Summary
- Cross-platform modding for Baldur's Gate 3 will still be better on PC.
- PC mods still have technical limitations, but content guidelines won't be as strict.
- Xbox Series X/S will likely still feature more extensive modding than PlayStation.
Baldur's Gate 3 is great on any platform, but time and time again, the PC version just keeps proving itself as the best way to play with BG3's most recent update. PC has always been a big platform focus for Baldur's Gate 3, with a nearly three-year early access period and the first month of the official release remaining exclusive to Steam. The fact that it's now playable on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S as well has made it possible for a lot more people to join in on the fun, but anyone with options has reason enough to opt for the PC release.
Historically, the biggest advantage of playing Baldur's Gate 3 on PC has been how much the game is designed around mouse and keyboard controls. Following in the tradition of CRPGs that never had console releases, Baldur's Gate 3 makes clicking around the primary method of interacting with its world, and long menus of abilities and equipment can be troublesome to navigate with a controller. Some smart UI redesigns and additional options make the console ports surprisingly adept in this regard, but a gamepad is still a bit of an awkward fit.
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Baldur's Gate 3 Modding Will Be More Limited On Console
PC Has A Less Intensive Review Process For Mods
The next planned patch for Baldur's Gate 3 is set to add official modding support to the game, but getting to enjoy those mods will come with fewer potential compromises on PC. A new Community Update from developer Larian Studios on Steam clarifies some lingering questions about how the patch will work, and one thing that's covered is the difference in the process between PC and consoles. According to Larian, PC mods will receive "general stability and Terms of Service checks," while console releases have to go through "an additional curation process" before appearing in the mod browser.
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Although there are clearly still some stipulations for what mods will officially be made available on PC as well as consoles, PC users will still be able to install mods that don't make the cut. It's already possible to download plenty from sites like Nexus Mods, and unsupported mods will still be able to be packed locally with the new mod.io toolset to be uploaded elsewhere. On console, no such alternatives will be available, so the narrower restrictions will essentially be ironclad.
How Baldur's Gate 3 Mods Will Be Restricted
Content Guidelines & Technical Limitations Both Apply
It's cool to get mods on consoles at all, as most games don't have this luxury, but those that do have already set a precedent for how things might play out. Bethesda Game Studios has made mods available on console games like The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and Fallout 4, and one thing that's clear is that PlayStation will likely be even more limited than Xbox. Sony's guidelines for what's allowed in modding seem to be significantly more restrictive than Microsoft's, and Larian Studios will ultimately be held to the same rules as everyone else.
Based on modding restrictions for Bethesda games, Sony enforces a smaller space limit for mods and a ban on third-party assets.
Although PC is coming out on top, the fact that modding will likely be more extensive on Xbox Series X/S is a nice turnaround for players on the platform, as it has had more struggles with the game in the past. The Xbox release came months after the PS5 one, and some initial performance problems and stability issues on Xbox could also make the game a struggle to play. By now, things are generally equivalent, although the Series S in particular still lacks couch co-op due to performance limitations.
Across all platforms, officially supported mods will also have to meet standards set by Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro, as Larian references guidelines set in place by the studio's partners to preserve some standards of the Dungeons & Dragons universe. From a technical standpoint, direct level editing and some other core adjustments won't be officially supported on any system, which the studio clarified in a Reddit comment addressing the update. Just how different PC and console modding will be remains to be seen, but everything should hopefully become clearer when the Baldur's Gate 3 mod tools are released.
Sources: Steam, SaloAtLarian/Reddit
Baldur's Gate 3
Developed and published by Larian Studios, Baldur's Gate 3 is an upcoming role-playing game set to release in August of 2023. Players will create a character to embark on a large-scale journey and can do so solo or cooperatively with a friend. Combat is a turn-based style this time around.
- Franchise
- Baldur's Gate
- Platform(s)
- PC , Stadia , macOS , PS5 , Xbox Series X
- Released
- August 3, 2023
- Developer(s)
- Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Larian Studios
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Local Co-Op Support
- 1-2 Players
- Gaming
- Baldur's Gate 3
- Baldur's Gate
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