Baldur’s Gate 3 Patch #3 is now live, as Larian Studios finally adds full Mac Support, a Magic Mirror that allows players to change their character’s in-game appearance, and other improvements.
Fans of the hit CRPG Baldur’s Gate continue to grow since it was released last August. Larian Studios’ adaptation of the Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition rules and the Forgotten Realms campaign setting have renewed interest not only in turn-based tactical roleplaying games, but tabletop RPGs as well. Just recently, the voice cast of BG3 went live in an actual play session hosted by High Rollers DND on their Twitch channel.
But while Windows PC and Sony PS5 players have been immersed in the Baldur’s Gate 3 experience, Mac users have been waiting For their turn. And it seems the long wait is over with the newest patch.
Details of the big Patch #3 update were posted on the official Larian Studios Baldur’s Gate 3 website and the Steam Community page.
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
Patch #3 is probably the biggest update for Baldur’s Gate thus far. Not simply for the size, but for what it brings to the QoL (quality of life) for players of the hit CRPG. The most notable, of course, is full macOS support. Prior to Patch #3, Mac users were still limited to the pre-release Early Access version. Now, BG3 players who prefer the Mac platform can join in on the party.
On that note, Mac users who played the Early Access should be aware that saved games from that previous release are not compatible with the full version of Baldur’s Gate 3. Furthermore, Larian Studios recommends fully uninstalling the BG3 Early Access version from their macOS device to avoid possible compatibility concerns before installing the current release.
Aside from the long-awaited full Mac support, Baldur’s Gate Patch #3 also introduces The Magic Mirror. BG3 fans have been clamoring for a way to change their characters’ appearances mid-game. Initially, only during character creation was any sort of change was allowed.
For some fans, this was a little restrictive, especially those who were long-time fans of the Baldur’s Gate series. Even in the older games, the option of changing the appearance was available long after their journey started (albeit with the graphical limitations of the time).
Larian Studios finally solved this seeming oversight by introducing the Magic Mirror. The item (or more accurately a prop) can be found at your camp. Unlike the evil queen from the classic Disney film, this Magic Mirror does not answer whether your character is the fairest. Instead, it allows you to change many of your characters’ cosmetic appearances, including voice, preferred pronouns, and even what’s hanging between their thighs (i.e. the “naughty bits”).
However, it cannot change your character’s race/subrace (you can’t go from Dragonborn to Halfling, for instance) or body type. So if your character was big-boned at character creation, they’re going to stay that way. Moreover, Origin characters, hirelings, and characters that went full Mind Flayer cannot be changed by the Magic Mirror. As Astarion would say, he is perfect as he is, thank you very much.
And like previous key patches, Baldur’s Gate Patch #3 also includes improvements and fixes for combat, graphics, A.I. scripting, UI and level design, audio, and cinematics. PS5 users also have specific changes and improvements just for their console. You can find the full list of improvements that came with Patch #3 here.
What did you think about the improvements Larian Studios introduced in Baldur’s Gate’s third big patch? Will you be changing your main character’s appearance with the Magic Mirror? If you’re a macOS user, how does the full version play like compared to the Early Access of BG3?
Baldur’s Gate 3 is now available for Windows PC, Sony Playstation 5, and macOS. The Microsoft Xbox Series X and Series S release of Baldur’s Gate 3 will be announced later in the year.
