In Baldur’s Gate 3, open Photo Mode with F9 on PC or by pressing both analog sticks on console. You can also select the Photo Mode icon near the minimap. The feature arrived with Patch 8. Here’s how to frame a shot, what changes by scene, and where the game saves your screenshots.
Open Photo Mode
Larian’s Patch 8 instructions document these ways to toggle Photo Mode:
- PC: Press F9.
- Console: Press both analog sticks at the same time.
- Any platform with the HUD icon available: Select the Photo Mode icon near the minimap.
These are the documented default controls; Larian’s instructions do not provide platform-by-platform remapping details. If the shortcut does not work, use the HUD icon or check the in-game controls menu. Larian Studios’ Patch 8 notes
Compose and customize the shot
While adventuring or in combat, choose which party member to feature, adjust party positioning and facial expressions, and experiment with the camera, lens, and scene settings. Larian’s Photo Mode preview also describes a camera reticle and composition grid to help frame the image. Larian Studios’ Photo Mode preview
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
#1 Best Overall
- Online multiplayer for up to four players - allows you to combine your forces in combat, and split your party to follow your own quests and agendas. Concoct the perfect plan together… or introduce an element of chaos when your friends least expect it
- Origin Character - offer a hand-crafted experience, each with their own unique traits, agenda, and outlook on the world. Their stories intersect with the entire narrative, and your choices will determine whether those stories end in redemption, salvation, domination, or many other outcomes
- Evolved turn-based combat - based on the D&D 5e ruleset. Team-based initiative, advantage & disadvantage, and roll modifiers join combat cameras, expanded environmental interactions, and a new fluidity in combat that rewards strategy and foresight
- Define the future of the Forgotten Realms - through your choices, and the roll of the dice. No matter who you play, or what you roll, the world and its inhabitants will react to your story
- Player-initiated turn-based mode - allows you to pause the world around you at any time even outside of combat. Whether you see an opportunity for a tactical advantage before combat begins, want to pull off a heist with pin-point precision, or need to escape a fiendish trap. Split your party, prepare ambushes, sneak in the darkness -- create your own luck!
Choose who and what appears
The preview describes options to toggle player characters, party members, NPCs, and enemies on or off. It also describes static and animated poses with variations. Larian’s 2024 preview reported more than 40 poses; that is a preview-era figure, not a verified current count.
Add finishing effects
Once the composition is set, apply post-processing and decorative elements. Larian’s 2025 Patch 8 article says the released mode includes more than 300 stickers. Larian Studios, 2025
Rank #2
- Reactive Turn-based Combat: Craft unique builds for your Expeditioners that fit your playstyle via gear, stats, skills, and &character synergies
- Dodge, parry, and counter in real time, chain combos by mastering attack rhythms, and target enemy weak points using a free aim system
- With only one year left to live, join Gustave, Maelle, & fellow Expeditioners as they embark on a desperate quest to break Paintress’ cycle of death
- Explore an enchanting realm populated by adversaries; Wander through breathtaking landscapes, from Island of Visages to the Forgotten Battlefield
- Experience the debut game from Sandfall Interactive, fully realized in Unreal Engine 5 with stunning graphics and a heartbreaking soundtrack
What changes in dialogue and cinematic scenes?
Photo Mode offers less control over the scene during dialogue and cinematics than during adventuring or combat. In those scenes, you cannot reposition the party or change the camera angle, but post-processing options remain available, including colour grading, frames, and stickers. Larian Studios’ Patch 8 article
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where Photo Mode screenshots are saved
On Xbox and PlayStation, find captures in the console’s media gallery. Larian lists these save locations for computer versions:
Rank #3
- Exclusive Deluxe Edition Content: Includes a physical copy of Baldur's Gate 3 for PS5, along with bonus digital and physical items such as a soundtrack, art book, map, and exclusive in-game items like skins, weapons, or cosmetics.
- Big Box Packaging: Comes in a premium, collector's edition box with unique artwork, making it a standout addition to any gaming collection.
- Enhanced for PS5: Fully optimized for PlayStation 5, featuring faster load times, stunning 4K visuals, and immersive DualSense controller integration for haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.
- EU Region Version: Specifically designed for the European market, ensuring compatibility with PS5 consoles in the EU region. Includes multi-language support for a wider audience.
- Collector's Item: A must-have for fans of the Baldur's Gate series or RPG enthusiasts, offering both gameplay and collectible value with its high-quality physical and digital extras.
| Platform | Screenshot location |
|---|---|
| PC | C:Users[username]DocumentsLarian StudiosBaldur's Gate 3Screenshots |
| Mac | ~/Pictures/Larian Studios/Baldur's Gate 3/Screenshots |
These paths are from Larian’s Patch 8 article; console captures are saved to the respective Xbox or PlayStation media galleries. Larian Studios, 2025
Quick Recap
Best Value
![NAMCO - CD Projekt Red - The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt - Complete Edition, Playstation 5 [English Edition]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51dWUfwFl5L._SL160_.jpg)
- 1205504
- High-quality material
- Durable
- robustness
Rank #4
- Day 1 Edition includes the Base Game Disc, Steelbook, and World Map.
- Make The Story Your Own - Experience and shape the plot the way you want. Embark on the quest to save your family, or swear revenge on your sire and destroy everyone standing in your way. Discover ancient secrets lurking in the valley. Rush in head first or risk taking time to prepare. Go alone or search for friends and forge unlikely alliances.
- Day And Night - Experience two different gameplay loops, offering distinct abilities to choose from, mysteries to uncover, and varying ways to achieve your goals. Experiment with different approaches and discover how the world reacts to your actions.
- Every Action Matters - Every action - and inaction - shapes the world around you. Your family’s days are numbered, and every time you take on a quest, time moves forward, compelling you closer to the end. Choose carefully whom to help and whom to leave behind. You will not have time for everyone. The world waits for no one. And neither does the villain.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
