Highlights
- Borderlands 3 on the Nintendo Switch has received positive reviews for its performance, despite concerns about the console's hardware limitations.
- However, the Switch port lacks the crucial feature of four-player co-op, limiting online play to two players, despite it being integral to the success of the franchise since the original game.
- The absence of 4-player online functionality in Borderlands 3 on the Switch is disappointing and puts it at a disadvantage compared to other versions of the game, which could potentially impact sales. A future patch could address this limitation, though that seems unlikely.
Today marks the anticipated launch of Borderlands 3 on the Nintendo Switch, as well as the availability of the entire Borderlands franchise on the console. Ahead of Borderlands 3's Switch port there were some concerns regarding how the game would fare on Nintendo's aging hardware, with the assumption that the title would have to make significant compromises in its visuals and performance in order to maintain a stable frame rate on the system. Thankfully, the impressions of Borderlands 3 on the Switch seem to be mostly positive regarding its performance, but it is missing one of the most critical series features: four-player co-op.
Since the original Borderlands, both online and couch co-op play have been integral to its success, with many players preferring to exclusively experience the game in co-op with friends. Borderlands 3's Switch port still has online multiplayer functionality, but only allows for up to 2 players in a squad versus the traditional 4. Considering how crucial online multiplayer is to the core Borderlands experience, it's surprising that the title would launch without the ability to squad-up with up to 3 friends. And with the previous Borderlands titles on Switch allowing for up to 4 players simultaneously, the loss of 4-player online functionality in Borderlands 3 is a head-scratcher.
Borderlands 3's Switch Port is at an Immediate Disadvantage
Even though the Switch is an incredibly capable piece of hardware (something that Nintendo admirably demonstrates with its first-party titles squeezing every bit of power out of the system), it's no secret that ports of AAA games to the hybrid console typically pale in performance to their PlayStation and Xbox counterparts. Still, the Borderlands series is one that has found success on the console thanks to the way that the Switch is a perfect fit for the "drop-in/drop-out" nature of the franchise as well as some unique features in the Switch ports like gyro controls for finely-tuned aiming. The Borderlands games on Switch might be missing some audiovisual touches that other console versions have, but they arguably feel better in comparison.
Unfortunately, the lack of 4-player multiplayer in the Switch port of Borderlands 3 immediately places the console's version of the co-op looter shooter at the bottom of the pile. The Ultimate Edition of the game that arrived today on the Switch is the most cost-effective version of the game, with the main campaign and all DLC expansions included for a fraction of the price compared to the PlayStation and Xbox versions, but that price cut seems to have come at a cost of one of the game's most important features. The limitations placed on the game's co-op could significantly hamper the game's sales, leading to questions over how 2K could fix this issue in a future patch, if ot does so at all.
What the Future of Borderlands 3 on Switch Might Look Like
Regarding how 2K might address the discrepancy between the Switch version of Borderlands 3 and other versions in terms of its online multiplayer, there's every possibility that a future patch could address the number of concurrent players in a session. Even though there are only up to 2 players allowed in a session now, there's nothing to indicate that this is a permanent limitation on the title. Still, for a game that traditionally thrives off of its ability to present engaging co-op gameplay, it's disappointing to see Borderlands 3 finally arrive on Switch with the glaring omission of 4-player co-op.
Multiple signs recently have pointed to the existence of the Switch's successor, with several sources claiming that Nintendo will announce the console soon with a targeted Q4 2024 release date. If and when that happens, it's entirely possible that the already impressive performance of Borderlands 3 and other AAA ports to the Switch will receive next-gen upgrades, which may or may not cost players a premium. With how amazing it is that Borderlands 3 performs as well as it does on the Switch, as well as how efficiently it's been optimized to come in under 20GB of install size, it's a shame that it has broken series tradition in this critical way.
Borderlands 3 is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.
