It’s no secret that Borderlands 4 showers you with an insane amount of loot. Sifting through the mountain of drops, especially after an intense boss fight, can feel like a chore. Many players are quick to sell or ignore lower-rarity gear, dismissing it as ‘trash.’ However, I’m here to warn you against such haste. Some of these seemingly useless items hold a secret power: firmware.
While Borderlands 4’s extensive stat system is a major part of its appeal, you might not have fully grasped the importance of firmware, particularly if you’re early in your adventure. Firmware can appear on various non-weapon gear slots, including shields, class mods, repkits, ordnance, and enhancements. Think of it as a powerful ‘set bonus’ system, similar to what you might find in other popular RPGs. Equipping one, two, or three items with the same firmware type grants increasingly significant advantages.
Fully upgraded, Borderlands 4 firmware offers truly game-changing benefits. For instance, ‘Trickshot’ provides a 5% gun reload speed bonus at level one, escalating to 10% critical damage at stage two. Equip three pieces, and your critical hits gain a 50% chance to instantly refill one ammo to your active weapon. Similarly, ‘High Caliber’ can allow your bullets to pierce through enemies, while ‘God Killer’ empowers you with a 10% damage boost against powerful ‘badass’ foes, a 10% damage reduction from them, and a minute-long 20% damage buff upon defeating one.
It’s clear that firmware is a crucial component for optimizing your build and complementing your chosen Borderlands 4 character. Luckily, you’re not solely reliant on luck for these valuable drops. After completing the main campaign, you unlock the ‘Firmware Transfer Machine.’ This ingenious device allows you to salvage firmware from an unwanted item by destroying it, then apply that firmware to another piece of gear.
While incredibly useful, the Firmware Transfer Machine does have limitations. You can only transfer firmware between items of the same slot type (e.g., a shield’s firmware to another shield). Additionally, firmware can only be transferred once; an item that has received transferred firmware cannot then donate its own. This is precisely why saving those seemingly worthless items is so important. If any piece of gear drops with firmware, strongly consider keeping it unless you are absolutely certain you’ll never need those specific bonuses.
Image: Displaying the powerful bonuses of a three-piece ‘Deadeye’ firmware set in Borderlands 4.
As you delve into the endgame and conquer the challenging Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode, you’ll discover that you need more than just one piece of firmware material per slot. You’ll constantly be looking to transfer firmware as you upgrade your existing gear with superior alternatives. While you might manage without it, discarding valuable firmware-equipped items for a measly sum of in-game currency – which Borderlands 4 generously provides anyway – will undoubtedly lead to regret.
Looking for more help on your Borderlands 4 journey? We have guides on finding all vault fragment locations and the latest active Shift codes for free mystery keys and other valuable goodies.
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