It’s become unfortunately common for new games to launch with performance issues, but Borderlands 4 stands out for a unique reason. Instead of focusing solely on fixes, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has been publicly downplaying reported problems, attributing them to unrealistic gamer expectations and using customer service data to suggest the issues aren’t widespread.
Intrigued, I decided to put Borderlands 4 through its paces on our standard RTX 4070 PC test rig, which we use for all major game benchmarks. My findings were far from encouraging. Keeping Randy’s comments in mind about players trying to run high settings on insufficient hardware, I restricted my testing to the medium graphics preset, focusing purely on the data and overall experience. While our Intel Core i7 11700 setup isn’t equipped with the absolute top-tier graphics card or CPU, it’s a highly capable gaming machine that typically handles the latest releases at high settings with smooth frame rates at both 1080p and 1440p.
My initial experience with Borderlands 4 was plagued from the start. Shader compilation dragged on for an agonizing 15 minutes and 35 seconds, only to be followed by an interminable “Logging in” screen. This was my first hurdle. Despite verifying game files, adjusting firewall settings, and running the game as an administrator, I couldn’t bypass this screen. After more than half an hour dedicated to simply trying to reach the main menu, the frustration was immense. As someone with limited gaming time, wrestling with unresponsive menus and lengthy shader processes is incredibly annoying. The only solution I found was a complete PC restart, which finally allowed me to progress.
Once I finally got the game running with medium graphics and Nvidia DLSS set to Quality, I dove into Borderlands 4. Performance during the initial gameplay, leading up to the first boss, was merely acceptable. However, I observed consistent frame rate dips whenever combat initiated and throughout engagements. Paradoxically, the more I attempted to leverage Borderlands’ dynamic movement system, the more severe these performance drops became.
During repeated tests against the Warden Scathe boss, which provided a consistent benchmark, the average frame rates at various resolutions were 72fps at 1080p, 61fps at 1440p, and 46fps at 4K. The corresponding 1% low figures—critical indicators of stuttering—were 52fps, 37fps, and 25fps. This noticeable stuttering at every resolution highlights significant underlying issues, which I will elaborate on further.
Although our test rig doesn’t quite meet the official recommended system requirements for a consistent 60fps at 1440p in Borderlands 4, one would still anticipate a two-year-old Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU (originally priced at $599) combined with an 11th-generation Intel CPU to manage these settings effectively, even if not explicitly listed.
Worryingly, performance deteriorated further upon reaching the game’s open-world section. After completing the initial tutorial at Claptrap’s camp and gaining freedom to explore, frame rates plummeted, and stuttering became significantly more pronounced.
In the open world, average frame rates dipped to 62fps at 1080p, a mere 53fps at 1440p, and a frankly unplayable 23fps at 4K. The crucial 1% lows also took a severe hit, falling to 37fps, 26fps, and 14fps, respectively. Regardless of any developer claims, it is unacceptable for Borderlands to deliver just 37fps at 1080p on an RTX 4070 with medium graphics settings.
Disabling DLSS entirely saw average frame rates fall further to 56fps (1080p), 50fps (1440p), and 20fps (4K). The 1% lows also worsened, hitting 32fps, 23fps, and 14fps, respectively. These figures are alarming, with or without upscaling, especially the 1% lows. A 1% low well below 30fps at 1440p is simply unacceptable; in single-player shooters, we aim for a minimum 60fps average and a 45fps 1% low for a smooth experience.
Instead, Borderlands 4 delivers 1% lows significantly below our benchmark, falling far short of 45fps. This strongly suggests that the game frequently struggles to process on-screen action, leading to noticeable hitches and pauses.
Beyond raw frame rates, my open-world exploration, even when deliberately avoiding combat, revealed numerous visual glitches: pronounced texture pop-in, objects vanishing from the environment, and distracting lighting flickers. It’s clear that many aspects of Borderlands 4 suffer from poor optimization, and the developer’s public statements feel like an attempt to deflect responsibility.
Despite these significant problems, I believe Borderlands 4 has the potential for great performance. With targeted patches and hotfixes addressing these issues, the game could quickly become enjoyable. The sooner these performance updates arrive, the sooner players can truly appreciate the game.
However, in its current state, the game is nearly unplayable, particularly during combat—a core element of the Borderlands experience. For now, I’d prefer to spend my limited gaming time on titles that offer a well-optimized and frustration-free experience.
Are you encountering similar performance struggles in Borderlands 4, or is your experience different? We invite you to share your thoughts and join the conversation.