Which System Would You Choose? Mac or Xbox Series X?

[Haydar]

Ok. I'm on the verge of buying BG3.

Devs say Xbox version will be released in 2023 so it's 2 months for release max.

I'll buy it on Steam for Mac or as i said, it will be Series X. Which version would you choose and why. Thanks for help.

(Mac is 14" M2 Pro)

[psyllid]

Neither

[topetepeterson]

Runs like a dream on my Macbook (M1)--with no distinguishable drop in performance in Act 3. Hard to imagine playing with a controller, but ymmv.

[Metallicus]

Both systems are garbage. Add more options.

[Ironwu]

NONE of the above. Windows PC just has so much more going for it than any Console, Mac, or Linux system.

Those others do have some advantages of their own, of course. But for scale and scope (and often, price), nothing beats Windows PC for gaming.

[wagg40k]

I absolutely HATE the design of their Skill Wheel replacement for a toolbar on consoles. I find it even more cumbersome than inventory management.

On the other side of the coin, exploration and all non combat related things are way easier with a controller.

[Rockhard]

I've been playing BG3 on an old Dell laptop with an Xbox Series controller and on a desktop PC via GeForce NOW using mouse/keyboard. Both experiences have been excellent.

I'll be buying another copy of BG3 to play on my Series X so that I can play split screen co-op with my SO. My previous experience with Divinity: Original Sin 2 on Xbox gives me faith that the BG3 port will be great.

For me, it really comes down to how you want to play the game. Wanna sit in bed with a laptop? The Mac version sounds like a good choice. Wanna sit on the couch, with controller in hand? Xbox (or PlayStation) fits the bill -- unless you want to hook your laptop/desktop to your TV, of course.

For the record, controller support is excellent and the game UI/UX adjusts (bigger fonts, etc.) to make sitting back further from your screen very comfortable.

I'd suggest looking at some PlayStation 5 reviews of the game to get an idea of what the experience is like, as the Xbox version will be essentially identical.

You might also want to look into cross-play/cross-save compatibility if you plan to play with friends. If you have the Mac or Xbox version, will you be ale to play with friends on a different platform?

Hope this helps.

[Rockhard]

Something else to consider is the "Love factor".

The PC version will receive the most attention (the most "love" from community and dev team) when it comes to add-ons, Mods, fixes, 'total conversions', etc, with the consoles (PlayStartion first, with Xbox to follow**) next in line. Historically, the Mac versions of games tend to be last to get their share of the love.

** And Nintendo? BG3 on Switch 2 in 2-3 years, maybe?

[Zeev]

Originally posted by topetepeterson:

Runs like a dream on my Macbook (M1)--with no distinguishable drop in performance in Act 3. Hard to imagine playing with a controller, but ymmv.

Its a turn based combat. What so hard to imagine about controller?

[JBrown247]

I would never buy anything for a mac. You should do yourself a favor and just throw that trash out.

[Dexter in the Dark]

I might be wrong but i did not think that any release date has been conformed for the Xbox, i would look up some benchmarks for your mac and if they ok get it on that

[rayfeb09]

I don't get all of the Mac hating lol. I have a Mac that I try to play with all high end hardware but I have an intel chip and it really was unplayable for me. After reading the new specs you should be fine with the M chips which is now calls for.

I just had to fire up bootcamp that I can run with having a intel chip and I running the game on windows and plays outstanding.

But you should be fine.

[zacharyb]

Originally posted by rayfeb09:

I don't get all of the Mac hating lol. I have a Mac that I try to play with all high end hardware but I have an intel chip and it really was unplayable for me. After reading the new specs you should be fine with the M chips which is now calls for.

I just had to fire up bootcamp that I can run with having a intel chip and I running the game on windows and plays outstanding.

But you should be fine.

Probably cause they're overpriced for what you get and most games don't run natively on it.

[Ironwu]

Originally posted by zacharyb:

Originally posted by rayfeb09:

I don't get all of the Mac hating lol. I have a Mac that I try to play with all high end hardware but I have an intel chip and it really was unplayable for me. After reading the new specs you should be fine with the M chips which is now calls for.

I just had to fire up bootcamp that I can run with having a intel chip and I running the game on windows and plays outstanding.

But you should be fine.

Probably cause they're overpriced for what you get and most games don't run natively on it.

This ^^^^ for sure!

Macs are great for a lot of things, if you are richer than God (hundreds of dollars for WHEELS?).

But it downright sucks for gaming. Especially now that they have abandoned Intel.

[topetepeterson]

Macs really aren't any more expensive than PCs in the long run. They last years. I used to be a PC-user and it was a hard switch to make (the cost myth was part of it, and the gaming myth was the other), but boy did my QoL improve by leaps and bounds once I finally did switch. Gaming on Macs is great any time a game dev chooses to support the OS. This game, for instance, seems to run better on Macs than PCs, which is kinda par for the course when there's port. A Mac is just a fundamentally better piece of equipment. #cheeringforLarian

[zacharyb]

Originally posted by topetepeterson:

Macs really aren't any more expensive than PCs in the long run. They last years. I used to be a PC-user and it was a hard switch to make (the cost myth was part of it, and the gaming myth was the other), but boy did my QoL improve by leaps and bounds once I finally did switch. Gaming on Macs is great any time a game dev chooses to support the OS. This game, for instance, seems to run better on Macs than PCs, which is kinda par for the course when there's port. A Mac is just a fundamentally better piece of equipment. #cheeringforLarian

PC's can last for years too no problem, if someones PC doesn't last that long then they either got malfunctioning parts, a bad brand, or it was the users fault.