Baldur’s Gate 3 for Mac is Finally Here

Baldur’s Gate 3, the latest game from Larian Studios, was officially released on Windows several weeks ago. Unfortunately, the Mac version of the game remained stuck in its Early Access state, in spite of appearing as released on Steam. Baldur’s Gate 3 on macOS was still missing all the features from version 1.0, including Acts 2 and 3.

Luckily, Mac gamers don’t have to wait any longer, as Larian Studios just released Baldur’s Gate 3 for Mac on September 22, 2023.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Mac release

While the game was officially released on Steam on August 3, 2023, Larian Studios was quick to point out that the Mac version of the game would need more time in the oven. The official Mac release date was postponed twice, but Patch 3, which included the macOS version, was finally released on September 22, 2023.

Patch #3 is now live for Baldur’s Gate 3!

This update brings the full release of Baldur’s Gate 3 to Mac, and allows you to change your character’s appearance in-game via the Magic Mirror. ✨🪞✨

Read More: https://t.co/6eIZiuCaM2 pic.twitter.com/CZwfQC5r5g

— Larian Studios (@larianstudios) September 22, 2023

If you’re unfamiliar with the game, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a player-driven RPG based on Dungeon & Dragon’s 5th edition. The game features a rich character creation system where players can create an avatar based on many different D&D races, select their cantrips, skills & abilities, and enter a world where their actions truly define the story.

If you’re a new player who didn’t experience Baldur’s Gate 1 or 2, you don’t need to worry. Baldur’s Gate 3 is a new story, and a new adventure, with new characters. If you’ve played previous entries, you’ll certainly see connections and connect dots, but these won’t be required to truly enjoy the game’s story.

Story aside, Baldur’s Gate 3 is powered by the new Divinity 4.0 engine. In other words, it looks amazing.

Preparing for launch

As the game features cross-save, whatever progress you have made on Windows or Playstation will carry over. However, Larian recommends the following:

• Delete your in-game Early Access Saves (Your Early Access saves and player profiles aren’t compatible with the release version of Baldur’s Gate 3)
• Uninstall the Early Access version
• Delete your Mods
•  Install BG3 on an SSD

For the detailed steps on how to perform each step, this guide has you covered.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Mac gameplay

Baldur’s Gate 3 Mac System Requirements

As confirmed by Larian with the release of Patch 3:

The minimum and recommended specs for Mac users have also been updated: we recommend an M1 Pro processor and FSR enabled to run the game at high or ultra settings on a Retina display. Check the Steam store page for more details.

These are the updated minimum requirements, according to Steam:

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: macOS 12 or newer
• Processor: Apple M1
• Memory: 8 GB RAM
• Graphics: Apple M1
• Storage: 150 GB available space
• Additional Notes: Min specs can run the game on low to medium settings. Splitscreen will not run at an acceptable level of performance. SSD required.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Recommended requirements:

• Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
• OS: Latest macOS
• Processor: Apple M1 Pro or better
• Memory: 16 GB RAM
• Graphics: Apple M1 Pro or better
• Storage: 150 GB available space
• Additional Notes: Recommended specs can run the game on high or ultra settings. SSD required.

Can you run Baldur’s Gate 3 on Mac?

Baldur’s Gate 3 happens to be one of the few high-profile games to feature a native Apple Silicon version, and as a game that comes from the team that brought Divinity: Original Sin 2 to macOS, you can expect a top-notch Mac port.

We will be performing our own tests and benchmarks in the coming days.

In the meantime, this table summarizes our benchmarks running the Early Access version of the game, as well as results from other members of the community:

What does “native” mean? Unlike games that require Rosetta 2 (a translation process) to run on Macs with Apple silicon, native games were coded to run on M1 Macs and should offer the best performance.

As a reminder, this is how we describe the different levels of performance:

• Below 20 FPS: Unplayable: Laggy gameplay, full of stutters and slowdowns.
• 20-30 FPS: Borderline: Can be OK in slow-paced games. Still, not optimal.
• 30-45 FPS: Playable: Acceptable for most (most gaming consoles do this).
• 45-60 FPS: Smooth: Fluid gameplay, with no perceivable stutters.
• 60+ FPS: Very Smooth: For hardcore and professional players, a luxury for most.

We usually recommend 30 FPS as the bare minimum to guarantee an acceptable gaming experience.

Why is Baldur’s Gate 3 such a big deal for macOS?

You may be wondering why there is so much hype around this game. Simply put, BG3 is a game-of-the-year contender. Most of us expected a good game, after all, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a great RPG, but Baldur’s Gate 3 surpassed all expectations. Many are calling it the best RPG of all time.

It is rare that Mac gamers get one of the most popular games of the year so close to its Windows release. We can only hope more developers will take inspiration from BG3.