Larian drops Series S split-screen as "solution" to bring Baldur's Gate 3 to Xbox this year
UPDATE: Xbox and Larian working to add split-screen post launch.
UPDATE 29/8/23: Larian and Xbox still hope to add split-screen gameplay to the Series S version of Baldur's Gate 3.
In a post over the weekend, Xbox said it is working with Larian, and exploring ways to bring split-screen to the Series S. If and when a solution is found, this feature will then be added to Baldur's Gate 3 post launch.
This follows the welcome announcement that Baldur's Gate 3 will be releasing on Xbox this year. Last week, Larian's Swen Vincke revealed he had sat down with Xbox head Phil Spencer to find a solution to bring the game to Microsoft's consoles.
"Super happy to confirm that after meeting [Phil Spencer] yesterday, we've found a solution that allows us to bring Baldur's Gate 3 to Xbox players this year still, something we've been working towards for quite some time," Vincke celebrated on X (formally Twitter).
"All improvements will be there, with split-screen coop on Series X. Series S will not feature split-screen co-op, but will also include cross-save progression between Steam and Xbox Series."
The original story continues below.
ORIGINAL 24/8/23: Larian's Swen Vincke says Baldur's Gate 3 will be coming to Xbox this year, having sat down with Phil Spencer at Gamescom to hash out a few details.
The recent RPG has seen a roaring success on PC, where it launched earlier this month. It is set to come to PlayStation 5 on 6th September.
However, Xbox has been notably absent from the release schedule thus far, with split-screen gameplay on Series S being the main sticking point.
But now, this sticking point is unstuck, with the developer dropping the feature on Xbox's Series S console. This is even though Larian once called it a "must".
"Super happy to confirm that after meeting [Phil Spencer] yesterday, we've found a solution that allows us to bring Baldur's Gate 3 to Xbox players this year still, something we've been working towards for quite some time," Vincke celebrated on X (formally Twitter).
"All improvements will be there, with split-screen coop on Series X. Series S will not feature split-screen co-op, but will also include cross-save progression between Steam and Xbox Series."
We still don't have a release date for Baldur's Gate 3's Xbox debut, but we are one step closer than we were this morning.
For more on Gamescom and Phil Spencer, our Tom sat down to chat with the Xbox head earlier this week. Here you can read all about everything from new hardware and price drops to mid-gen refreshes - including why the company won't ditch its Series S console.