Larian Studios has confirmed that Baldur’s Gate 3 will be playable on Steam Deck when it launches this week.
Yesterday (July 31), Larian Studios shared a final ‘Community Update’ blog post, detailing what was to come when Baldur’s Gate 3 launches on August 3.
As part of the blog, Larian confirmed that the PC version of Baldur’s Gate 3 will be playable on Valve‘s portable Steam Deck handheld at launch.
“Yes, you can play Baldur’s Gate 3 on your Steam Deck at launch and it looks rad,” the studio shared. “We are aiming for Steam Deck Verified by August 3’s launch date. It launches on Steam Deck with what we consider to be the most optimal graphics settings, but feel free to play around. You’ll be able to avail of full controller support, and split-screen will be disabled on Steam Deck.”
On the topic of Steam Deck-supported graphics, Larian recommended fans try out their “preferred method” of antialiasing, while the studio is working to implement FSR 2.0 — AMD’s upscaling technology — closer to September.
Beyond Baldur’s Gate 3‘s Steam Deck support, yesterday’s blog also discussed the Illithid Powers that players will be able to unlock in the game. Made up of 25 skills, these Illithid Powers can be found throughout the world and can be earned by eating mind flayer parasites — though “nothing comes without cost,” according to Larian.
“While your companions can also consume parasites to gain their powers, not everyone in your party will agree to it, and your companions’ perception of you can undergo a significant shift based on how you approach this opportunity.”
“Things can also get a bit more… complicated,” added the developer. “But we won’t spoil it. That’s for you to discover.”
Elsewhere, it has been confirmed that Baldur’s Gate 3 will not offer preloading before launch.