One of the best games of the year is finally coming to Xbox next month

By Tomas Franzese November 15, 2023

Larian Studios confirmed that the Xbox version of Baldur’s Gate 3 will still be coming out this year by announcing its December release window.

Minthara in Baldur's Gate 3. — Larian Studios

“Xbox players, we hear you’re looking for more news on Baldur’s Gate 3. The game is on track for a December release,” Larian Studios stated on X (formerly Twitter). There’s no specific release date yet, but Larian’s tweet reveals when we’ll learn more. “We’ll see you at The Game Awards for the World Premiere of the exact release date,” the developer teased. Geoff Keighley’s video game award show takes place every December and is always full of announcements in addition to awards. The show is shaping up to be a big one for Baldur’s Gate 3, as it’s nominated in nine categories — including Game of the Year and Best RPG — and will have its December release date revealed there.

This critically acclaimed Dungeons & Dragons RPG launched for PC in August and for PlayStation 5 in September, but Xbox Series X and S versions of the game were conspicuously absent. Larian revealed it was struggling to get the game to run well in co-op on Xbox Series S specifically. Microsoft gave it permission to launch the game without co-op support on Xbox Series S, although Larian has stated that it has found ways to decrease the RAM and VRAM loads for the game on that digital-only Xbox console. Larian and Microsoft had previously said they aimed to release Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox before the end of the year; this is official confirmation that they’ve met that goal and will bring the game to Microsoft’s platforms sometime next month.

Xbox players, we hear you’re looking for more news on Baldur’s Gate 3. The game is on track for a December release.

We’ll see you at The Game Awards for the World Premiere™ of the exact release date.

— Larian Studios (@larianstudios) November 15, 2023

Baldur’s Gate 3 is available now for PC and PS5. It finally comes to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S sometime this December. We’ll learn more at The Game Awards 2023 on December 7.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Gaming Staff Writer

Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

Gaming

I know nothing about cars and even I’m obsessed with Forza Motorsport

A driver races a car in Forza Motorsport.

More than any other game released this fall, Forza Motorsport has become my new obsession. I’ve spent days tuning up cars and perfecting my racing skills, all while throwing music on in the background and zoning out. It’s one of my favorite video game experiences I’ve had this year. Judging by that, you may assume I’m your average car guy who’s simply won over by all those shiny, digital vehicles. That’s not the case; I don’t even have a driver’s license in real life.

The beauty of Forza Motorsport is that you don’t need to be an automotive fanatic to enjoy its elegant simulation gameplay. That’s because the racing game is built around a collection of simple pleasures that both pull from the best video games and entirely subvert them. Whether you’re a car enthusiast or not, there’s video game joy to discover in Forza if you’re looking at it the right way.
Take it easy
At a passing glance, Forza Motorsport doesn’t look all that special. It’s a standard racing simulator where you zoom around tracks in incredibly realistic cars. It’s the prettiest game in the genre, right next to Gran Turismo 7, but only seasoned driving sim veterans are likely to see any of its nuances initially.

Gaming

Xbox’s 2023 games feel like the Series X launch lineup we never got

EMBARGO 10/4 12:01 AM PT: A camera angle up close to a Forza Motorsport race.

Even though we’re almost three years into the life span of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, it feels like this console generation is just starting for Microsoft.
It’s no secret that Xbox was slow to start up and then maintain consistency this console generation. For example, 2020 saw the company putting out a weak console launch lineup made up of ports and remasters. While 2021 had a flurry of great games, it was followed by a comparatively barren 2022. And 2023 hasn't been perfect either (due, in large part, to the flop that is Redfall), but outside of that, this year delivered the excellent Hi-Fi Rush, the grandly scaled Starfield, solid ports of two Age of Empires games and Quake II, a new Minecraft title, and a technical showpiece in Forza Motorsport.
Looking at that varied lineup, these games showcase both the potential of the Series X and the power of Xbox as a brand. Prospects for Xbox’s lineup are up heading into 2024 too, so it feels like we’re at the proper start of the Xbox Series X and S console generation ... even if it came a few years too late.
A new beginning
Looking at the 2020 launch lineup for Xbox Series X/S, it wasn’t exactly emblematic of what the console could do. While there were some nice 4K and 60 frames per second (fps) upgrades for Xbox One games, the only new draws were a console port of Gears Tactics, the multiplayer-supporting Tetris Effect: Connected, a temporary next-gen exclusive version of Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and some smaller indies like The Falconeer and Bright Memory 1.0.

Most of those games were on or came to more platforms afterward and, in general, didn’t provide that strong of an argument for why players should stick around this console generation. But looking at many of the games Xbox has released this year, it finally feels like we have a bundle of good Xbox exclusives that show what the platform was always capable of.
In my review of Forza Motorsport, I note that the game feels like a launch title because it’s an impressive technical showpiece. It runs at 4K and 60 fps in performance mode, which is something not many games this generation have done. The closest comparable games are Astro’s Playroom and Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered on PlayStation 5, which effectively demonstrated the power of Sony's console early on.
Forza Motorsport was also built as a platform that developer Turn 10 Studios can expand over time. It plans to periodically slot in new single and multiplayer content, including new cars and tracks. A game like that makes a lot of sense early on in a console’s life span in this live-service era. It’s what Microsoft tried to do with Halo Infinite, even if that didn’t pan out as expected due to a one-year delay, and with Killer Instinct on Xbox One.

Gaming

Cuphead is getting a free Xbox and Windows exclusive anniversary update

Cuphead battling boss in Cuphead DLC.

Cuphead is getting a new free update to celebrate its six-year anniversary. The Xbox Anniversary Update, which is exclusive for those who own the game on Xbox consoles and Windows, includes behind-the-scenes featurettes, the full game soundtrack, and more. It launches on September 29.

Released in 2017, Cuphead was a smash hit for developer StudioMDHR thanks to the game’s unique art style. Since then the developer has supported the game with new content including last year’s Delicious Last Course DLC. While the Anniversary update doesn’t bring any new gameplay to the package, it comes loaded with extras.