Borderlands 4 Performance Crisis
Borderlands 4 is facing significant criticism over performance issues that have players struggling to achieve smooth gameplay even on high-end hardware. The controversy has escalated to the point where publisher 2K Games took the unprecedented step of publishing 68 different recommended graphics settings across NVIDIA and AMD GPUs, while Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford’s comments about the game being for “premium players” have further inflamed the situation.
The Unreal Engine-powered title appears to be heavily unoptimized, with players reporting that even systems featuring top-tier components like Ryzen 9800X3D CPUs and RTX 5090 GPUs experience stuttering and inconsistent performance at maximum settings. This has led to mixed reviews on Steam, with many players questioning the $70 price tag given the technical problems.
The Official Response: 68 Settings and DLSS Dependence
In response to the growing backlash, 2K Games released an extensive list of 68 recommended graphics settings designed to help players achieve 60+ FPS across various hardware configurations. The recommendations cover:
- NVIDIA GPUs: From RTX 2070 to RTX 5090
- AMD GPUs: From RX 5700 XT to RX 9700 XT
- Resolutions: 1080p, 1440p, and 4K
Despite these efforts, the core issue appears to be that Borderlands 4 was designed with a heavy reliance on upscaling technologies. Unlike Battlefield 6, which focused on native performance before adding upscaling options, Borderlands 4 seems to require DLSS or similar technologies to reach acceptable performance levels—even on powerful hardware.
Leadership Missteps and Community Backlash
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has exacerbated the situation with controversial statements. His description of Borderlands 4 as a “premium game for premium players” particularly angered those who pre-ordered before system requirements were fully disclosed. His suggestion that dissatisfied players seek refunds rather than addressing the optimization concerns has been perceived as dismissive by the community.
The game’s absence of ray tracing at launch—typically a demanding feature—further highlights the optimization problems, as performance issues persist without this graphically intensive option enabled.
The Bigger Picture: Industry Trends and Consumer Expectations
The Borderlands 4 situation reflects a growing industry trend where games are increasingly dependent on upscaling technologies to achieve acceptable performance. While DLSS, FSR, and XeSS can provide significant boosts, they come with trade-offs in image quality and latency that not all players find acceptable.
The controversy also raises questions about transparency in system requirements and whether games should be optimized for native performance before relying on upscaling solutions.
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The Bottom Line
Borderlands 4’s performance struggles represent a significant challenge for what should be a flagship title. While the extensive list of recommended settings provides some guidance for players, the fundamental optimization issues and leadership’s response have damaged player trust. The situation serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of performance optimization and communication in an era where players increasingly expect games to run well on a wide range of hardware.
Source: 2K Game (amd), 2K Game (nvidia)