Exclusive to Xbox gamers, the anticipation for Baldur’s Gate 3, a standout title of 2023, has required patience until its arrival on Microsoft’s consoles. Despite its release from early access on PC in August and subsequent availability on PS5 a month later, technical challenges postponed the launch on Xbox Series X/S until this moment.
Larian Studios, the developer and publisher, committed to delivering the Xbox version by the year’s end, promising to unveil the precise date at The Game Awards. Staying true to its commitment, Larian has officially declared that Baldur’s Gate 3 is now accessible on Xbox.
In tandem with Alan Wake 2, Baldur’s Gate 3 garnered the highest number of nominations (eight) at The Game Awards 2023. It emerged victorious in six categories: Best Performer, Best Role-Playing Game, Best Community Support, Best Multiplayer Game, Players’ Voice, and the prestigious Game of the Year.
The delay in the Xbox release was attributed to a technical issue specifically affecting the Series S. In a statement from Larian’s Director of Publishing, Michael Douse, in July, it was explained, “We cannot eliminate the split-screen feature due to the obligation to launch with feature parity, so we persist in efforts to make it functional.” Subsequently, Larian reported the next month that, following discussions with Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, a solution had been identified. This solution would enable support for split-screen on Series X but regrettably not on Series S.
