PlayingBaldur’s Gate 3with friends is a lot of fun, just like many other games.This 2023 TGA Game of the Year winneris similar to Larian Studios' earlier game,Divinity: Original Sin 2, because both of them extensively support co-op play.
Even if some players prefer going solo, the game’s creators put a ton of effort into making the co-op excellent.Baldur’s Gate 3lets you play with friends in different ways, like LAN, Online, or Split-Screen couch co-op. You can also mix and match these options if you want.
Updated September 12th, 2024 by Jacob Buchalter:Playing co-op with a friend, family, partner, or even just a random person online in Baldur’s Gate 3 is almost always a ton of fun. This game is so incredibly enjoyable as a multiplayer experience, and thankfully as more patches and updates for the game come out the multiplayer experience keeps getting better and better. While, sadly, split-screen co-op is still rough due to having to use two controllers (instead of a mouse+keyboard combo and a controller), the most recent patch at the time of writing this, Patch 7, has even added dynamic split-screen to the game as well. So, let’s go over how exactly you’re meant to enable or access split-screen co-op in Baldur’s Gate 3, on all platforms.
How to Play Split-Screen Couch Co-op on PC
It’s Mostly Automatic
In general, the process for enabling split-screen co-op is mostly automatic. However, on PC, both players need to use controllers. Once the game recognizes the second controller, it’ll prompt you to create a new custom character or to take control of an existing party member. To break it down more in-depth, here are the steps:
1
2
Load a save file or start a new game.
3
Press any button on the second controller.
4
Choose whether to create a new custom character or take control of an existing party member.
5
After step 5 is done, the split-screen should automatically take effect.
As far as the two controllers part of this is concerned, there is a bit of hope. Technically, you can trick the computer into recognizing your mouse and keyboard as a controller through third-party software, but the effort might not be worth the hassle, depending on who you ask. Larian may introduce KB/M co-op support in a future patch but with how many patches have already come out for the game, it’s looking less and less likely.
How to Play Split Screen Couch Co-op on Consoles
Pretty Much the Same Process as PC
Playing split-screen couch co-op on your console follows similar steps to playing it on your PC:
Step Explanation
Launch the game with two controllers connected to the console of your choice.
Split-screen couch co-op is exclusivelyavailable on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Regrettably, Series S players will be unable to enjoy this feature. Even as of September 2024 this feature is still not part of the Series S, and it likely isn’t coming in general. One of the contributing factors to the absence of support for the more budget-friendly console is its lower processing power.Additionally, it’s worth mentioning that playing on split-screen on either the PS5 or Xbox Series X will also limit the game to 30FPS.
Can You Play Online While Playing Split-Screen Couch Co-op?
Most Configurations Work
Short answer? Yes.Baldur’s Gate 3supports up to four-player co-op,and some modseven increase that amount as well.Without mods, you’re able to enjoy this aspect of the game in various configurations. This means you can have:
And, thanks to the Wither’s Wardrobe of Wayward Friends update, it’s now also possible to have more than 3 of your friend’s custom characters in one save file, provided you ‘store’ the other custom characters in Wither’s Wardrobe and take them out as needed.
Does Baldur’s Gate 3 Support Cross-Play?
Apparently Still In The Works (Maybe?)
Unfortunately,Baldur’s Gate 3currently lacks crossplay support.However, there is hope, asLarian Studios has confirmed plans for crossplaybetween PC, Mac, and consoles, with a release anticipated at a later date. Though as of Patch 7 (released on September 5th, 2024) there’s still no crossplay in BG3, so who knowswhen it’ll eventually be added, if ever?
