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Technical Struggles Overshadow Launch
After years of anticipation, Gearbox Software finally released Borderlands 4. While the looter-shooter was praised for its familiar gunplay and improved narrative, the launch has been marred by severe performance issues. Reports of unstable framerates, stuttering, and crashes have dominated fan discussions, raising questions about the game’s technical stability.
Compounding the backlash, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford drew criticism after comments widely seen as dismissive of performance concerns. His remarks — suggesting that Borderlands 4 players unhappy with framerates should “play something else” — have only fuelled community frustration.
Performance Issues Across Platforms
The problems are not confined to one system. On high-end PCs, Borderlands 4 demands features such as DLSS to run smoothly. On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, players report framerates dropping steadily the longer the game is played, forcing frequent restarts just to maintain stability.
These concerns appear to have influenced Gearbox’s next move: delaying the game’s upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 version to avoid repeating the same problems.
Switch 2 Release Postponed Indefinitely
In a statement shared on social media, Gearbox confirmed that the Switch 2 launch — originally scheduled for October 3, 2025 — has been postponed indefinitely.
The studio explained that it requires more development time to polish the port and ensure a stable release. Gearbox also promised that the delay will allow the team to finalise Cross Save functionality, letting players transfer progress seamlessly across platforms.
Pre-Orders Automatically Refunded
Alongside the delay, Gearbox announced that all Switch 2 pre-orders have been canceled. Refunds will be issued automatically by September 26, sparing customers the need to take action.
While frustrating for those eager to play on Switch 2, many fans welcomed the decision, praising Gearbox for prioritising quality over rushing a flawed release. For now, however, Borderlands 4 remains under scrutiny as players await further patches to fix its ongoing performance woes.
