Baldur's Gate 3 Now Available on Mac

[PBG4 Dude]

I play on my PS5 for now. I have read that you can play with a controller on PC though. I'm building another gaming rig next year. I am excited to get back to PC gaming.

Yes I play with both controller and kbm. The UI automatically flips as you change input devices. This way I use the controller to explore because movement is nicer on controller, then do any battle / puzzle stuff on kbm as the UI makes it easier to select options.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

Umm... the system requirements previously said i7, yet now they're saying M1? I have an i9, so am I suddenly blocked from the game now that it's out of early access?

I’m worried about this as well. Been playing on my 2017 MBP in bootcamp / Win10 and am hoping I can squeeze more performance from a macOS native port.

Not sure if I have a spare 140GB to install it at the moment but as soon as I can I’m giving it a shot.

 

[CalMin]

I agree that 16GB should be the minimum today and for better future-proofing. Unfortunately, some people continually tell us that the average person doesn't need more than 8GB and that 8GB is "more computer than most people need!" 🤣

We saw it just this morning:

Or maybe it's that most MacBook Air users have no interest in playing games? 🤷‍♂️

I don't know why anyone would be seriously considering a thin and light laptop that comes without a fan as a gaming rig? Spend the $200 on a used PS4 or a Nintendo switch and you'll be much happier.

 

[Chuckeee]

This is why Apple needs to make 16GB of RAM standard across the board if they're truly serious about gaming on the Mac.

Why should apple configure its lowest end configuration Mac to be gaming machines. That is not the rule of thumb in PC so why should it be that way for Mac? Gaming PC are high end, high performance machines. Gaming machines are incredibly computers but they are far from lowest-cost entry-level offerings.

If You don’t like the lowest end Mac configuration then don’t buy them. If people stopped buying 8GB configuration, Apple would stop offering them.

I’m not going into the non-upgradable Apple memory argument except that limitation is known and shouldn’t be a surprise. Think before you buy. If you are unhappy, frustrated or angry about the situation then protest with your pocketbook.

 

[Shirasaki]

Not to say I am a D&D fan, but that looks interesting.
But yeah, as you can see, devs will try to target the lowest denominator of the product lineup to make sure they have the largest customer base possible. If Apple never raises minimum Ram spec just because tons of people declaring 8GB Ram will last years or eternity, Apple silicon game will also be forever limited in scope and capability.

 

[Nermal]

I’m worried about this as well. Been playing on my 2017 MBP in bootcamp / Win10 and am hoping I can squeeze more performance from a macOS native port.

Not sure if I have a spare 140GB to install it at the moment but as soon as I can I’m giving it a shot.

Some posts on Reddit say that it's still compiled as a universal app, so it does still run on Intel. The question, of course, is whether it changes to Arm-only at some point further down the line.

Edit: I've asked Larian and will update this post when I get a response. Larian's own site still lists Intel Macs as compatible so it's a bit confusing when Steam doesn't mention them at all.

Edit 2: Sorry! I forgot to update this post like I said I would! Larian came back and said that it's still compiled for Intel and that if it ever breaks then I should log a bug. I ended up buying it from GOG so I can always archive the Intel version anyway.

 

[CarAnalogy]

I agree that 16GB should be the minimum today and for better future-proofing. Unfortunately, some people continually tell us that the average person doesn't need more than 8GB and that 8GB is "more computer than most people need!" 🤣

We saw it just this morning:




Or maybe it's that most MacBook Air users have no interest in playing games? 🤷‍♂️

They may have optimized it a bit for this release but I played the early access version at the time the Windows version was released. Runs well enough but it’s the only thing I’ve found that will max out my M1 Pro’s fans. It’s a beast of a game. Base model 14” can handle it but you can tell it’s working overtime. I seriously doubt 8GB of RAM could handle it and this is definitely a problem for gaming.

 

[CarAnalogy]

When they upload it to the real App Store, I’ll watch some reviews and consider purchasing it.

Uh…what? Steam isn’t real? Of all the app stores, Steam may be the most real. It pre-dates the “real” (I presume you mean the Mac App Store) by at least seven years. In many ways it was the FIRST App Store for games.

 

[Shirasaki]

I don't know why anyone would be seriously considering a thin and light laptop that comes without a fan as a gaming rig? Spend the $200 on a used PS4 or a Nintendo switch and you'll be much happier.

On the other side, if one device can do everything a given customer’s need, why buy other devices? Don’t forget that smartphone evolves into what we get today EXACTLY because customers want to do literally everything on it, bars things like computationally intensive tasks and mid/high level operating system tinkering.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

They may have optimized it a bit for this release but I played the early access version at the time the Windows version was released. Runs well enough but it’s the only thing I’ve found that will max out my M1 Pro’s fans. It’s a beast of a game. Base model 14” can handle it but you can tell it’s working overtime. I seriously doubt 8GB of RAM could handle it and this is definitely a problem for gaming.

All depends on how you set the graphics. I can play it at roughly 30-40fps on a mix of low-med settings at 720/1080 resolution on my Steam Deck and ROG Ally.

 

[basher]

Can you play with a controller, or KBM only? Thanks.

I'm using the controller that came with my Xbox Series X

The game will auto sense what input device you're using. I've been able to switch from keyboard to mouse to controller without have to fiddle with any settings.

 

[cateye]

Uh…what? Steam isn’t real? Of all the app stores, Steam may be the most real. It pre-dates the “real” (I presume you mean the Mac App Store) by at least seven years. In many ways it was the FIRST App Store for games.

++ Being athat ttached to the worthless graveyard that is the Mac App Store is certainly a weird take, especially when it comes to games, but hey! To each their own. I'd rather, you know, play the game. Which is also why I do lots of things on my Macs, but gaming will never be one of them. The right platform (or App Store, for that matter) for the task at hand.

 

[alchemistmuffin]

where’s the iPad port?

Well, more importantly,

WHERE’S THE iPhone VERSION!!!!!!!!! 🫤 (For the iPhone 15 Pro lineup) ​

 

[tweaknmod]

Anyone try it on an M2 MBA?
I’ve no doubt it’ll run, I’m just curious as to how far you can push it.

 

[coffeemilktea]

If only Starfield and Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty were released on the Mac too, then all the really great 2023 RPGs would be playable on Apple Silicon. 🤞

 

[Joe Dohn]

I agree that 16GB should be the minimum today and for better future-proofing. Unfortunately, some people continually tell us that the average person doesn't need more than 8GB and that 8GB is "more computer than most people need!" 🤣

If all you do is to edit light text documents and presentations, and maybe browse the Internet, then even a computer from 15+ years ago will do the job just fine.

I dare say that if ALL you do is typing text, then even a computer from the 1990s will do the job (with the corresponding retro software, of course). With something like PageMaker, you can even create amateur magazines or newspapers.

Oh, and surprisingly, I had the curiosity to try to find people on YouTube who use PageMaker on a retro setup, and apparently there are STILL people in India who use PageMaker to this day.

 

[jimbobb24]

Wow that trailer looks worse than what people tell me about the game. it's Larian so I know it will be amazing but that trailer was generic boredom.

 

[Chuckeee]

When they upload it to the real App Store, I’ll watch some reviews and consider purchasing it.

There is (has been) a version on GOG that is playable on the Mac (the requirements seem similar). Is the GOG version the same as the steam version?

Baldur's Gate 3

Cross-platform multiplayer with Steam is supported. Gather your party, and return

www.gog.com

 

[toobravetosave]

Finalllllyyy

 

[sw1tcher]

I don't know why anyone would be seriously considering a thin and light laptop that comes without a fan as a gaming rig? Spend the $200 on a used PS4 or a Nintendo switch and you'll be much happier.

Who says a thin and light laptop that comes without a fan has to be the main gaming rig? Why can't it be used when the person is away from their main gaming rig and just wants to play a quick game to kill some time?

A smartphone isn't the main gaming rig for a lot of people, yet many use it to play games while on the move. It's embarrassing that the iPhone 15 Pro has just as much memory as the base MacBook Air.

 

[LedRush]

I agree that 16GB should be the minimum today and for better future-proofing. Unfortunately, some people continually tell us that the average person doesn't need more than 8GB and that 8GB is "more computer than most people need!" 🤣

We saw it just this morning:




Or maybe it's that most MacBook Air users have no interest in playing games? 🤷‍♂️

In fairness, everyone here is right. Apple should put in 16GB if they are serious about gaming, and 8GB is fine for most people.

 

[klasma]

After Smudge Gate and Ooze Gate, Baldur's Gate might not be so bad.

 

[CarAnalogy]

All depends on how you set the graphics. I can play it at roughly 30-40fps on a mix of low-med settings at 720/1080 resolution on my Steam Deck and ROG Ally.

Yeah I’ll try cranking it down. Can only get so high res on dragon dong.

 

[1madman1]

When they upload it to the real App Store, I’ll watch some reviews and consider purchasing it.

The Stream store pre-dates Apple's "app store" by several years. Apple is the knockoff here.

 

[TallManNY]

Is this why I went with the M2 mini pro instead of the regular M2 mini? I haven't gamed on my Mac in probably close to a decade, but I didn't rule it out as never happening again. So I thought maybe those extra GPUs might come in handy eventually. This might be it.