BG3 Infos on Baldur's Gate 3

[Couchpotato]

No PC collectors edition nowadays cones with a DRM Free physical version anymore unless it's the console version. Sad this is what PC gaming has become.

Just a Steam code in a box that has sometimes already been claimed.

 

[Couchpotato]

Baldur's Gate 3 dev shows off the level of optimization achieved for the Xbox Series S port, which bodes well for future PC updates

Larian must have cast a transmutation spell on the code to get these gains.

www.pcgamer.com

Little things can often matter a lot and when it comes to streamlining a game's memory usage, every gigabyte counts. One of the developers at Larian, makers of Baldur's Gate 3, has shown that the team's recent hard work has resulted in a 34% reduction in VRAM usage for the forthcoming Xbox Series S version.

The good news was shared by Swen Vincke on Twitter, via a short post with two graphs showing how the RAM and VRAM loads of the Series S port of Baldur's Gate 3 have been significantly reduced in recent weeks.

It's worth noting that out of all the platforms that Larian has developed its masterpiece for, the Xbox Series S is probably the most restrictive. This is because it only has 8GB of high-bandwidth memory, to store the game while running and use as VRAM (the remaining 2GB gets used for system functions).

The graphs start at the beginning of September, with the game using just over 5.2GB for general game RAM and around 3.5GB for VRAM. By November, though, Larian had shaved this down to 4.7GB and 2.3GB respectively. The RAM reduction is a pretty decent 10% drop but the reduction in VRAM usage is a massive 34%.

 

[Stingray]

What a fucking joke. Why wait until next year to release this? A lot of people, including myself, wanted an affordable boxed copy to begin with. They obviously held back to make sure all their $300 collector's editions sold first and to also get some people to double-dip.

Don't think the collector's edition could have been the reason. It was limited to a certain number of units, sold out long before the game even released, and they've never made any more of them. They are going for $1000 on eBay as a result. If they were trying to milk those, they would have at least made enough to meet demand.

The double-dip thing is pretty gross though, they should allow people who own the digital game to order the physical copy at a discount.

 

[JDR13]

Don't think the collector's edition could have been the reason. It was limited to a certain number of units, sold out long before the game even released

Er...no it didn't. It sold out at the end of July. I think it was like a week before the game launched.

The double-dip thing is pretty gross though, they should allow people who own the digital game to order the physical copy at a discount.

Should, yes, I agree. That's why this is such an obvious money grab to me.

 

[Stingray]

Er...no it didn't. It sold out at the end of July. I think it was like a week before the game launched.

Ok, I read up more on this and apparently it actually sold out multiple times. They added more for sale at some points. But, no more were added after the game released and became a mega-hit. If they were out to cash in with the CE, I don't think there's any question they would have added more after release.

 

[Stingray]

By the way, they did say it was 25K limited (unless they changed their minds later), so they must have put it up for sale in batches I guess.

 

[JDR13]

By the way, they did say it was 25K limited (unless they changed their minds later), so they must have put it up for sale in batches I guess.

Yeah, I was just about to mention that before you posted again. If it sold out more than once it was only because of production issues.

As for not trying to cash in more with the CE, they really couldn't. I mean, they could, but it would have made them look bad considering they promised a set number to begin with.

 

[Stingray]

True, though if they were looking to cash in on the CE, they probably wouldn't have slapped a specific number on it to begin with. Then again, when they first put that CE up for sale they might have thought 25K was more than they'd ever sell anyway. Then the game became the biggest hit of the year...

 

[Stingray]

Then again,

https://twitter.com/x/status/1686093016421810176

 

[JDR13]

I'm pretty sure being a limited amount factored into the $270 price tag. Not having any other physical edition, and making people think that would be the only one, definitely contributed to the CE selling out as fast as it did.

 

[JDR13]

Then again,

https://twitter.com/x/status/1686093016421810176

That's interesting. I wonder how they would price it. A CE without a numbered certificate wouldn't garner the same interest from collectors.

 

[Stingray]

Could also be that the idea for another run of CE's ended up morphing into this deluxe physical edition...

 

[JDR13]

Could also be that the idea for another run of CE's ended up morphing into this deluxe physical edition...

Possibly. I didn't notice the date at first. I assumed it was a more recent tweet when you posted it.