Is Borderlands 3 Cross-Platform? Crossplay, SHiFT and the Switch Catch

Summary: Yes. Borderlands 3 has crossplay across PC on Steam and the Epic Games Store, Mac, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, all running through Gearbox's SHiFT matchmaking. The Nintendo Switch edition is the exception and only matches with other Switch players. There is no cross-save, so a Vault Hunter stays on the platform family where you built them.

• One shared pool across PC, Mac, PlayStation and Xbox.
• A SHiFT account and a Crossplay Display Name are required.
• The Nintendo Switch version cannot join other platforms.
• No cross-save, so progress does not travel between families.

Borderlands 3 took an awkward route to full crossplay, which is why plenty of pages still get it wrong. PC, Xbox and Stadia were connected in 2021 while PlayStation sat outside. Gearbox closed that gap in June 2022 and set out the final line-up in its crossplay update notice. Anything written between those dates says PlayStation is excluded, and it no longer is.

Which Platforms Share a Pool

The current line-up, all matched together:

• PC through Steam or the Epic Games Store.
• Mac.
• PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
• Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.

Four players fit in a session and those four can be spread across any of the above. Input method makes no difference to matchmaking here, since this is co-op rather than competitive, so a spare controller from somewhere like Banggood is the only hardware question worth asking.

Setting Up SHiFT Crossplay

Crossplay runs on SHiFT rather than on the platform's own friend list, so there is a small amount of setup:

1. Launch the game and choose Enable Crossplay when the prompt appears.
2. Set a Crossplay Display Name, which has to be unique across all Borderlands 3 players.
3. Create or sign in to a SHiFT account if you have not already.
4. Find friends by their Crossplay Display Name in the Social menu and invite them.

If you skipped the prompt on first launch, the toggle sits in the Network and Social settings. You are still asked to set a display name either way, since SHiFT matchmaking will not function without one. The display name can be changed later through the Social menu or the SHiFT website.

Why the Switch Version Is Left Out

Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition on Nintendo Switch is a separate build without SHiFT crossplay support. Switch owners can play two-player co-op with other Switch owners and nothing beyond that. If your group is mixed and one person is on Switch, there is no setting that fixes it. The realistic options are that they pick the game up on another platform, or the group plays something from our best multiplayer games list instead.

Crossplay Is Not Cross-Save

These two get conflated constantly, and Borderlands 3 has the first without the second, a distinction covered in more depth in our guide to how crossplay works. Your characters, gear and Guardian Rank live on the platform where you earned them. Save transfers exist within a console family, so a PS4 save moves up to PS5 and an Xbox One save moves to Series X|S, and there is limited movement between Steam and Epic on PC. Across families there is nothing.

It is a genuine consideration if you are thinking about switching platforms rather than adding one. Level 72 on Xbox is worth nothing on a PlayStation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Borderlands 3 crossplay between PS5 and Xbox?

Yes. Both sit in the same SHiFT pool along with PC and Mac, and no extra setup is needed beyond enabling crossplay and setting a display name.

Can PC and console players play Borderlands 3 together?

Yes. Steam, Epic and Mac players match with PlayStation and Xbox players in the same sessions.

Do you need PlayStation Plus or Game Pass Core?

On console, yes, the usual online subscription requirement still applies for online co-op. Crossplay itself costs nothing extra, though a shared plan through GamsGo can take the edge off what the subscription costs.

Is the Nintendo Switch version cross-platform?

No. It matches only with other Switch players and has no SHiFT crossplay support.

Buy It Where Your Co-op Group Already Plays

Because crossplay is broad but saves do not travel, the platform you buy on is the decision that sticks. Pick the one your regular co-op partners use and stay there. If you are picking up the game or its DLC on PC, you can browse Steam gift cards and pay with crypto.