Is Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition for Nintendo Switch a cloud version?

Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition has been recently announced for the Nintendo Switch. Many looking to take the latest in Gearbox's acclaimed FPS/RPG series on the go are excited for what's to come. With that said, not much has been divulged thus far besides the release date and pricing. This has some fans wondering if it will be a native port or a cloud rendition.

Many publishers have opted to stream their technically demanding games to Nintendo Switch instead of porting them due to infeasibilities concerned with bringing titles to the low-powered handheld. Since Borderlands 3 was relatively demanding on PS4 and Xbox One, fans wonder if the Nintendo Switch will get a streamed option.

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Will Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition on Nintendo Switch be streamed via cloud?

Thankfully, that is not the case. While we don't have any in-engine footage yet, the official social media account for the franchise has confirmed that it will be getting physical copies. In fact, physical pre-orders are already live, as players can get the title for $59.99. So this all but confirms it is a native rendition.

Cloud titles are not run on Nintendo Switch. Instead, the only thing players get is a small app through which the console connects to the server to stream the game from a PC. So players will need a solid internet connection to enjoy these titles. There are a handful of such offerings on Nintendo Switch, like Control Ultimate Edition - Cloud Version.

However, the online-only requirement is a dealbreaker for most players. Fortunately, that is not a concern here. It is unclear if all content will be on the Switch cartridge. Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition on PC and consoles is well above 100 GB in size, so even with compression, the entire game is unlikely to be available in one go.

Despite that, the game performing natively is a win in most players' books. However, that does evoke questions regarding its performance. Borderlands 3 is one of the more demanding games on consoles and PC, hitting both in 2019. We have seen plenty of "impossible ports" transition to the hybrid platform with varying degrees of success.

So players must wait until the launch to find out more. Or at least until publisher 2K offers some insight into the technical performance of Borderlands 3 on Nintendo Switch. Players won't have to wait for long, as the game arrives on October 6, 2023. It may be a hard sell for many, given it costs a full $60. However, it is also the complete package.

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What does Borderlands 3 Ultimate Edition include?

The Nintendo Switch rendition will be identical to other platforms in terms of content. So everything is accounted for:

• Borderlands 3 base game
• Moxxi’s Heist of the Handsome Jackpot DLC
• Guns, Love, and Tentacles DLC
• Bounty of Blood DLC
• Psycho Krieg and the Fantastic Fustercluck DLC
• Designer’s Cut DLC
• Director’s Cut DLC
• Over 30 different cosmetic options

With so much content on offer, players can spend hours shooting and looting across Pandora and other hostile planets as one of four Vault Hunters.