Gearbox Head Says PS5, Xbox Series X Are "Absolutely Unreal”

The next generation is a little more than a month away, as Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 will launch within just two days of each other. Developers are starting to look into the new hardware specs, but one that already has a launch game coming says the new hardware is a massive upgrade.

Gearbox is publishing Godfall, which is a PlayStation 5 launch game. In a Borderlands retrospective interview with GameSpot, Gearbox founder Randy Pitchford talked about what players can expect from the new generation.

"I always get so pumped when there's an ability to take a step forward with new hardware and new technology, and anything that's going to empower us," Pitchford said. "I think customers will realize how profound of a difference it is to have the throughput capability that these new platforms bring. It's just absolutely unreal. The leap there with PS5 and Xbox Series X is the biggest leap I have ever seen in the history of console generations. I'm saying, including the leap from 2D to 3D. It's going to change the way we think about every bit of our experiences."

Pitchford did caution that it will be "hard to see that in the initial launch titles" because so many of them are ports or games that from the current generation being reimagined on next gen. Only a select few games, such as PS5's Demon's Souls, are exclusive to next-gen. Even Spider-Man: Miles Morales is also coming to PS4.

Even still, he did say he's looking forward to Borderlands 3 on the new consoles, with increased resolution and framerate. He also teased a new mode coming. Long-term, the studio also plans to expand its cross-play functionality. Pitchford said it's his "dream" to expand even further than that.

According to Pitchford, this free upgrade to next-gen was possible due to the game's success and its current install base, which is sitting higher than Borderlands 2. In 2021, Gearbox Software plans to expand the cross-play functionality to consoles, with Xbox and PlayStation players joining up for games across platforms. During our interview, Pitchford spoke candidly about his "dream" to expand further than that and have all versions of Borderlands 3 possess cross-play functionality in 2021.

Godfall, which is developed by Counterplay Games and published by Gearbox, is coming on November 12 alongside the PS5. The game is described as a "looter-slasher," similarly to how the Gearbox-developed Borderlands series is a "looter-shooter." Aside from this, however, they don't appear to have much overlap. Check out our PS5 preorder guide for more details.