The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S versions of Baldur’s Gate 3 will not share the same features, but this is an concession that allows Larian Studios to release the role-playing game for the consoles before the end of the year.
At the moment, Baldur’s Gate 3 is only playable on PC with a PS5 port arriving next month. Yet, the game has been an enormous success for Larian Studios, snagging enviable review scores and becoming a sensation on social media.
Phil Spencer, Microsoft‘s CEO of Gaming, recently stated that the feature parity policy between the two consoles is something that guarantees as much accessibility as possible. However, it was this requirement that was proving problematic for Baldur’s Gate 3‘s split-screen co-op feature in the Xbox version.
“It’s a game I want to see on the platform, and we have resources that helped in terms of making sure it’s going to,” said Spencer.
After a discussion between the CEO and Larian Studios at Gamescom 2023, it was announced that the game will be playable on both Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S in 2023.
“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,” detailed Larian Studios CEO Swen Vincke in a post to X.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is not the only title to omit split-screen co-op on Xbox. Halo Infinite‘s local co-op feature was cancelled by 343 Industries which was a significant loss for long-time fans of the series.
Turn 10, the developer of Forza Motorsport, also announced that there will be no split-screen mode for the game when it launches on October 10.
In other gaming news, upcoming Baldur’s Gate 3 updates will include highly requested features from the community, like the ability to give their playable character a makeover.