In the not too distant past, some people would have called you mad for suggesting that CRPGs could work on consoles — but here we are. Baldur's Gate 3 is the latest example of the genre finding a comfortable home on PlayStation, and those eggheads over at Digital Foundry reckon it's a good fit on PS5.
The report goes over all of the usual stuff, praising the game's controller support and covering the ups and downs of the title's technical performance. Before Baldur's Gate 3 released on PS5, we had read about the game's... issues on PC — particularly in its third act, which largely takes place within bustling urban environments.
The good news is that the RPG runs well on PS5, and its graphical prowess is actually comparable to the 'Ultra' preset on PC, which is nice. Quality mode opts for a native 1440p resolution and sticks to a (mostly) stable 30 frames-per-second, while performance mode targets a smoother 60fps at what is apparently an upscaled 1440p. Either way, the article states that there isn't too much of a difference between the two settings in terms of visual fidelity.
However, the bottom line here is that the PS5 version ultimately suffers from the same problems as its PC counterpart. Frame rate dips are inevitable in certain areas, and things can really plummet in the aforementioned cities. The dips don't make the game unplayable — it is a rather methodical, turn-based RPG, after all — but it's obviously not ideal. There's some screen tearing as well, but again, Digital Foundry stresses that most of Baldur's Gate 3 runs well on Sony's current-gen system.
The hope, then, is that Larian Studios will be able to smooth things out with updates. The developer's already deployed a bunch of surprisingly sizeable patches since the game dropped on PC, and despite being just a few days old, the PS5 version's already had two updates of its own. At this rate, we can't imagine that these performance issues will last much longer.
[source eurogamer.net]
Comments 29
There is a lot of room for improvement but we can trust Larian. I don't really care how games look as long as they aren't a mess like AC so the fact BG3 isn't broken like DOS2 was at launch is enough for me.
Its worth noting that the game is not that GPU heavy on a PC at all, and DF are using the 4+ year old 2060 Super to run the PC version at Ultra at 62 FPS. Its fantastic that the PS5 can match the 2060 Super though.
As with lower spec CPU PCs the game suffers on the PS5 in NPC heavy areas - but hopefully a patch can address that for both the PS5 and such CPU limited PCs.
In contrast
It was suprising to hear of drops to 20fps from 60fps and constant screen tearing at the bottom of the screen. Hopefully it's something that can be fixed by the time i play it, as that sounds pretty bad to be honest
Honestly it looks pretty good to me after watching the video.
A locked 60fps isn't super important in a turn-based game. I would play it in quality mode at a mostly locked 30 fps with no tearing and better visuals personally. Seems like the only area it falls below that is in the city in act 3 where it was expected to be a problem.
In Larian we can place our trust. Hands down the best Developer out there who really listen to their community. If you find a problem, tell them. They will want to know, and will seek to sort it. It would be great if all Developers were as proactive, and reactive, as them...
@Sakai keep in mind that it is only in one area of the game. The rest of the game doesn't see those issues.
If the Armored Core thread was any indication - we will be losing a few Push Square users to a playthrough of Act III of BG3. Condolences to their families and may they rest in eternal peace. Amen.
You better paying $400 for a PS5 than for a $400 "Gaming PC" right now (usually a POS, especially with RT on)
Not worth dealing with Windows in that price segment. Just get a PS5.
Frame rate drops? This game must be trash then!
@Agramonte nooooo you are so wrong...there are youtube videos showing you that you can build a gaming rig thats just as powerful as a ps5 🤣
I was disappointed to see that John didn’t do the tech review for this. I always enjoy his videos.
the screen tearing top and bottom of the screen looked shocking
once you notice screen tearing you cant un notice it
It runs better and looks far better then i ever thought it would, even the controls are pretty solid.
@GymratAmarillo AC? You mean Armoured Core? That runs far better then Elden Ring ever does and is far from a mess.
@Northern_munkey
Even worse. Now not only dealing with Windows but also stepping in as tech support. No point in building a rig "just as powerful as a PS5" in my book
People complain about the PS5 size and design but now lets pretend some POS budget YouTube PC build is an option. End up with some Circa 1990 ATX Mid-Tower tub in the living room.
If PC budget is $400, buy a PS5.
ULTRA COOOMBO!
@Agramonte 🤣
Halfway thru act2, no problems whatsoever!
The game looks absolutelly stunning.
Moreover the controls are smooth and intuitive.
Never thought id be playing a crpg on a console, but im having an absolute blast.
Definetly one of the best games ive ever played.
@Northern_munkey The GPU alone for something comparable to a PS5 is gonna be more expensive than the 400 - 500 dollars a PS5 costs, or it's gonna be nearly as expensive.
I think in terms of GPU power, the PS5 has something akin to a 2070 Super, but let's just say to be fair (20 series cards are...REALLY OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive right now for some weird reason) and say we can substitute a 3060 TI which is cheaper and offers slightly better performance at around 300 - 400 dollars. Let's say 300.
Cool got a GPU for 300. Now we need:
A motherboard
RAM
M.2 NVMe SSD
A CPU
A CPU fan
A case
A WIFI card or adapter
Mouse and keyboard
Maybe a controller
Yeah, I don't think I need to price all that out for you to see that you're not going to build a PS5 equivalent PC for 500 bucks.
It is not possible man.
@Northern_munkey Look for a nice small PC case that is gonna cost a lot, power, ram, cpu, gpu and let's not forget nice cooling.
@trev666 shocking? That’s hyperbolic and dramatic at best. Annoying, yes, definitely annoying.
@Agramonte I agree. I have a high end PC and the PS5 is an astonishing piece of kit for the price. Even a $500 gpu alone is low end.. not counting anything to put it in. (I'll leave my $80 annual online gripes aside for the moment).
@Flaming_Kaiser @Constable_What you two and myself dont know what we are talking about. There are loads of youtube vids showing us. I've thrown the gauntlet down enough times and nobody in these comments sections that claim to be able to build one has ever produced the goods. We just have to accept defeat i'm afraid 🤣
@Northern_munkey I got jebaited. I see that now.
I’m loving the performance, I haven’t seen any screen tearing yet, after about 10 hours (not to say people aren’t experiencing it), but it’s been fine for me on 1080 and 4k screens. Looking forward to a good session over the weekend!
@Agramonte I mean the advantage of getting a PC over a PS5 is very attractive.
You get free online gaming, and a larger gaming library(Playstation exclusive,Xbox exclusive,large library of steam games,and emulated Nintendo games).
Hell,I would even argue being able to replace and upgrade any part of your PC,is a big plus.
Even if a PC equivalent to a PS5 is intially more expensive,I believe with all it perks,it will be cheaper in the long run.
@Constable_What 🤣👍
@rachetmarvel the massive library, options, and emulation on PC are all pretty attractive. But man, I've had sooo many bad experiences with Windows and pc hardware finnicky nonsense over the years I just can't take it. At this point, price is irrelevant. I just don't want random BS problems interrupting my limited leisure time.
@Sequel
Same here. I have a Water Loop on mine so it is dead silent regardless what I am playing maxed out. But not getting that for $400 dollars... But yeah, the new $79 price for PS+ is nonsense.
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