Crusader Kings 3 Will Soon Be Playable on Next-Gen Consoles
Crusader Kings 3 is finally making its way over to today’s next-gen consoles. The announcement was made at Gamescom 2021 during Microsoft Xbox’s stream. This will mark the franchise’s first time to become playable to consoles, complete with a refined UI and controls.
The console version of Crusader Kings 3 is in development by Lab42, in partnership with the franchise’s original developer, Paradox Interactive. Although the game will be familiar to fans who have played it on PC, it will reportedly have features that are going to be specific to next-gen consoles. For instance, the Xbox Series X version will allow players to make a quick switch between Crusader Kings 3 game and YouTube—in case they want to take a look at tutorials and other information. The PS5 version, on the other hand, will showcase unique interactions between the Crusader Kings 3’s stress mechanic and the console’s DualSense controller, which, in turn, will allow players to be more immersed in the tense moment of the gameplay.
Just like in the Crusader Kings 3 PC version, console players will still be able to enjoy the franchise’s royal intrigue and ridiculous family trees. However, one thing that will reportedly be absent in the game’s next-gen console launch is its Northern Lords DLC from earlier this year.
The general gameplay of the game are strategy epics wherein players are tasked to guide families during the medieval era through multiple generations of war, politics, and intrigue. Mosaics of buttons, tool tips, icons, and menus will be involved, and fans have yet to see how this transfers over to a console type of gaming experience. Paradox and Lab42 will do it, though, as the game will be “refined to bring that grand strategy experience to a controller,” said Xbox Gamescom Stream Host Kate Yeager.
Crusader Kings 3’s move to consoles will only be an “adaptation” and “not a direct port,” and that changes to the title will be mainly confined to the controls and UI. This means that the shift will not be a big redesign of the core game.