Playing Borderlands 4 in co-op mode enhances the experience by allowing players to team up and complement each other’s abilities. To get started, players need to create a party through the main menu by inviting friends directly via the group button or using the built-in matchmaking system to join strangers. The game supports cross-platform play, but a SHiFT account is required to connect with friends on different devices.
Settings play a key role in shaping the co-op experience. Crossplay can be toggled on or off in session settings, and voice chat options such as push-to-talk and device selection are customizable in the network menu. Local split-screen co-op is available on consoles but not on PC, providing additional flexibility depending on the platform.
The matchmaking system allows players to filter their search by mission progress or game modes, ensuring smoother group formation. Difficulty scaling in co-op helps balance the game, making it accessible whether playing solo or with others, while loot and progression remain shared for a cohesive team experience.
Key Takeways
- Party creation and matchmaking are essential to starting co-op sessions.
- Crossplay and voice chat settings influence communication and accessibility.
- Difficulty scaling and local co-op options adapt gameplay to player preferences.
Core Steps to Play Borderlands 4 Co-op
Playing Borderlands 4 in co-op mode requires setting up sessions, linking accounts, and adjusting platform-specific preferences carefully. Players must ensure proper cross-platform configurations and privacy settings are in place to enjoy a seamless multiplayer experience on Kairos.
Creating and Joining a Co-op Session
To start or join a co-op session in Borderlands 4, players navigate to the Social Menu within the game. From there, they can invite friends via their SHiFT friends list or search by exact SHiFT username for cross-platform connections. The game supports up to four players per session across all platforms including PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch 2.
Players can also join sessions through native platform friends lists if playing on the same console. Once invited, participants can set the session as Public, Friends-Only, or Invite-Only to control who can join. Adjusting in-game difficulty based on group preferences improves balance and challenge.
Enabling and Managing Cross-Platform Play
Borderlands 4 offers full cross-platform play between PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC (Steam and Epic), and Nintendo Switch 2 from October 2025. Players must toggle crossplay on or off in the session settings depending on their preference.
Crossplay allows the entire group to play together regardless of device, but all members need to have linked SHiFT accounts for smooth matchmaking. If matchmaking issues arise, re-toggling crossplay or checking NAT types (for example, enabling UPnP or port forwarding) often resolves connectivity problems.
SHiFT Account Setup and Linking
A free SHiFT account is essential for cross-platform play and managing social connections in Borderlands 4. Players must create their SHiFT account on the official site and link platform accounts such as PSN, Xbox Live, Steam, or Epic Games.
Linking these accounts within the SHiFT portal and confirming them in-game enables crossplay features, friend invitations, and access to exclusive loot, like Golden Key codes. Failure to link accounts properly can cause issues with party invites and progression visibility across devices.
Understanding Personal Crossplay and Party Privacy
Personal Crossplay refers to enabling or disabling the ability to play with friends on other platforms directly from the session settings. Players can turn crossplay on or off at any time without leaving the session.
Privacy options such as Public, Friends-Only, and Invite-Only allow players to control who can join their session. Using the group button in the Social Menu, hosts can manage invites and monitor participants. Adjusting these settings is crucial to avoid unintentional players joining and to maintain gameplay flow on Kairos.
Essential Multiplayer Settings and Modes
Borderlands 4 offers a range of multiplayer configurations to optimize co-op play. Players can tailor difficulty, session access, voice communication, and matchmaking to suit their preferences and squad needs.
Adjusting Co-op Difficulty and Scaling
The game provides several difficulty layers, including the Ultimate Vault Hunter mode for advanced players seeking tougher challenges and better loot. Players can activate this mode once they meet the criteria after finishing the main campaign.
Co-op scaling adjusts enemies and rewards according to the number of players, keeping combat balanced. When more players join, foes’ health and damage increase. This prevents underwhelming encounters regardless of party size.
Players can modify difficulty through Session Settings, which also affect loot drop rates. Adjusting these settings ensures the group’s skill level aligns with the game challenge, improving progression and farm boss runs efficiency.
Split-Screen Co-op on Consoles
Split-screen co-op is exclusive to console versions of Borderlands 4, allowing two players to share a single screen locally. This mode supports seamless couch play without requiring extra devices or internet connections.
The screen divides horizontally or vertically based on user preferences and display resolution, maintaining gameplay clarity. Only two players are supported in this mode, and PC users do not have access to split-screen functionality.
Setup is straightforward: after launching the game, the second player signs in via the controller and joins the active session. This mode is ideal for friends or family playing together in the same room.
Matchmaking Options and Queue Types
Borderlands 4 features flexible matchmaking systems. Players can queue for different categories, such as Campaign missions, Ultimate Vault Hunter mode, Moxxi’s Big Encore runs for boss farming, or the Weekly Wildcard challenges.
Customizing matchmaking is done through the Matchmaking Settings tab. Here, players can specify region preferences to reduce latency, toggle crossplay options, and add multiple queue types simultaneously. This enables smoother connection to compatible players across platforms.
Automatic matchmaking prioritizes skill and mission progress similarity. Party leaders have control over these settings and can open the session for strangers or keep it invite-only based on preferences.
Voice Chat, Social, and Session Privacy Options
Voice communication is managed in the Network/Social tab of the settings menu. Players can enable or disable voice chat, adjust input and output devices, and enable push-to-talk for better control over conversations.
Session privacy is controlled within Session Settings, where hosts decide who can join their game: friends only, invite-only, or open to public matchmaking. This ensures a tailored experience respecting players’ comfort levels.
Cross-platform play requires a SHiFT account, which also allows adding friends across systems and supports social features. The ability to toggle personal crossplay within settings provides further control over session accessibility.
