It’s been over a month since Baldur’s Gate 3 arrived on the PC platform in its full version after many years of early access. The full release quickly gained critical acclaim with extremely good reviews and favorable comments from fans of the classic PC RPG.
However, as of today, September 6, the PC exclusivity period of this title is over – The PlayStation 5 version has arrived! Many players wonder how this mega PC-centric game looks and works on the console, so let’s check out how Baldur’s Gate 3 performs on PlayStation 5.
Are Baldur’s Gate 3 PS5 Performance and Features Good?
Before jumping into the performance talk, I must mention some features that make the PlayStation 5 version of Baldur’s Gate 3 special. For example, when did you last see a PlayStation 5 game with cross-save compatibility with a PC? Yes, you can use your save file from a PC version on the Sony console and vice versa. All you need is a Larian account; not even PlayStation Plus is required! I cannot stress enough how much I LOVE this feature; I mean, why don’t other games have this?
Related: Baldur’s Gate 3 is Officially Getting Cross-Play
Another really cool thing about the Baldur’s Gate 3 PlayStation 5 version is how the DualSense controller is used. I was already expecting that mouse and keyboard controls would be able to transfer nicely to the PlayStation controller, as many other games have managed to make that transition successfully before (Diablo games on PlayStation, even older Baldur’s Gate games on Switch, etc.), but what I didn’t expect was how good the DualSense support would be! In addition to haptics, the light bar on the controller will change colors depending on which spells you use, accompanied by dramatic vibrations. Also, the controller’s light bar will remind you of your character’s negative statuses, each having its own color. Even the adaptive triggers are used for easier menu navigation supporting half-trigger pulls.
Resolution and Frame-Rate of Baldur’s Gate 3 on PlayStation 5
As for the performance itself, the game on PlayStation 5 looks good; the textures are sharp, and the text is readable, but there is an evident problem with the frame rate. As this title does not have overly “next-gen” graphics, it is clear that the only problem here is the game engine, which is not well adapted to the console and is a textbook case of poor optimization. A game with graphics like this has no business making PS5 coolers be heard. Anyhow, Baldur’s Gate 3 on PlayStation 5 supports two video modes:
- Quality Mode targets 30fps in upscaled 4K resolution that is internally rendered at 1440p.
- Performance Mode targets 60fps (which it rarely pushes) and works in upscaled 4K resolution with internal rendering in 1080p.
The problem is – neither mode is stable enough! The quality mode will give a somewhat sharper display of assets, but even while using this mode, you will not have constant fps; even though it is limited to 30fps, it will often drop even lower. On the other hand, Performance mode rarely reaches 60fps and often drops to 30fps, making it impossible for VRR to smooth it out.
Related: Don’t Worry, Future Baldur’s Gate 3 Updates Will Let You Transmog Your Own Face
Baldur’s Gate 3 on PlayStation 5 – Loading Times and Other Issues
Loading times were also a problem in the PC version, especially when you spend a long time in the game. Regardless of the PS5’s super-fast SSD, this version also has a similar problem, which is not great. It will sometimes take 40-50 seconds to load the save file! Also, unrelated to loading the save files, Baldur’s Gate 3 performance on PC got progressively worse as you progressed through the game, with Act III having issues that still haven’t been resolved. Of course, the same problem exists in the PS5 version and is even more pronounced, meaning that many eventual patches will also be needed in the console version.
Horrendous Split-Screen Mode in Baldur’s Gate 3 PlayStation 5 Version
Ah, yes, there is also a Split Screen in this version. Judging by how it performs, it is best to forget it exists until they fix it since it is sometimes borderline unplayable. The game can stop to a crawl in some scenes, and opening the menus during the battle can freeze everything for seconds. Switching to the other character with the L2 button can stun the game for 2-3 seconds. Some players on Baldur’s Gate 3 Reddit post videos of the game freezing for 10-15 seconds during familiar summoning or character transformation animations. When we remember that the Xbox console port was delayed because the Series S couldn’t handle split-screen mode, I wonder how much worse it could have been.
The Verdict on Baldur’s Gate 3 on PlayStation 5
So, as a kind of verdict, what can I say? The PC version certainly works better if you have a powerful enough PC. If not, PS5 is the second best choice for Baldur’s Gate 3 and a special affair with its fantastic DualSense support, but stick to the single-player for now. The best thing about it, though? The Cross-save support allows you to experience the best of both worlds.
For more Baldur’s Gate 3 here on Prima Games, click the tag below for our extensive coverage of this title and learn how to get the Blood of Lathander Mace, how to fix the “Can’t Save” issue, and how to hide your helmet.
