Baldur’s Gate 3 officially ended major development with Patch 8, but a new update has made a pretty substantial addition. While there’s no reason to believe we’ll ever get a Patch 9, Larian Studios has continued to release hotfixes to address major technical problems. The newest hotfix, however, goes above and beyond.
Baldur’s Gate 3 now features a native Steam Deck build, as revealed in the Hotfix 34 notes on the official Baldur’s Gate 3 website. While it was possible to play Baldur’s Gate 3 on Steam Deck before, the lack of official support meant that performance problems and some degree of additional work could be expected. For those without a Steam Deck, the patch optimizations should help performance on all platforms, and the hotfix also fixes some crashing issues on Xbox.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Hotfix 34 Adds A Steam Deck Version
New Optimizations Across All Platforms
Baldur’s Gate 3‘s Steam Deck version previously relied on Proton. This is software that makes Windows games run on Linux, the basis for the Steam Deck’s SteamOS system, but it can come with some drawbacks. The patch notes explain the differences between the Proton version of the game and the new native Steam Deck version, noting that the latter reduces the CPU usage and memory consumption required to run the game.
As a side effect, this means that the locations of save games and mods on Steam Deck will be changed. Steam’s cloud save service takes care of the former automatically, while logging into a Larian account connected with mod.io should take care of the latter. In lieu of those options, it’s also possible to transfer files manually.
Baldur’s Gate 3’s Steam Deck Release Is A Great Move
More Fun For Everyone
While Baldur’s Gate 3 is no longer the primary focus at Larian, the studio’s continued dedication to giving fans a good experience hasn’t disappeared. The Steam Deck version could open up comfortable play on the go for a solid portion of the game’s fan base. With a game as long and replayable as Baldur’s Gate 3, that’s a significant advantage.
I’m still holding out hope that Baldur’s Gate 3 could eventually make its way to the Switch 2, which would provide similar advantages. The new optimization breakthroughs for the Steam Deck version could make that a little more viable, especially when it comes to the traditionally intense demands of Act 3.
Ultimately, though, I’m even more excited to see what game Larian comes up with next. If Hotfix 34’s Steam Deck release is the last platform addition for Baldur’s Gate 3, it’s already been more than enough.
- Released
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August 3, 2023
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Larian Studios
- Publisher(s)
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Larian Studios
- Engine
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Divinity 4.0
- Multiplayer
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Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
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Full cross-platform play.
- Cross Save
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Full cross-platform progression.