Games

Borderlands 4 on Switch 2: What Gamescom’s Rough Demo Really Tells Us

31 August 2025
Nintendo Switch 2
8 min.
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Borderlands 4 on Switch 2: What Gamescom’s Rough Demo Really Tells Us

Summary:

First-hand accounts from the Gamescom show floor say Borderlands 4 ran poorly on Nintendo’s Switch 2 demo stations, with frame rate drops that flirted with—or fell below—the 30fps target, noticeable input delay, and a visibly lowered render resolution to keep things running. That’s a tough look for a shooter built on snap aim and frantic crowd control, especially when the report mentions the system struggling with only a few enemies on screen in docked mode. We already knew expectations were “mostly around 30fps” on Switch 2, and this demo appears to line up with that ceiling, just not in a good way. Still, show builds aren’t final, optimization is often the last mile, and technical settings like upscaling, FSR/DLSS usage, and frame pacing can change a lot between a mid-August demo and an October launch. Below, we unpack exactly what was reported, why it likely happened, how it compares with other Gamescom Switch 2 impressions (including Elden Ring), and what we should all keep an eye on between now and release. If you’re planning to loot and shoot on Nintendo’s hybrid, this lays out the realistic path from shaky show demo to a version you’ll actually enjoy.

Borderlands 4 – Gamescom impressions in plain terms

On the floor in Cologne, a creator who went hands-on described Borderlands 4 on Switch 2 as barely hanging on to 30fps, with heavy input delay and a render resolution that looked dialed way down to keep the action moving. That’s the kind of trifecta that makes a shooter feel sluggish: the eyes see a soft image, the hands feel lag, and the brain notices the frame pacing gaps. The report specifically called out docked mode with only a handful of enemies on screen, which raises eyebrows because docked is where Switch 2 typically breathes a little easier. When a demo falters under light combat, it suggests either a debug build with safety caps, unoptimized GPU/CPU scheduling, or aggressive effects that haven’t been tuned for the hardware’s bandwidth yet. In short: it played, but it didn’t feel great, and that’s the headline players are walking away with right now.

What we already knew about Borderlands 4 on Switch 2

Before the show, expectations were calibrated by public comments pointing to a “mostly around 30fps” target on Nintendo’s hardware, with dips in intense moments or in certain handheld multiplayer scenarios. That’s not unusual for big third-party shooters on portable-first devices, but it puts pressure on polish: if 30fps is the ceiling, consistency becomes everything. We also knew the Switch 2 version would require a download even for physical copies via a game-key card, a sign of large data needs and a content roadmap that likely relies on updates. Put together, those details set a realistic bar: Switch 2 gets a feature-complete version close to other platforms in timing, but with performance bounds that are tighter than PS5, Xbox Series X, or a capable PC.

The core issues players noticed at the booth

The hands-on chatter coalesced around three pain points: frame rate, input latency, and image clarity. First, frame rate: “barely” 30fps in a shooter means aiming and strafing feel sticky, and micro-adjustments don’t land where you expect. Second, input latency: if the pipeline from thumb to screen stretches out—thanks to vsync, triple buffering, a heavy post-process chain, or suboptimal Bluetooth polling—your reticle starts feeling like it’s chasing the action instead of leading it. Third, render resolution: dynamic scaling is normal, but when the floor is low enough to look fuzzy in motion, it compounds the perception of lag because the image offers fewer sharp cues for fine aiming. On their own, each of these is manageable; together, they can turn aggressive encounters into a slog.

Why docked mode may not be the magic bullet

It’s tempting to assume docked mode automatically fixes handheld struggles, but the reality is more nuanced. Yes, docked unlocks higher power budgets—but many teams use that headroom to raise resolution and effects instead of buying raw frame time. If a show build targets a prettier 1440p or heavier effects pass in docked, the GPU may still be timing out under particle-heavy firefights, leading to the same 30fps ceiling and the same frame pacing bumps. Meanwhile, CPU-bound tasks—AI, physics, scripting—don’t suddenly speed up just because the console is docked, and shooters often hit both CPU and GPU walls at once. If the Gamescom demo cranked visuals for the TV presentation, that could easily explain why docked didn’t feel dramatically better.

Handheld expectations vs reality for a looter shooter

On a portable screen, lower resolution is less noticeable, and 30fps can feel fine for methodical genres. Borderlands isn’t that. When you’re snap-aiming crit spots, juggling skills, and juggling aggro across multiple enemies, the moment-to-moment feel matters more than almost any other metric. If handheld mode dips under 30fps or adds input delay on top, even short stutters can throw off rhythm. The good news is that settings like motion blur, film grain, ambient occlusion quality, and depth of field are all knobs that can be turned down to free up milliseconds. The not-so-good news is that a demo showing rough frame pacing suggests those easy wins weren’t fully dialed in yet, which makes sense for a show build but does little to inspire confidence today.

What might be going wrong under the hood

Three technical suspects tend to crop up in cases like this. First is frame pacing: even if averages look okay, uneven delivery—especially with 30fps caps—creates a juddery feel that amplifies perceived input lag. Second is the upscaling chain: if the build is leaning on a basic scaler or running a temporal solution without enough history stability, you can get soft frames and ghosting that blur fine detail. Third is CPU contention: Borderlands leans into spawning effects, loot calculations, enemy AI, and physics chaos; if thread scheduling isn’t balanced for the Switch 2’s CPU cluster, you can bottleneck frames while the GPU sits idle. Any of these is fixable with time, but all three require focused profiling and iteration.

How this compares to other platforms and past Borderlands

Elsewhere, the expectation is straightforward: PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC will offer higher frame rates and sharper output, with performance options that let you choose responsiveness over eye candy. Historically, Borderlands scales well upward, so anyone chasing 60fps+ will be better served off Switch 2. The question is whether the portable version can hold a truly stable 30fps with tight input feel. That’s a high bar for a shooter, but not an impossible one—especially if the team trims expensive effects, leverages smarter upscaling, and locks down pacing. If the ceiling is 30, the floor must be rock solid, or the experience risks feeling like a spin-off instead of a full-fat entry.

Elden Ring’s rough demo and why that matters here

Gamescom attendees also flagged serious performance problems with Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition on Switch 2—reports of sub-30fps stretches, choppy movement, and even restrictions on gameplay capture at the booth. Different genre, same pattern: ambitious third-party titles are still finding their footing on Nintendo’s hardware this summer. That context doesn’t excuse a sluggish shooter demo, but it does suggest we’re looking at broader early-cycle growing pains rather than a single studio struggling alone. For players, that means tempering expectations in August, then reassessing once day-one patches land and final builds lock in.

What could improve before launch (and what probably won’t)

Plenty can change in six weeks. Optimization passes can smooth frame pacing, streamline post-processing, and rebalance dynamic resolution thresholds so the image doesn’t dive quite so often. Input latency can come down if the team revisits vsync strategies, pad sampling, and UI rendering path. That said, don’t expect a miracle jump from “mostly around 30fps” to a fluid 60fps mode; the studio has already framed expectations around a 30fps experience on Switch 2. The likely best-case scenario is a cleaner, steadier 30 with fewer dips, crisper upscaling, and tighter controls—enough to make handheld play enjoyable and docked play acceptable for fans who value portability over pristine performance.

Practical advice if you’re eyeing the Switch 2 version

If you love the series and want it portable, patience is your ally. Wait for final performance reviews, check capture-based frame-time graphs post-patch, and skim community reports after the first week. If cross-play with friends on other systems is your priority, confirm the specifics at launch and weigh them against input feel. If you’re sensitive to latency or stutter, consider a different platform and revisit Switch 2 later if updates land. And if you do jump in on day one, look for in-game toggles that often help—disabling motion blur, reducing film grain, turning down camera shake, and enabling any available “reduced latency” options can add up to a more responsive feel.

What to watch for in the coming weeks

Three signals will tell the story. First, developer communication: if the team addresses Gamescom feedback head-on and outlines specific fixes, that’s a strong sign optimization is underway. Second, preview builds: if outlets get near-final Switch 2 code in early September and call out improved pacing and reduced input lag, confidence will rise. Third, day-one patch notes: look for mentions of frame pacing, controller responsiveness, dynamic resolution thresholds, and handheld stability. Those are the levers that directly map to what players noticed on the floor.

Conclusion

We got a tough snapshot at Gamescom: a shooter that felt soft, slow, and sticky where it needs to feel crisp, quick, and confident. That snapshot isn’t the whole movie, but it’s enough to hit pause on instant preorders if you’re sensitive to performance. The Switch 2 version can still land well for fans who value portable looting above all else—if the studio nails pacing, trims the visual fat, and tightens input. Until we see that, the safest move is to watch, wait, and let the patches—and the proof—arrive first.

Gamescom’s demo raised fair concerns about Borderlands 4 on Switch 2: uneven frame delivery, input lag, and aggressive downscaling drained the snap from a series that lives on quick reactions. Pre-show messaging already set a 30fps expectation, and today’s reports line up with that limit under pressure. The optimistic read is that optimization and smarter settings can turn this from a shaky booth build into a steady portable shooter by launch. The pragmatic move is to hold fire, watch for concrete improvements, and choose the platform that matches how you like to play.

FAQs
  • Does Borderlands 4 target 30fps on Switch 2?
    • Yes, public comments framed the Switch 2 version as “mostly around 30fps,” with potential dips during heavier scenes or when hosting handheld multiplayer. That’s the baseline expectation players should use.
  • Was the Gamescom build final?
    • No. Show builds rarely are. They’re often missing late-stage optimization and may use conservative settings or debug caps. Still, hands-on impressions are valuable because they reveal how the game feels under pressure.
  • Why did input delay stand out so much?
    • In shooters, latency is magnified by aiming demands. A combination of vsync strategy, buffering, wireless polling, UI rendering, and frame pacing can all add milliseconds that your thumbs absolutely notice.
  • Will docked mode fix it?
    • It can help, but not automatically. If docked mode also pushes higher resolution or heavier effects, the extra power gets spent on pixels instead of headroom. CPU limits and pacing issues can persist regardless of mode.
  • Should I preorder on Switch 2?
    • If portability is your priority, wait for final reviews and day-one patch notes, then decide. If performance is non-negotiable, consider another platform now and revisit Switch 2 after post-launch updates.
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