“Unoptimized and horrible” — Borderlands 4 falls to ‘Mixed’ Steam rating at launch as reviews hammer poor PC performance

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As a fervent gaming enthusiast, I can’t help but express my excitement about one of the most awaited titles of 2025 – Borderlands 4 by Gearbox Software. This highly anticipated co-op looter shooter has just landed on Windows PC in various regions, and it won’t be long before it graces the screens of Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and the soon-to-be-revealed Nintendo Switch 2 consoles. Patience, fellow gamers, as we eagerly wait for the game to launch on all platforms.

Although the fresh title is experiencing a robust player base, with approximately 200,000 concurrent players on Steam as per SteamDB stats, the feedback from players embarking on the new Borderlands journey has been less favorable.

Following the launch of Borderlands 4 on PC on Thursday, the game initially received a worryingly low rating of “Mostly Negative” on Steam. However, it has since improved enough to reach a “Mixed” score. Currently, about 49% of the 1,819 user reviews are positive, while the rest have given it negative feedback.

The difference is quite stark when compared to the reviews of the FPS by critics; it currently has a score of 84 out of 100 on Metacritic, earning it a “Generally Favorable” label from news and media sources. Interestingly, the issues that most of these reviews highlight are what have made the game a subject of controversy on Steam.

As an ardent fan, I can’t help but express my concerns about the PC version of Borderlands 4. The game seems to be plagued by numerous performance issues that significantly impact the gaming experience. These issues span from inconsistent frame rates, dramatic drops in frame rate, and recurring stutters, particularly within its sprawling open-world zones. Moreover, problems with crashes or even just opening the game beyond its main menu have been reported.

Here’s a possible paraphrasing:

“The game won’t launch past the main menu for any of my friends. Restarting doesn’t completely close the initial instance and it keeps using up all memory,” states one of the highest-rated reviews on Steam. “Regardless of how good the game may be, major developers should receive poor reviews until they learn to put out functioning titles. Independent developers consistently release functional games, but what’s puzzling is that multi-million dollar corporations can’t seem to manage this.

The player expressed that the performance was extremely poor and worse than any they had experienced before, stating in their review: “The performance was abysmal, the worst I’ve ever seen.” As for graphics settings, lowering them to minimum didn’t allow the game to reach 60 FPS, even with the FSR upscaling activated on my RX 6900 XT.

A different player, speaking candidly, said “It’s unoptimized and terrible. I already requested a refund because it won’t run faster than 20 to 30 frames per second.

In the PC edition of Borderlands 4, there are numerous performance problems that have arisen, encompassing a wide variety of issues such as low frame rates, drastic drops in frame rate, recurrent stuttering within open-world zones, and troubles with crashes or even launching the game beyond its main menu.

It’s rather disheartening to find out that numerous gamers are experiencing major issues running Borderlands 4 smoothly on its release day, and to be candid, this isn’t entirely unexpected.

For some time now, there has been apprehension about the game potentially underperforming due to its demanding PC system specifications for Borderlands 4. This unease was further heightened when Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford stated that it might be unplayable on systems falling short of the minimum requirements, though he acknowledged there could be some flexibility in the standards.

It’s been clear for several months that there might be problems with Borderlands 4. Despite this, it doesn’t make any less frustrating for those eager to play what appears to be an otherwise great game. Here’s hoping the team at Gearbox swiftly addresses and rectifies its major flaws soon.

Generally speaking, the majority of critics seem to concur that Borderlands’ gameplay is its strongest aspect yet, boasting finely tuned controls and movement, numerous enhancements like rechargeable grenades, an expansive open-world design without loading times, a variety of Vault Hunters with customizable skills, and a wealth of unique and potent weapons to discover.

It’s clear for several months that something isn’t right with the development of Borderlands 4, and this certainly doesn’t minimize the frustration felt by those eagerly anticipating an excellent gaming experience, despite its apparent potential.

It’s unfortunate that some people are finding it hard to fully enjoy Borderlands 4 due to current issues, yet when those problems get resolved, it seems like a fantastic experience awaits them. Personally, I plan to wait for a few updates before I play it myself, but I’m excited about diving into the chaos in Kairos when the time comes.

Borderlands 4 is now playable on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2, and PS5, with a price tag of $69.99. However, if you’re purchasing the PC version, you can benefit from a discount at Loaded (previously known as CDKeys), bringing the cost down to $60.69 – a savings of almost $10 on a fresh AAA game. Quite an appealing offer indeed!

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2025-09-12 01:10