If you’re a diehard Borderlands fan who’s spent countless late nights on the couch with friends farming for legendary guns and laughing at Claptrap’s terrible jokes, you’ve almost certainly asked is Borderlands 4 split screen as you wait for the next entry in the franchise. For over a decade, split screen co-op has been one of the series’ biggest draws, letting players team up without needing separate consoles, copies of the game, or a stable internet connection. It’s no surprise that so many people are prioritizing this feature as they follow news about the upcoming looter shooter.
Current Split Screen Support Status for Borderlands 4
As of now, Gearbox Software has not released a full official breakdown of Borderlands 4’s multiplayer features, but all early teases and franchise patterns point to split screen being part of the launch package. Gearbox has repeatedly stated that co-op play is a core part of the Borderlands identity, and they have no plans to abandon features that fans have loved for years. Early playtest leaks from trusted industry sources have also confirmed that split screen functionality is already fully functional in internal builds of the game.
That doesn’t mean we have all the details yet, of course. Official full game details won’t be released until closer to the launch date, so we don’t have final confirmation of player limits or extra features. We do know that the game is being built exclusively for next-gen consoles and PC, so developers don’t have to compromise features to work on older, less powerful hardware. That should mean smoother performance for split screen sessions even when the screen is full of enemy mobs and flashy ability effects.
For context, Borderlands 3 launched with 2-player split screen support on consoles, later adding 4-player split screen for next-gen consoles via a post-launch patch. It’s likely that Borderlands 4 will follow a similar path, with 2-player split screen available at launch, and optional 4-player support added later for players who want to cram more friends onto one couch.
Is Borderlands 4 Split Screen Available on All Platforms?
Platform support is one of the biggest questions around split screen for Borderlands 4, and the answer varies depending on what device you plan to play on. Next-gen consoles, including the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, are all but guaranteed to have split screen support available on launch day. These consoles have more than enough processing power to run two separate instances of the game at a smooth frame rate, so there’s no technical barrier to the feature here.
PC players, on the other hand, may have to wait a little longer for split screen support. Borderlands 3 did not launch with split screen on PC, with the feature added almost a year after the game’s initial release. It’s likely that PC split screen for Borderlands 4 will also come as a post-launch update, as developers prioritize fixing launch bugs and optimizing performance for single player and online co-op first. Cross-play support is expected to launch alongside the game for online co-op, so PC players can still team up with friends on consoles even if local split screen isn’t available right away.
Before you plan your next couch co-op marathon, make sure you have all the required supplies to run split screen smoothly:
Nintendo Switch support hasn’t been confirmed for Borderlands 4 at all yet, so if you play on Switch, you’ll want to wait for official announcements before assuming split screen will be available for the platform.
Pros and Cons of Playing Borderlands 4 in Split Screen Mode
Split screen play isn’t for everyone, and it’s important to weigh the benefits and drawbacks before you decide whether to play locally or team up online. The biggest advantage of split screen is that it lets you play with people in the same room, which makes for a way more social experience. You don’t have to deal with lag, dropped connections, or the awkward silence that sometimes comes with online play with people you don’t know very well. You also only need one copy of the game and one console to play, which saves you a lot of money if you’re playing with roommates or family members.
There are some downsides, though. The most obvious one is that you only get half the screen space to play, which can make it hard to see small UI elements or enemies that are far away. Split screen play will only support horizontal split by default, according to early previews, so you won’t be able to switch to a vertical split if that’s your preference. Performance can also take a hit in busy areas, especially if you’re playing with graphic settings cranked all the way up.
Another common complaint with split screen in previous Borderlands games is that UI elements get scaled down so much they’re hard to read, even on large screens. Gearbox has said they’re working on improving UI scaling for split screen in Borderlands 4, so this should be less of an issue than it was in past entries. At the end of the day, split screen is best for casual play sessions with friends, while online co-op is better if you’re focused on high-level endgame content where you need full visibility of the battlefield.
Tips to Improve Your Split Screen Borderlands 4 Experience
If you do decide to play split screen, there are a few easy tweaks you can make to ensure your sessions run as smoothly as possible. First, invest in a larger screen if you can. A 27-inch monitor works fine for single player, but split screen on that size will feel cramped and hard to follow. A 40-inch or larger 4K TV is ideal, as it gives each player enough resolution to see all the important details without squinting.
Next, adjust your graphic settings to prioritize performance over visual flair. Turn off unnecessary visual effects like motion blur and ambient occlusion to boost frame rates during busy fights, where dozens of enemies and ability effects can put extra strain on your console. If you’re playing on PS5 or Xbox Series X/S, switch to performance mode instead of quality mode to lock in a 60fps frame rate even during split screen play.
You should also pick complementary character builds for you and your co-op partner to avoid visual clutter. If both of you pick classes with large, flashy ultimate abilities, your screen will be so full of effects you won’t be able to tell what’s going on during big fights. Try pairing a tank class with a support class, or a long-range sniper with a close-range brawler to balance out playstyles and keep visual noise to a minimum.
Finally, make sure you link individual Gearbox accounts to each player profile if you want to keep your progress separate. Make sure both players have their own Gearbox accounts linked if you want to earn cross-save rewards for individual characters. If you don’t link separate accounts, all progress and earned items will be tied to the host’s profile, so the second player won’t be able to take their character with them if they play on their own console later.
So if you’ve been wondering is Borderlands 4 split screen, the short answer is yes, it’s almost certainly going to be available on next-gen consoles at launch, with PC support coming shortly after. Split screen co-op is part of what makes Borderlands so special, and Gearbox knows better than to cut a feature that so many fans rely on for casual, fun play sessions with friends. As long as you have the right setup and adjust your settings for the best performance, you’ll be farming legendaries and cracking jokes with your couch co-op crew as soon as the game launches.