Is Borderlands 2 Cross-Platform and Where Can You Play It?

“Is Borderlands 2 cross-platform?” is a question many gamers pose since this popular looter shooter has existed since 2012 and still maintains massive popularity.

Yes, definitely. Borderlands 2 has some of the broadest platform support: three generations of consoles, all major desktop platforms, and numerous other devices.

However, the Borderlands 2 crossplay feature is virtually nonexistent.

Find out more below!

Is Borderlands 2 Cross-Platform?

Since its release over ten years ago, Borderlands has garnered a cult following as it has defined the entire co-op looter shooter genre single-handedly.

Riding on the success of their flagship title, Gearbox put the game on as many devices as possible with their most comprehensive cross-platform support so far:

• PlayStation: PS3, PS4, and PS5
• Xbox: Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox X|S
• Desktop: Windows, macOS, and Linux
• Handheld: PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, and Android devices

As you can see, you can play Borderlands 2 on 12 different platforms—anywhere and everywhere—since all modern and many past-gen devices are covered.

On top of that, Borderlands 2 is also available via most major cloud gaming services, and they let you play it without owning it or downloading it on your devices.

Naturally, depending on your platform of choice, your gaming sessions will vary in terms of controls, graphics, and sound, but the core experience remains.

What About Other Cross-Engagement Features?

So Borderlands 2 offers massive cross-platform support, but does it let you play with friends across devices and platforms or transfer your progression between different devices?

Cross-Play

As of yet, there is no such thing as a Borderlands 2 crossplay feature, and only players on the same platform can enjoy the online co-op missions together.

Moreover, cross-play will not be coming due to the restrictions inherent in the game’s outdated code, a mistake the devs remedied for its sequels.

Cross-Gen

Borderlands 2 does offer limited cross-gen support, meaning gamers in the same console family may play together only under certain circumstances.

For instance, you can easily create a four-player questing group if you and your friends are on an eighth (PS4 and Xbox One) and ninth console generation (PS5 and Xbox X|S) since the latest consoles are backwards compatible with older titles.

However, if you own Borderlands 2 for the Xbox 360 and the PS3, you cannot band together with owners of newer console generations due to technical limitations.

Cross-Save

Again, Borderlands 2 comes with limited cross-save support for certain platforms.

As of now, you can transfer your Borderlands 2 progress only between the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Vita by uploading your current character progress to the PSN.

Unfortunately, this cross-save feature did not make its way to current-gen platforms.

Why Doesn’t Borderlands 2 Support Cross-Play?

Cross-play was not a universal feature when Borderlands initially launched (2012), and retroactively upgrading the game to support it proved difficult, if not impossible.

Some of the main factors hindering the development of cross-play functionality include:

• High latency—the same multiplayer servers have to support different platforms concurrently while providing lag-free gameplay;
• Different control schemes—desktop platforms have a massive advantage with their mouse and keyboard combo;
• Substantial investment—studios have to deliver the same high-quality experience across devices in terms of graphics, audio, and framerates;
• In-game economy—no platform should have access to unique items that provide additional benefits over players of other platforms.

In the end, corporate policies also greatly influence the decision of whether or not to include crossplay in their titles. For example, if Microsoft publishes a hugely successful game, they wouldn’t want PlayStation players to access it as it cuts into their market share.

Bottom Line

Is Borderlands 2 cross-platform? Let’s put it this way: rare are those games that offer better support on as many platforms as Borderlands 2—the main reason why this thrilling title is still going strong in 2022, apart from its fantastic story, characters, gameplay, and humor.

And if you really need cross-play functionality, you can always get Borderlands 3 or the newest series entry: Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands—one of 2022’s most anticipated games.