At Gamescom 2025, the demo of Borderlands 4 on Nintendo Switch 2 sparked concerns among players due to noticeable performance problems. Several attendees reported that the highly anticipated looter-shooter from Gearbox struggled to run smoothly on Nintendo’s upcoming console, raising questions about third-party game optimization for the platform.
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Performance Issues at Gamescom 2025
A known gaming personality, EpicNNG, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their experience with the Borderlands 4 on Nintendo Switch 2 demo. According to EpicNNG, severe lag and technical hiccups made it difficult to even eliminate enemies comfortably. Other attendees echoed the same sentiment, describing similar frustrations when playing the demo.
While this was an early build, the severity of the performance drops drew attention from the gaming community. Reports suggest that this isn’t an isolated issue, with several other major third-party titles struggling on the Switch 2 hardware.
Other Third-Party Titles Affected
Borderlands 4 isn’t alone in facing issues. Many Gamescom visitors reported that Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition also failed to run smoothly on Switch 2. Interestingly, Madden NFL 26 maintained a stable frame rate but was plagued by frequent bugs and glitches that disrupted the gameplay experience.
In contrast, Nintendo’s own first-party titles, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, reportedly ran flawlessly, highlighting a clear gap between optimized internal titles and third-party releases.
Cross-Platform Struggles Beyond Switch 2
These optimization concerns aren’t exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2. Games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 have shown similar performance problems on Steam Deck, and the Lenovo Legion Go reportedly refused to run The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered altogether.
This suggests that the challenge may not be purely hardware-related, but instead tied to how modern AAA titles are being adapted for handheld or hybrid gaming systems.
Conclusion
The early impressions of Borderlands 4 on Nintendo Switch 2 hint at a worrying trend for third-party performance on the console. While Nintendo’s exclusive titles shine without flaws, games like Borderlands 4, Elden Ring, and Madden NFL 26 show that optimization can make or break the experience. If these issues aren’t addressed before launch, they could impact the Switch 2’s reputation among core gamers.
