At Gamescom, attendees reported that the Borderlands 4 demo ran with severe stuttering on Nintendo Switch 2 hardware and that enemies sometimes failed to die during combat. This matters because Borderlands 4 will release on September 12th for Xbox, PlayStation 5, and PC, while the Switch 2 version will launch on October 3rd.
It’s not much longer now, Borderlands fans. Borderlands 4, the newest entry in the long-running looter shooter franchise from Gearbox, will release on September 12th for Xbox, PlayStation 5, and PC.
Now, there’s one console not listed on there: the humble Nintendo Switch 2. That’s because Gearbox is spending a little more time trying to get that version of the game just right before its launch on October 3rd. According to some reports from Gamescom, they’ll need all the time they can get.
According to EpicNNG on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Gamescom demo for Borderlands 4 on Switch is leaving a lot to be desired.
Okay I’ll just put it bluntly:
Borderlands 4 on the Switch 2 could barely run at 30fps with 4 enemies on screen in docked mode. It had horrendous input delay, and the render resolution was seemingly turned all the way down.
I’ll talk more about it in a video maybe tomorrow 😬
— EpicNNG (@EpicNNG) August 22, 2025
They added that they were unable to kill enemies without a massive stutter and noticed that other players experienced the same issues with the demo. Of course, your mileage may vary, as there’s video evidence of the game running well on the Switch 2 hardware, alongside other third-party games such as Cyberpunk 2077. If there are performance issues, though, Borderlands 4 isn’t the only third-party game to have this issue.
One of my favorite things about the Nintendo Switch 2’s launch has been the impressive support from third-party developers. It’s something that recent Nintendo consoles have lacked. If we’re being honest, a Nintendo console hasn’t had third-party support in earnest since the Nintendo GameCube (Resident Evil 4), but I feel like even that is stretching it.
It’s odd. Having said that, it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing for these third-party games. There are plenty of reports from Gamescom that Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition doesn’t run well, though Bandai Namco clapped back at that criticism.
Oh, it’s still early in the console’s lifespan, and Nintendo themselves have, unsurprisingly, been able to deliver impressive results with the Switch 2. Breath of the Wild has never looked better, and Donkey Kong Bananza is easily one of the best-looking games Nintendo has ever made.
Can Gearbox get the Switch 2 build ready by October 3rd?
