Microsoft helps in working on a divided screen in Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox Series S
In the coming months, Baldur’s Gate 3 will receive its final version with a console release. So far, the game has been announced only for the PS5, since earlier the studio stated that they had problems with the adaptation of the screen separation function into Xbox Series S. Since Microsoft requires parity between Xbox Series X and Series S regarding content, and Larian Studios does not want to release a game without a separated screen, the studio is trying to adapt this function for an inexpensive Microsoft console.
Sven Vinka, head of Larian Studios, recently talked with IGN, having the opportunity to talk about the difficulties of the studio. According to him, the team may have to make certain sacrifices to release the game on Xbox.
Perhaps we will have to go to some compromises, but we try to be very limited in those compromises that we will have to go to. This is one of the reasons why we need more time. But I don’t want to outline the developer team. I do not want to say how it will look until we finish and decide that you can release.
The team failed to prepare the version for Xbox in time, since the game was constantly replenished with content, which means that they had no idea about the final volume and level of optimization necessary for Xbox Series S. To solve this problem, as Vinka claims, support was even provided from engineers from Microsoft. Since the studio did not want to harm other platforms with a delay in the release of the game, the version for Xbox was eventually left for later.
We definitely had support from Microsoft. We had support from Xbox Advanced Technology Group (ATG). They helped us a lot. Everyone wants her to be on Xbox. It’s not that we do not want to see her on Xbox. It’s just that our problem – it is in us, in Larian – in the fact that we just made a very big game. And this is a very difficult game.
In addition, we are not developers with an infinite number of resources. We are limited in the amount of time during which the version for each platform is tested. The more rearrangements you begin to add to the platform, the more difficult it becomes.
I would like to say that we can create magic and miracles. We can not. But I do not think that we should hide the finished version [on other platforms] from the world. I don’t think this is a good reason for stopping. During Early Access, PC players helped make this game much better. They waited for this for a long time. So it’s time for them to get their version in their hands.
If you make the final parity on all platforms, we would have to wait, I don’t know how much before the game would be ready. That’s why it is important to release it now, to release it when it is ready for PS5, and release when it will be ready for Xbox.Our game is not exclusive. You can play it. You just need to be patient. This is really a matter of time.
Regarding the fact when it is precisely the Xbox users to expect the release of Baldur’s Gate 3, the developer says that he hopes to release it at the end of this year, but does not take anything to promise.
Our goal is to prepare it for this year. Our teams worked on it for a long period of time and are upset that we did not have time. I hope people will understand that these are the realities of development. The development continues. It doesn’t always happen as you want, but it’s true.
We want this game to be ready. So that it is finished. We want players to play it. We want as many gamers as possible to play as much as possible. Therefore, in our interests to release it on all platforms. We do our best, but we do not want to compromise while we do it. We want to be sure that having received the game in our own hands, you will say: "Hey, it’s really great, I want to play it with my friends in multiplayer mode".