Baldur’s Gate 3 PS4 Explained (Simply): Why It Never Happened

Baldur’s Gate 3 PS4 Explained (Simply): Why It Never Happened

You’re probably here because you’re still holding onto that trusty jet-black console and wondering if Larian Studios is ever going to throw you a bone. I get it. The PS4 was a beast. It gave us God of War, Bloodborne, and Ghost of Tsushima. But when it comes to Baldur’s Gate 3 PS4 support, the news isn't just "not today"—it's basically "not ever."

Honestly, it’s a bit of a heartbreaker for those of us who haven't jumped to the PS5 yet.

Why Baldur’s Gate 3 PS4 isn’t a thing

Let's look at the "why" behind the missing port. Usually, when a game skips a generation, people assume it’s a money grab to sell new consoles. With Baldur's Gate 3, that actually isn't the case. Larian’s Executive Producer, David Walgrave, was pretty blunt about this years ago. He basically told Eurogamer that the current-gen (now last-gen) consoles simply couldn’t handle the engine upgrades.

The game is massive.

We’re talking about a world where every single choice you make, every dead goblin, and every moved crate has to be tracked. The CPU requirements for the AI and the sheer complexity of the physics would likely turn a base PS4 into a very expensive space heater. It’s not just about the graphics; it’s about the brain of the game.

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The RAM and SSD bottleneck

One thing people forget is how slow those old hard drives are. Baldur’s Gate 3 is built around the assumption that you have an SSD. On a PS4, loading a single save file in the middle of Act 3—which is notoriously dense—would probably take long enough for you to go make a sandwich. And eat it.

  • Memory constraints: The PS4 has 8GB of RAM. BG3 really wants 16GB to breathe properly on PC.
  • CPU limitations: The Jaguar CPU in the PS4 was underpowered even back in 2013. Asking it to calculate the pathfinding for thirty different NPCs in a crowded city square is a recipe for single-digit frame rates.
  • Split-screen: If you’ve played BG3 on PS5, you know the split-screen couch co-op can still be a bit janky. If the Series S struggled with it, the PS4 stood zero chance.

What Larian said about the "impossible" port

Larian didn't just ignore the PS4; they tested the limits. They realized early on that to make the game work on older hardware, they’d have to gut the very things that make it special. They would have had to lower the NPC density, simplify the lighting, and maybe even chop up the levels into smaller loading zones.

Nobody wants a watered-down version of a masterpiece.

As of 2026, Larian has officially moved on. Swen Vincke, the studio's head, confirmed they are done with the world of Dungeons & Dragons for now. They aren't making DLC, and they certainly aren't going back to port the game to 13-year-old hardware.

How you can actually play it on PS4 (Kinda)

Wait, don’t throw your controller at the wall yet. There is a "loophole." It’s not a native Baldur’s Gate 3 PS4 app, but if you own a PS5 and your roommate/partner/sibling is hogging the big TV, you can use Remote Play.

You basically turn your PS4 into a streaming box.

  1. Keep the PS5 in Rest Mode.
  2. Boot up the Remote Play app on your PS4.
  3. Stream the game from the PS5 to your PS4 in another room.

It works, but you need a killer internet connection. If your Wi-Fi is shaky, the input lag will make the turn-based combat feel like you’re playing through a bucket of syrup. But for a game that isn't supposed to exist on the console, it’s the only way to see Astarion’s face on a PS4-connected screen.

Other ways to get your fix

If you’re stuck on PS4 and just want a deep RPG experience that actually runs, you should look at Larian’s older stuff. Divinity: Original Sin 2 is on PS4 and it is phenomenal. It’s basically the blueprint for what Baldur’s Gate 3 became. It has the same elemental interactions, the same "choose your own adventure" vibe, and it runs beautifully on the older hardware because it was designed for it.

The hard truth about 2026

We are now deep into the lifecycle of the "new" consoles. Even the rumored Switch 2 has been confirmed to be skipping a BG3 port according to recent 2026 reports. The industry has moved on. If you want to experience the Grove, the Underdark, and the streets of Baldur’s Gate, you’re going to need a PS5, an Xbox Series X/S, or a decent PC.

Next Steps for PS4 Players:

  • Check out Divinity: Original Sin 2: It’s often on sale for under $20 and provides 100+ hours of the same style of gameplay.
  • Look into GeForce NOW: If you have a decent laptop or even a tablet, you can stream the PC version of the game without needing a high-end rig.
  • Save for a PS5: With the "Pro" models and various price cuts since launch, the barrier to entry is lower than it was back in 2023.

The dream of a native Baldur’s Gate 3 PS4 release is officially dead, but the game itself is more accessible than ever if you're willing to look outside the blue box. Stay away from "PS4 download" links you see on shady sites; those are just malware waiting to happen. If a deal looks too good to be true for a console that can't run the game, it definitely is.