Something to look forward to: Baldur's Gate 3 is a big game that has received big patches. The latest, designed to provide a sense of closure, introduces more features than ever, including an epilogue. However, those without sufficient remaining storage space may need to redownload the entire 150GB game.
Patch 5 for Baldur's Gate 3 is now available. Larian Studios warns that while the download for the update is 30GB, installation requires 130GB of free space. Users short on storage should uninstall and redownload the game, but the enormous list of improvements justifies the re-installation.
Players who have completed the main story can now access a new epilogue chapter to view the consequences of every choice they made throughout the adventure and mark a final farewell to their party. Load a save before the final battle to reach the new ending sequence.
Those who start a new game can choose between two modes with additional difficulty adjustments. Honor Mode is a new hardcore difficulty setting that readjusts the combat, gives bosses new abilities, and introduces permadeath. Meanwhile, Custom Mode allows players to tweak various settings regarding dice rolls and other gameplay aspects to create a more authentic D&D experience.
The new patch should also significantly improve performance, especially on systems short on RAM and VRAM. Larian attributes the efficiency gains to optimizations made for the upcoming Xbox port, which the company delayed to take extra time adjusting the split-screen mode for the Xbox Series S. The physical Xbox Series X disc will contain Patch 5.
Other additions to Baldur's Gate 3 include dynamic resolution on PlayStation 5, Korean language support, and hundreds of other improvements and fixes. An inventory interface update allows players access to non-active party members' inventories.
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Patch 5 isn't the first gigantic update Baldur's Gate 3 has received. The patch that brought the game out of Early Access required everyone to redownload the then-122GB title. The first post-launch update fixed so many bugs that Larian couldn't list them all within the Steam update page's character limit.
Console users who don't own Baldur's Gate 3 can purchase the game with all updates on physical discs when the deluxe edition ships in the first quarter of 2024. The PS5 version will come on two discs, while the Xbox Series X package contains three.
The PC box will also include a disc, but it will only be a DVD with a custom installer and a Steam key, necessitating a digital download since most PC owners no longer use optical drives. Larian considered including the entire game on a USB drive, but failure rates were unacceptably high.