Baldur’s Gate 3 is still set to arrive on Xbox Series X|S before the year’s end, as per developer Larian Studios.
In a statement on the website formerly known as Twitter, Larian CEO Swen Vincke mentioned that the Xbox version of Baldur’s Gate 3 is presently undergoing playtesting and is “still on track for this year.” However, the studio intends to announce an exact release date “once we are confident it is complete.”
Vincke previously stated that Baldur’s Gate 3 would be available on Xbox sometime between September and November, and that the studio was striving to bring the game to Xbox “as swiftly as possible.”
Larian’s RPG was released on PC (after several years of early access) and PlayStation 5 earlier this year, but did not launch on Xbox due to the studio’s inability to ensure satisfactory split-screen co-op functionality on Xbox Series S consoles. While typically games that run on the Xbox Series X have the same core features on Series S as well, it appears that Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer made an exception in Larian’s case to ensure the release of Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox. Consequently, the Series S version of the game will not support split-screen co-op, at least initially. However, it is possible that Baldur’s Gate 3 Xbox Series S split-screen co-op support may be added in the future.
The Xbox version of Baldur’s Gate 3 will incorporate all the enhancements and updates that have been implemented in the PC and PS5 versions thus far, while only the Series X version will offer split-screen co-op. Both the Xbox Series X|S will support cross-save functionality between Xbox consoles and on PC via Steam.
Recent updates to Baldur’s Gate 3 have addressed glitches and performance issues, expanded story moments for specific companions, and introduced the ability to customize the appearance of player characters and hired allies.
In GameSpot’s review of Baldur’s Gate 3, Larian’s RPG was commended for its remarkable characters, co-op mode, and its “unmatched level of freedom” that “empowers players to shape their own destinies in a manner unlike any other game before it.”