Baldur's Gate 3 is skipping Xbox Series X/S consoles, for now, because Microsoft requires gameplay feature parity on the two consoles, with the title's co-op apparently throwing a wrench in plans. This news comes after Baldur's Gate 3's release date was changed, with the PC version releasing earlier on August 3 and the PS5 version slightly later on September 6.
Baldur's Gate 3 has been in early access for some time, with these releases signaling its shift into a full-blown release. The story revolves around the protagonist's emerging abilities, a result of a Mind Flayer parasite planted in the PC's brain, and how players react to that. The game is described as a "story-rich, party-based RPG set in the universe of Dungeons and Dragons" where the choices players make are paramount.
Because of its popularity and legacy, many understandably want Baldur's Gate 3 on Xbox consoles, but that is proving harder than it seems, Larian Studios' Swen Vincke revealed in a recent interview with IGN. The reasoning comes down to a perfect storm of gameplay features, console policies, and development challenges. The chief issue is that Baldur's Gate 3's co-op functions are "more free than people expect," allowing players to freely explore incredibly dense cities together. This feature is difficult to optimize but limits the potential release because Xbox has a policy that, aside from things like framerate, gameplay features must have parity on Xbox Series X/S. Specifically, this means Baldur's Gate 3 can't just launch on Xbox Series X with co-op, but not on Xbox Series S.
Another issue is the nature of early access development. Because Baldur's Gate 3's content has been ever-growing, optimization has been more difficult with everything being added. However, it's worth noting that Larian Studios is not alone on this. Vincke confirmed that Microsoft is supporting Larian Studios on the work, so it does sound like Baldur's Gate 3 will hit Xbox Series X/S eventually.
Vincke also said that the studio may have to make compromises to get the Xbox version out, though he did not outright say what these compromises could be. That's also because it's uncertain. Vincke didn't want to "jump ahead of the development team" on this, as he points out the incredible work they are doing on the game. While it may be unfortunate that Baldur's Gate 3 doesn't drop on Xbox Series X/S at the same time as PS5, there is somewhat of a silver lining. That September 6 release date also coincides with Starfield's release, and September is a busy month as is. Each console getting one of these, alongside a plethora of other releases, at least bodes well for the fall season.
Baldur's Gate 3 releases for PC on August 3 and for PS5 on September 6. An Xbox Series X/S version is in development.
Source: IGN
