We’ve been playing Baldur’s Gate 3 for over a year now, and with the game on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox, many players still want to access crossplay and cross-progression to play with their friends on other platforms.
So, does BG3 have crossplay and cross-platform support yet?
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Does Baldur’s Gate 3 support crossplay?
Baldur’s Gate 3 does not have crossplay yet, but Larian confirmed crossplay is coming to the game. In fact, it’s coming sooner than you might think.
While Michael Douse, the head of publishing at Larian, has always said that crossplay has been part of their plans for BG3, we haven’t had an exact release date for a long time. But this changed on Nov. 27, 2024. Patch 8, arriving in 2025, will include crossplay. It will be available in 2025, but we don’t know when exactly.
BG3’s crossplay will work just as we expect, allowing players to connect with friends and others users via the Larian Network.
Technically, Mac and PC players can access some form of crossplay. But if you want to play with friends on another platform, like the PS5 or Xbox, it’s not possible yet.
Some speculated Larian would add a crossplay feature in Baldur’s Gate 3 when the Xbox version launched after the developer said this would be its primary focus point after the PS5 release. But BG3 arrived on Xbox on Dec. 8, 2023 and crossplay still hasn’t happened almost a year later. For now, you’ll have to play BG3 via couch co-op if you want to play with your friends.
When will BG3 get crossplay?
We’re well into 2024, and crossplay has yet to be added to BG3. The title currently sits on Patch 7, with Patch 8 expected to bring the feature into the game. Patch 7 released in September 2024, while Patch 6 went live in the middle of February that year, meaning there’s usually a six to seven gap between major updates. If we were to guess, Patch 8 should be available around March 2025.
Does BG3 support couch co-op?
BG3 supports up to four-player co-op and LAN multiplayer, meaning it supports couch co-op.
However, meeting in person to play games isn’t always possible with busy schedules and time zones. In a game like BG3, crossplay and cross-platform support are more critical now than ever, as players want to play with friends easily.
You can do multiple things at once. For instance, if a player triggers combat, it will only drag the players close by into combat. Not only does this mean you can have combat encounters without your whole party, but it also means you can have players arrive late and deliver a killing blow to help or far before then, as turns last a decent amount of time.
Does Baldur’s Gate 3 have cross-platform support?
Baldur’s Gate 3 fully supports cross-platform progression. With the PS5 and now the Xbox release, PC and Mac players can still access their saved files on Sony’s and Microsoft’s hardware. Your save will be safe on whichever platform you play on, and you can pick up where you left off.
You need to create a Larian account to use cross-progression, which is worth doing as it also means you can take advantage of BG3 Twitch drops.
But there’s a downside to cross-platform support. To take advantage of BG3’s cross-platform progression, you must buy two copies of BG3: one for PC or Mac and one for PS5 or Xbox. This isn’t ideal for most players but could be helpful for those with a different system in two separate locations.
You must play on the same Larian account to use the cross-platform support and transfer saves between systems.
What’s the difference between crossplay and cross-platform support?
Crossplay refers to being able to play BG3 on one platform and playing with friends who are playing BG3 on a different platform.
Cross-platform support, on the other hand, allows you to move your save between platforms. If you create a Larian account, you can save game progress on one platform and pick it up on another.
There you have it. Baldur’s Gate 3 doesn’t currently have crossplay, but PC and Mac players can already access Baldur’s Gate 3 crossplay between them. Those playing on Xbox, PS5, PC, and Mac, however, can only access cross-platform progression.
What other features are coming with crossplay in Patch 8?
While BG3 Patch 8 is introducing crossplay, plenty of other things are coming with the update. Most importantly, each of the 12 classes will receive a new subclass.
On top of that, Patch 8 is introducing Photo Mode, so the misery of each player trying to take cute pictures will finally be over. Similarly to other games, the mode will have a number of customization options, so expect better galleries of your favorite characters in action.
Published: Nov 28, 2024 04:00 am