Platform comparison

Baldurs Gate 3: which platform plays it best?

What changes between PC, PS5: resolution, FPS per mode, what each official store publishes and the FPS we measured on PC.

PricesBaldurs Gate 3 keySystem requirementsSimilar games

Quick verdict

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The best version of Baldur's Gate 3 is the PC one, and on console PS5 is the only one with measured data.

Best graphics experience PC 22 of 31 GPUs clear 60 fps at 1080p on DX11 Ultra
Best console experience PS5 the only console analysed: 1440p at 60 fps in performance
Cheapest key Xbox the cheapest key, ahead of PC and PS5
The 60 FPS mode on PS5 Performance mode 1440p upscaled from dynamic 1080p, no locked 60 fps

Why PC wins

PC is where you set the ceiling: HDR, ultrawide, 120 FPS and 4K, with DLSS 2.4.2, FSR 2.2 and XeSS 2. We measured 31 cards on the DX11 Ultra preset: 22 clear 60 FPS at 1080p, 14 hold them at 1440p, and only one gets there at 4K, the RTX 2080 Ti at 57-64 FPS. There is no ray tracing.

On console

PS5 has two modes. Quality stays at 1440p most of the time at 30 FPS; performance upscales to 1440p from dynamic 1080p to reach 60, and pays for it with lower vegetation ambient occlusion, shadow resolution and render resolution. The analysis puts the console around PC medium/high.

Xbox and prices

There is no video analysis of the Xbox version and the official catalogue declares nothing for this game, so that column stays empty and we leave it out of the comparison.

PS5 quality mode stutters in specific areas and performance mode does not hold a constant 60, though the severe pre-patch drops are gone.

Based on 31 GPUs measured and all console display modes Updated 5 Sep 2023

Price on each platform

The best live offer for each version, every price with its format.

No payment fees With payment fees

Final prices with fees

Baldurs Gate 3
Baldurs Gate 3
€53.33
€47.10 -21% Key
Gocdkeys12-12%Copied! Save €13 vs Steam View dealHRKGame
See offers at 14 more storesSee 14 stores →
Baldurs Gate 3
Baldurs Gate 3
€41.31
€37.35 -47% Key
GOCDKEYS10-10%Copied! Save €33 vs Microsoft View dealDriffle
See offers at 12 more storesSee 12 stores →
Baldurs Gate 3
Baldurs Gate 3
€69.99 Key
View dealPlaystation Store
See offers at 5 more storesSee 5 stores →

See every price for Baldurs Gate 3 on all platforms →

Baldur's Gate 3 on PS5 and PC: graphics comparison

  • PS5 offers two display modes, quality and performance.
  • Quality mode sits at 1440p most of the time at 30 FPS. Performance mode upscales to 1440p from dynamic 1080p to reach 60.
  • To hold those 60, performance mode lowers vegetation ambient occlusion, shadow resolution and render resolution.
  • Quality mode stutters in specific areas.
  • Performance mode does not hold a constant 60 FPS, but the severe drops seen before the launch patch are gone.
  • In graphics settings, PS5 lands around PC medium/high, though the presets do not differ much from each other.
  • The PC version was tested at 4K maxed out on an RTX 4080 with an i9 12900K.

Full platform comparison

Resolution, modes and FPS come from the video analyses above. The rest is published by each platform's official store and by the game's technical sheet on PC. Where nobody publishes the figure we put a dash, not a guess.

Feature PC PS5
Graphics modes Free settingsTwo: quality and performance
Resolution in quality mode —1440p most of the time
Resolution in performance mode —1440p upscaled from dynamic 1080p
FPS in quality mode —30, with stutter in specific areas
FPS in performance mode —60, not locked
Equivalent settings Tested at 4K maxed out (RTX 4080)PC medium/high
What performance mode cuts —Vegetation ambient occlusion, shadow resolution and render resolution
HDR Yes—
Ray tracing No—
120 FPS Yes—
4K Yes—
Upscaling DLSS 2.4.2, FSR 1.0, FSR 2.2, XeSS 2—
Ultrawide Yes—
Adjustable field of view Partial—
Cloud saves Yes—

Xbox is the Series X column unless Series S is stated. Resolution, modes, FPS, VRR and download size come from the videos; HDR, ray tracing and PC features from the technical sheet and the official Xbox catalogue.

PC performance

FPS measured at 1080p on DX11 Ultra quality, across 31 graphics cards. These are measurements on this game, not estimates.

The 6 fastest cards measured on Baldurs Gate 3
Graphics cardFPS at 1080pRelative performance
GEFORCE RTX 2080 Ti 11 GB 146–164
GEFORCE RTX 2080 SUPER 8 GB 125–137
GEFORCE GTX 1080 Ti 11 GB 112–131
GEFORCE RTX 2080 8 GB 115–126
GEFORCE RTX 2070 SUPER 8 GB 105–115
Radeon VII 16 GB 96–105

Baldurs Gate 3 system requirements & FPS metrics →

Frequently asked questions about Baldurs Gate 3

Which platform does Baldur's Gate 3 look best on?

PC. It is the only version with free resolution and settings, and the only one that goes past 60 FPS: on the DX11 Ultra preset, 22 of the 31 cards we measured clear that mark at 1080p. The PS5 version sits around PC medium/high.

How many graphics modes does the PS5 version have?

Two: quality and performance. Quality holds 1440p most of the time at 30 FPS. Performance upscales to 1440p from dynamic 1080p to reach 60, and pays for it with lower vegetation ambient occlusion, shadow resolution and render resolution.

Does it hold 60 FPS on PS5?

Not quite. The video analysis says performance mode does not reach a constant 60 FPS, though the severe drops from before the launch patch are gone. Quality mode, at 30 FPS, stutters in specific areas.

Which PC settings does the PS5 version match?

Medium/high, according to the analysis, with the caveat that this game's presets do not look very different from one another. The PC version in that comparison ran at 4K maxed out on an RTX 4080.

Does it have ray tracing?

Not on PC. PCGamingWiki records no ray tracing for this version, and none of the video analyses mentions ray tracing on console.

What graphics card do I need on PC?

Of the 31 cards we measured on the DX11 Ultra preset, 22 clear 60 FPS at 1080p and 14 hold them at 1440p. A GTX 1660 Ti gives 66-76 FPS at 1080p; an RTX 2080 Ti climbs to 146-164 and is the only one holding 60 at 4K, with 57-64.

Which upscalers does the PC version support?

DLSS 2.4.2, FSR 1.0, FSR 2.2 and XeSS 2, according to PCGamingWiki. It also supports HDR, ultrawide, 4K and 120 FPS. Field of view can only be changed through unofficial means.

What about the Xbox version?

We do not compare it. There is no video analysis of the Xbox version and the official catalogue declares no capabilities for this game, so its column stays empty. We would rather leave it blank than fill it in by guesswork.

Which one is cheapest?

The cheapest key is on Xbox. Above it sit PC and PS5. Prices move every day: the live ones are on each version’s page. Watch out for account offers, cheaper because they are not a purchase in your name.

Do cloud saves work on PC?

Yes, through Steam Cloud and GOG Galaxy, according to PCGamingWiki.

Video analysis by El Analista de Bits. The videos play from their own channel. PC data according to PCGamingWiki and our own FPS measurements; Xbox features according to the official Microsoft catalogue.