Highlights
- Borderlands 3 is finally coming to the Nintendo Switch, joining the rest of the franchise.
- The Switch version will likely have performance and visual downgrades compared to next-gen and PC versions, meaning that it may be best for players to wait and see how the game runs on the platform.
- Despite concerns about its performance, the Switch port includes all DLC and comes at a reduced price, so if it runs well it will absolutely be worth the purchase.
Almost 4 years to the day of its original release in 2019, Borderlands 3 is finally making its way to the Nintendo Switch and joining the rest of the Borderlands franchise in the Switch library. 2020 saw the release of the Handsome Collection on Nintendo's hybrid console, making Borderlands, Borderlands 2, and Borderlands: ThePre-Sequel available all in one fell swoop. The additions made for the Switch versions of these titles, specifically the gyro control functionality, positioned them as some of the best FPS ports available on the system. And in terms of what's coming with the Switch release of the Borderlands 3: Ultimate Edition, it's a Vault's worth of content.
That said, the Switch version of the critically acclaimed third game in the Borderlands franchise will undoubtedly suffer some performance and visual downgrades in comparison to its next-gen and PC versions. This is to be expected given that the Switch isn't as powerful a piece of hardware and that, in order to get newer and more graphically intensive ports running on the system, significant concessions have to be made. Specs that have been provided via the Nintendo eShop on Borderlands 3's size and potential optimization could influence players' decision over whether to add the title to their libraries, especially with both Borderlands 4 and a Nintendo Switch successor potentially not too far off.
What's Included in the Switch Port of Borderlands 3
As it stands, the base Borderlands 3 experience is more of the excellent looting-and-shooting that fans have come to expect from Gearbox's flagship franchise for more than a decade. In order to sweeten the deal of the title's arrival on the Nintendo Switch, the version of Borderlands 3 that players will be getting for Nintendo's console is the Ultimate Edition, which includes all the previously released DLC along with the already sizable base game campaign. As an added bonus, this content is coming to the Switch at a significantly reduced price over the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the Ultimate Edition.
The Switch is host to quite a few excellent ports of popular first-person shooters, and the Borderlands franchise is no exception. There's an argument to be made that Borderlands 2 is still the crowning jewel out of the franchise's main numbered entries, but Borderlands 3 is an excellent time and essentially abides by the mantra of "more Borderlands is never a bad thing." Adding in the plethora of DLC and cosmetic options available via the Ultimate Edition means that Switch owners finally have access to the full franchise, and the $60 price tag for the whole package is an easier pill to swallow than the $100 MSRP for the PS5 and Series X/S versions.
Why Borderlands 3's Size on the Switch May Be Cause For Concern
The elephant in the room, however, is the question over how the title will run on the Nintendo Switch compared to its performance on next-gen consoles and PC. Even on PS4 and Xbox One, Borderlands 3 was a bit of a graphically intensive game with tons of particle effects and lots of enemies on screen at any given time. Shooters practically require faster framerates to be playable, and it's likely that the Switch version of Borderlands 3 will have needed to make some visual downgrades in order to maintain a stable 30fps.
Another concern over the Switch port of Borderlands 3 is the title's size. According to the information on the Nintendo eShop, Borderlands 3 is somehow coming in at a measly 6.7 GB, which pales in comparison to the title's install size of 49 GB on PS5. The prevailing theory is that the 6.7 GB will only net players access to the content and some necessary shaders and runtime files while the actual heavy lifting of running the game will be carried out by the cloud. While it's exciting to have the whole franchise available on the Switch, it seems that Borderlands 3's Switch port might warrant some careful examination and play-testing before a purchase. If it runs well, it could certainly be worth the purchase, as players will be getting access to a lot of excellent content.
Borderlands 3 is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. The Nintendo Switch version launches October 6.
