Baldur’s Gate 3 Will Launch On Xbox This Year But Without Split-Screen Co-Op On Series S

Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios has confirmed its RPG will launch on new-gen Xbox consoles this year. However, it will be missing a multiplayer feature – split-screen co-op – on the Xbox Series S. 

Baldur’s Gate 3 has been perhaps the biggest surprise hit of 2023 – we gave it one of the highest scores of the year – although Early Access players have been singing the RPG’s praises for a while now. It launched on PC earlier this month and is due on PlayStation 5 next month. Earlier this summer, Larian said it wants to launch Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox this year but might push into 2024 due to parity issues between Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. 

Now, it's been confirmed the RPG will hit Xbox this year after a meeting between Baldur’s Gate 3 director Swen Vincke and Xbox head Phil Spencer. 

“Super happy to confirm that after meeting [Phil Spencer] yesterday, we’ve found a solution that allows us to bring Baldur’s Gate 3 to Xbox players this year still, something we’ve been working towards for quite some time,” Vincke writes on Twitter. “All improvements will be there, with split-screen co-op on Series X. Series S will not feature split-screen co-op, but will also include cross-save progression between Steam and Xbox Series.” 

Considering just how much PC players have been enjoying Baldur’s Gate 3, not to mention the anticipation of PlayStation players heading into Faerûn in just two weeks, Vincke’s announcement is a huge win for Xbox players this year. 

While Baldur’s Gate 3 supports cross-save progression between Steam and Xbox Series X/S, and between Steam and PlayStation 5 separately, it’s important to note that the game does not support crossplay. So, while people can play the game on PC, Xbox, and PS5, they won’t be able to do so together. 

While Vincke confirmed Baldur's Gate 3 will hit Xbox this year, he stopped short of an actual date for when to expect the RPG on that platform. 

For more, read Game Informer’s Baldur’s Gate 3 review and then read about how the game’s first-weekend statistics reveal a lot of players failed to romance fan-favorite Astarion. Watch this episode of The Game Informer Show, where we discuss why everyone is obsessed with Baldur’s Gate 3, after that. 

Are you going to play Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox? Let us know in the comments below!