If you’ve spent dozens of hours farming legendary weapons, laughing at Handsome Jack’s one-liners, or pulling all-nighters with friends running Borderlands raids, you’ve probably been waiting for news about the next mainline entry in the looter-shooter franchise. Borderlands 4 for PS5 is easily one of the most anticipated upcoming releases for Sony’s console, and we’ve pulled together every confirmed detail, rumored feature, and quality of life upgrade we know so far to get you ready for your next trip to Pandora. I’ve been playing Borderlands games since the first title launched back in 2009, so I’ve got a pretty good sense of what fans want from the next entry, and how the PS5’s hardware can make that a reality. I still remember waiting 2 minutes for the Bunker boss to load on PS3, so any improvement to load times alone would make the PS5 release worth it for me.
Borderlands 4 for PS5: Hardware-Exclusive Features You Won’t Find on Older Consoles
The PS5’s custom SSD is easily the biggest game-changer for this entry, and Gearbox has built the game from the ground up to take full advantage of that speed. You won’t hit long loading screens when moving between open world zones, fast traveling to outposts, or even respawning after a dumb death to a random skag pack. One of the biggest confirmed upgrades is zero loading screens when fast traveling between major zones, which means you can jump from a snow-covered mountain to a desert wasteland in less than two seconds with no interruptions.
3D audio support also makes a huge difference for both single player and co-op runs. You’ll be able to hear exactly where a hidden enemy is firing from, or pick up the faint jingle of a legendary chest behind a wall before you even see it. Adaptive triggers and haptic feedback add a level of immersion you won’t get on last gen consoles either. A heavy rocket launcher will have a stiff, slow trigger pull that matches its fire rate, while a rapid-fire SMG will have a snappy, light trigger that feels like you’re really pulling the trigger hundreds of times per minute. Haptic feedback will even rumble differently when you pick up a common item versus a legendary, so you’ll know you got a good drop before you even look at your inventory.
The PS5 version will run at a native 4K 60fps as standard on the balanced graphics mode, and there’s a 1080p 120fps performance mode for players who prioritize smooth gameplay during high-intensity raids. You won’t notice any frame drops even when 4 players are all spamming explosive legendary weapons at a raid boss, which was a constant issue on PS4 versions of past Borderlands games.
New Vault Hunters and Gameplay Tweaks Coming to the PS5 Release
Gearbox has confirmed four new playable vault hunters for Borderlands 4, each with three fully customizable skill trees that let you build completely unique playstyles. The confirmed hunters so far include a siren with time manipulation powers that can slow enemies or rewind their own deaths, a mech pilot that can summon a customizable combat mech that scales with their build, a beast master that can command three different types of alien pets, and a tech specialist that deploys flying drones to heal allies or attack enemies. You can mix and match perks from different skill trees too, so you don’t have to lock yourself into one single playstyle for an entire playthrough.
Gearbox has confirmed that build variety is a top priority for Borderlands 4, so you won’t be stuck with meta-only loadouts that feel identical to every other player. The loot system has also been completely overhauled to cut down on useless filler items. You’ll find far fewer white and green tier weapons that are immediately worthless, and legendary items now have unique, build-defining perks instead of just higher base stats. That means a legendary drop will almost always feel like a real reward, not just another item to sell for credits.
There’s also a new loadout save system that lets you save up to 5 different build presets per character. If you want to swap from a single player boss farming build to a co-op support build, you can do it in one click instead of spending 10 minutes reassigning all your skill points and swapping out gear. That’s a small quality of life change, but it makes trying out new builds far less of a hassle than it was in past entries.
Co-Op Improvements for Borderlands 4 on PS5
Borderlands has always been best played with friends, and the PS5 version is making co-op runs smoother than ever. Full crossplay support is confirmed at launch, so you can play with friends on PS4, Xbox Series X/S, and PC with no restrictions. The PS5’s improved online stability means you’ll experience almost no lag even during 4-player raids with tons of explosions and enemy spawns on screen at once. Drop-in, drop-out co-op works seamlessly now, even if you’re in the middle of a story mission or a boss fight, so your friend can join 10 minutes into a run without you having to restart the entire mission.
Level sync has also been improved to make playing with friends of different skill levels far more fun. A level 50 player can join a level 10 friend’s game, and their stats will be scaled down to match the lobby’s level without losing any of their build perks. They’ll still earn experience that counts towards their main character level too, so they don’t have to waste time grinding a new character just to play with newer friends. PS5 players also get a few co-op exclusive perks that aren’t available on other platforms:
- Shared loot pool options that let you choose between free-for-all, individual loot, or group loot that gets divided evenly based on player class, so you don’t have to fight over legendary drops anymore
- PSN party integration that lets you invite friends directly from the in-game menu without navigating to the console dashboard, and lets you join a friend’s game in one click even if you’re on the PS5 home screen
- Co-op exclusive side missions that only unlock when you’re playing with at least one other person, with unique legendary rewards you can’t get in single player mode
If you have a PS Plus Premium subscription, you can even stream the game to your mobile device or PS Vita if you want to grind for loot while you’re away from your console. All your progress syncs back to your main PS5 save automatically, so you won’t lose any of the items you earn while streaming.
Launch and Post-Launch Support for PS5 Players
Gearbox hasn’t announced an official launch date yet, but they’ve confirmed that the PS5 version will launch at the same time as all other platform versions, with no timed exclusivity for any content. You won’t have to pay for a next-gen upgrade if you buy the PS4 version of the game first, so if you haven’t upgraded to a PS5 yet, you can still buy the game for PS4 and get the PS5 version for free when you make the jump later. Save transfer is also fully supported between PS4 and PS5, so you won’t lose any of your character progress, weapons, or pre-order bonuses when you upgrade.
All post-launch story DLC will also launch at the same time across all platforms, so PS5 players won’t have to wait months to play new story content. Gearbox has confirmed four major story DLC packs will be released in the first year after launch, each adding a new playable zone, new enemy types, new legendary weapons, and a 10-level cap increase. PS5 players get an exclusive free cosmetic pack at launch, including custom vault hunter skins, weapon wraps, and a PS-themed room decoration for your player hub. There will also be regular free content updates between DLC drops, including seasonal events, community challenge raids, and limited-time game modes with unique rewards.
I was really happy to hear that there won’t be any platform-exclusive playable content, since I have friends who play on PC and I hate missing out on story missions or unique weapons just because I play on PS5. The only PS-exclusive content is cosmetic, which doesn’t affect gameplay at all, so that’s a fair compromise for everyone.
At the end of the day, Borderlands 4 for PS5 is shaping up to be the best entry in the franchise yet, with hardware-specific upgrades that make the chaotic looter-shooter gameplay feel smoother and more immersive than ever. Whether you’re a long-time fan who’s played every Borderlands title or a new player curious about what all the hype is about, there’s never been a better time to jump into the franchise. Start rounding up your co-op crew now, because your next big Pandora adventure is just around the corner.