Larian Studios Reveals Impressive Optimization Efforts for Xbox Series S Port of Baldur’s Gate 3

They say a picture is worth a thousand worths. And there are plenty of positive things to say about two recent images posted by Larian Studios, showing the strides the developer has made to optimize the Xbox Series S port of Baldur’s Gate 3.

Larian Studios CEO and founder Swen Vincke posted screenshots showcasing how the team has substantially reduced the RAM and VRAM loads for Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox Series S.

Got a nice present from our engineers. Ensuring memory is well under control and having buffer for peaks was the main thing holding us back I think this will benefit all platforms too. Still some work left but very close now. pic.twitter.com/xvtUDPFebo

— Swen Vincke @where? (@LarAtLarian) November 8, 2023

Both graphs reveal the progress Larian made between September through early November, showing the drastic decreases with the current numbers around 2.3GB for VRAM and 4.7GB of RAM usage, down from the 3.5GB and 5.2GB both were hitting in early September.

Though Vincke did not specify what Larian had done to achieve such a major reduction in both, the numbers nevertheless are impressive. The Xbox Series S is the least powerful home console that Baldur’s Gate 3 is releasing on and with the PS5 and PC versions having performance issues, particularly with Act 3, where players see a significant dip in frames, the optimization progress Larian is making with the Xbox Series S version gives hope that the port won’t offer a terrible experience for those who own the $300 system.

Yet Larian has consistently released performance improvements in patch updates, including the recent Patch 4 update, which notes several general performance improvements, including better performance in crowded areas.

Baldur’s Gate 3’s Xbox Series S port has already gained notoriety despite not being out yet, as many were upset to learn that the Xbox Series S version would not get two-player split-screen co-op due to the hardware’s limitations. However, it’s been hinted that it would come in a post-launch update after the port’s release.

In our review of Baldur’s Gate 3, we said: “[w]ith crunchy, tactical RPG combat, a memorable story with complex characters, highly polished cinematic presentation, and a world that always rewards exploration and creativity, Baldur’s Gate 3 is the new high-water mark for CRPGs.”

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.