games running on Series S no problem does not mean thet that cannot possibly be having a problem with their game. how many times has a game released on Series S without 60fps as an option only for it to be patched in at a later date? You may not like it but there is hard evidence that some developers have struggled with optimising games for the Series S so I don't know why you are giving this particular dev a hard time about it.

@Kevw2006
I would have rather they either said nothing or said and showed everything. I would love to see a video of the game running on the S and what issues its having. They didn't say what exactly the issues if it's some dropped frames from 60 to 45 fps then who cares.

@ZuneTattooGuy Keep in mind that the PS5 version was recently delayed by a week for further optimisation as they are 'aiming' for 60fps. That may give a bit of an insight into the struggles that they are having. Yes, the delay is just a week but it still shows that they are clearly still working on it right down to the wire.

I understand that Microsoft aims to attract budget-aware casual gamers and hook them on Game Pass but it definitely should not do it at the expense of hardcore gamers.

That's why it should give developers choice if they want to optimize for "X" or for "S" or try to optimize for both and not to force them optimize for both mandatorily.

Also new less demanding games should drop the requirement to be installed on the internal disk (or the overpriced alternative) but it should allow installation on external SSD via USB3.

So, after reading what this developer and others say, except Sony's allies for obvious reasons, the Series S is not holding Series X back and PCs are not holding other PCs back. This developer needs more time to make another version of the code for Series S, that is perfectly capable of doing what Series X does at a lower resolution, except for split-screen gameplay that requires additional optimisation of the code. Xbox X and S run Windows 11, just like most PCs.

I have a Series X but I still think that Series S was a good idea. It's interesting to discuss if it makes sense to make an exception for the split-screen feature on Series S. I would say yes. On PC you have to say bye to some features depending on your hardware. A disclaimer on the game box and digital store should be enough, "This game does not support split-screen game modes on Series S."

Microsoft started this feature parity to benefit players, but some third parties might choose to not make an Xbox version, so the possibility of ditching an specific feature such as split-screen mode makes as much sense as ditching quality and performance modes, something that Xbox users have been dealing with since Xbox One X launched in 2017.

Another's interesting point is to allow the Series S version of games to be delayed. I'd say no to that. It's not like Switch, that is mobile technology that was already dated at launch, so delaying the Series S version of a game is not justified, in my opinion.

Regarding the future, will the next Xbox console also have an S version? This is the most fascinating question. I'd say no, just release a disc-less version. People often mention PS5 Digital Edition but Microsoft was the first to do it with Xbox One S All-Digital Edition.