With less than a month until the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S launch, publishers are finalizing details regarding upcoming game releases. That includes cross-gen games like Borderlands 3, which will be relaunching on the new PlayStation and Xbox consoles via a free upgrade. Today, 2K finalized plans for when Borderlands 3's upgrade will be arriving on the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, and fans will be excited to hear that it will be available alongside each console.
Borderlands 3 players on Xbox One will be able to upgrade to either the Xbox Series X or the Xbox Series S entirely for free. Similarly, Borderlands 3 players on PS4 will be able to upgrade to PS5 for free. The Xbox Series X/S and the Borderlands 3 upgrade will be available November 10, while the PS5 and its Borderlands 3 upgrade both release on November 12. However, regions outside of North America, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea will have to wait until November 19 for the PS5.
The free upgrade for Borderlands 3 on next-gen consoles will be robust. First, the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of Borderlands 3 will be playable in 4K in single-player and online co-op. It'll also run at 60 FPS on the new consoles, but 2K doesn't specifically mention that 4K 60 FPSÂ will be available for split-screen multiplayer.
Two-player vertical split-screen multiplayer is going to be added both to current-gen consoles as well as next-gen consoles. However, Borderlands 3 players on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S will receive three and four-player split-screen co-op as well. This may not be in 4K 60 FPS, but it'll still be an impressive addition to an already solid game.
As for why Gearbox and 2K are going out of their way to offer the Borderlands 3 next-gen upgrade for free, rather than selling it as a new retail offering, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford elaborated. "There has never been a better time to jump in and join the fun," Pitchford said, adding that he sees Borderlands 3's player-base "continuing to grow" through November. If this is the case, they may sell a few more DLC Season Passes as a result.
All Borderlands 3 content, including save files and DLC, will transfer between consoles of the same family. That said, 2K does have one last warning for fans, reminding them that if they have a physical disc of Borderlands 3 they'll need to buy either the PS5 with a disc drive or the Xbox Series X in order to play. The Borderlands 3 discs won't transfer game ownership digitally. Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks.
Borderlands 3 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X and S to follow as each console launches.
