Borderlands 4 physical edition on Switch 2 won’t be fully on cartridge, performance news sparks Reddit backlash
After previously dismissing a fan’s concern about paying $80 for Borderlands 4 by saying, "if you’re a real fan, you’ll find a way to make it happen," Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has now confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that even the physical edition of Borderlands 4 on the Switch 2 will require downloads, meaning the cartridge will launch as a game-key card.
"It’s a big game. There will be a download, even for physical copies,” Pitchford said in a community interaction, following the recent announcement of Borderlands 4's Switch 2 release date.
Performance-wise, Pitchford provided clarity on what players should expect on Nintendo’s latest console. Despite earlier reports that the game was targeting 60 FPS, Randy has now confirmed that Borderlands 4 will mostly run at 30 FPS, with possible dips during heavy combat or multiplayer sessions, especially in handheld mode.
It was important to us not to cut anything and to support cross-play with other platforms. So, no. It’ll be mostly around 30 fps,” the Gearbox CEO said.
The announcement has drawn sharp criticism on Reddit, particularly in the r/nintendo thread discussing the news. One Reddit user wrote, “30fps on the NEW switch hardware with dips?? LMAO I’m all set,” while u/The_1ronDuck added, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a single positive headline about 4.”
Others took aim at Pitchford directly, with u/Saltsey saying, “Anytime he opens his mouth is another PR disaster,” and u/RadicalBeam expressing doubts about the studio’s support: “Borderlands 3 is so broken on the Switch 2. I have no faith they plan on adequately supporting BL4.”
Following the earlier backlash over Borderlands 4’s rumored $80 price tag, Gearbox later clarified that the standard edition will be priced at $69.99 and will launch on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
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