Baldur’s Gate 3 For PS5 Delayed, PC Version Moved Up To Avoid Starfield

Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios has announced new release dates for the game on console and PC. The PC edition is now releasing on August 3, which is a few weeks earlier than the game’s previously announced August 31 release date.

The PS5 version, however, has been delayed to September 6. Notably, that’s the day that Microsoft’s big console exclusive, Starfield, launches for Xbox.

In a blog post and press release, Larian said it is releasing Baldur’s Gate 3 “in the order of platform readiness,” and that’s what it’s coming to PC first. Additionally, Larian said the PC edition of Baldur’s Gate 3 will launch “at a time where you’ll have more time to play it,” which sounds like a reference to Starfield and how that game is expected to take up time and attention for PC gamers.

For the PS5 edition, Larian said it needs more time to get Baldur’s Gate 3 running at 60fps. It doesn’t want to compromise, so it’s delaying the game until it’s ready.

“Baldur’s Gate 3 is targeting 60 frames per second and we’re close to achieving that on the platform but need a bit more extra time,” the studio said. “We don’t want to compromise on quality, and feel it would be a shame to downscale to 30fps or make other compromises to hit an arbitrary date.”

Larian added: “We understand that folks may be disappointed with this but we’re close enough to reaching new heights for RPGs on the system that the benefits of a short delay outweigh the downsides of rushing the PS5 release and having to downscale.”

An Xbox version of Baldur’s Gate 3 could still happen, but as Larian has said before, the technical limitations of the Series S appear to be holding things back. Larian said it’s “optimistic” about putting the game on Xbox Series X, but the developer wants to ensure the game performs “without compromise” across the Series X|S ecosystem together.

“We already put a lot of effort into making it work and will continue to do so. Like with the PS5 version, we’ll release it when it’s ready. We’ll update you as soon as we can,” Larian said.

Additionally, Larian said the “full” Mac version of Baldur’s Gate 3 is in development and will be released “at a later date.”

“We’ve always been a studio that aims to release on as many platforms as possible, in order of readiness. We’ve also aimed for the highest possible quality on every platform we’ve released on,” Larian publishing boss Michael Douse said. “We’re at a point where we’re reaching 60fps on PlayStation 5, which is remarkable considering the breadth and depth Baldur’s Gate 3 aims for. It features over 170 hours of cinematics, more than twice the length of the entirety of Game of Thrones, and more than three times the dialogue of all three Lord of the Rings novels combined.”

“Reaching a technical bar that matches our design ambitions felt like the right move, while holding back the PC version when we knew we’d be ready felt like the wrong move in such a busy launch period,” Douse added.

Larian will share more details about Baldur’s Gate 3 during an event called Panel From Hell: Release Showcase on July 7, so keep checking back with GameSpot for more.