The Launch of Borderlands 4: Technical Issues and Strong Player Interest
The highly anticipated launch of Borderlands 4 got off to a strong start, but quickly ran into technical performance issues. Despite receiving positive reviews for its gameplay and narrative, players, especially on the PC version, encountered serious problems.
Players on Steam were frustrated with frame drops, stuttering, and constant crashes, even on high-end hardware. Some reported struggling to reach 30 FPS on the lowest settings, while others couldn’t maintain 60 FPS with recommended specifications. A 2.7 GB update on launch day helped reduce crashes, but didn’t address all the issues.
Gearbox Software CEO Responds
In response to the criticism, Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford defended the game’s performance, calling it “fairly optimized.” He advised players to adjust their expectations and use tools like DLSS for better performance. When a dissatisfied player voiced concerns, Pitchford bluntly stated, “You can do whatever you want. The game is the game. Please get a refund from Steam if you aren’t happy.”
Despite the technical challenges, Borderlands 4 attracted over 304,000 concurrent players on Steam, indicating strong interest and sales.
Updates and Future Plans
Gearbox Software released a new update for PC to improve stability, without specifying the changes. Additionally, the company is exploring adding a field of view (FOV) control for console players following complaints of motion sickness from the limited field of view.
