Gear Up Your PS4 for Crossplay in Borderlands 3
As a badass Vault Hunter, you know there‘s one thing better than scoring epic loot: slaying bandits and beasts alongside your friends. So when Gearbox enabled full crossplay support in Borderlands 3 in April 2022, it was a dream come true.
No longer limited to fellow PlayStation players, you can now squad up with buddies on Xbox, PC, and Stadia to take on the untamed wilds of Pandora and beyond. As someone who‘s put nearly 100 hours into Borderlands 3, allow me to be your guide to enabling crossplay on your PS4.
Is Crossplay Worth It? Hell Yes!
But first, you may be wondering…is crossplay even worth the hassle? The answer is a resounding yes!
Crossplay opens up Borderlands 3 to a wider pool of Vault Hunters – over 20 million more, according to Gearbox. Shorter matchmaking times make it easier to fill out your squad for end-game content like Proving Grounds and Circle of Slaughter.
You also gain access to platform-exclusive gear your PS4 friends would never get to try out otherwise, like the Bekah Jakobs Assault Rifle from Xbox or the Widowmaker Masher from PC.
And while crossplay is now seamlessly integrated, it was a long fought battle. Back in 2019 when Borderlands 3 launched, Sony infamously blocked crossplay support due to political tensions between platforms. It took years of negotiations and tech development to make it happen.
So be sure to thank Gearbox for all their hard work! Now let‘s get to the good stuff…
Step-By-Step Guide to Crossplay on PS4
Enabling crossplay functionality on your PS4 copy of Borderlands 3 takes just a few quick steps:
1. Download the Latest Game Update
You‘ll need to install the April 2022 patch to access the crossplay features. This update went live on 4/28/2022 and weighs in around 1.1 GB.
Downloading it is simple – just connect your PS4 to the internet and launch Borderlands 3. An automatic update prompt should appear. Click "yes" to install.
2. Launch Borderlands 3 on Your PS4
Once the patch finishes, load up Borderlands 3 as normal. The trademark psycho guitar riff should start blasting through your speakers.
3. Accept the Crossplay Opt-In Popup
The crossplay magic happens on the main menu screen. A popup will appear asking:
Do you want to enable crossplay functionality and play with friends on other platforms? Crossplay requires a SHiFT account and internet connection.
[YES] [NO]Obviously, click [YES] to enable crossplay access on your PS4! This sets the crossplay toggle to "ON" in your in-game settings.
4. Set Your Crossplay Display Name
After accepting crossplay, you‘ll be prompted to set a crossplay display name – essentially a gamertag that other platforms see.
Feel free to keep your existing PSN ID or spice it up with something new. This name is separate from your SHiFT username. I chose "SalvadorTheGunzerker" to match my main.
5. Start SHiFT Matchmaking!
With the setup complete, tell your non-PSN friends to send you a SHiFT friend request. They can find your SHiFT ID under your crossplay display name.
Accept requests once they come in. Your full crossplay roster will be visible under SOCIAL > ROSTER in the pause menu. Then initiate SHiFT matchmaking to squad up!
And that‘s all there is to it! In just a few minutes, your solo monster hunting days on Pandora are over. Time to make some memories with your crossplay crew!
Crossplay Features Overview
Here‘s a quick rundown of what crossplay enables once configured on your PS4:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Crossplay Matchmaking | Squad up with friends on any platform via SHiFT |
| Crossplay Progression | Share progression and use same characters across devices |
| Crossplay Inventory Sharing | Items/currency sync across your linked SHiFT profile |
| Crossplay Trading & Mail | More gear trading opportunities! |
What Crossplay Doesn‘t Include
While crossplay opens up Borderlands 3 tremendously, there are still a couple limitations:
- No cross-generational play – Can‘t squad up with next-gen console players on PS5/Xbox Series X. Last-gen only.
- PlayStation exclusives – Content like the Bekah Jakobs rifle hasn‘t come to PlayStation and likely never will.
But otherwise, treating Xbox and PC players like one of your own is seamless!
Crossplay Tips From a Fellow Vault Hunter
I‘ll leave you with some quick pro tips from my experience enabling crossplay across multiple devices:
- Add SHiFT friends first for easier matchmaking. Relying solely on public matchmaking can take longer to fill groups.
- Voice chat works great through PSN party chat with a headset plugged into your controller. Most crossplay players use Discord on PC.
- Certain gear traded from other platforms can break your game balance. I had a buddy give me a super OP shield that removed the fun! Set expectations.
- Utilize crossplay to trade for rare items you can‘t get on PS4 alone, like the aforementioned Bekah rifle from Xbox.
Alright Vault Hunters, get out there and make some new friends! Crossplay awaits in Borderlands 3. Feel free to ping me if you have any other questions – happy to help a fellow player out.
See you in Sanctuary!
