Borderlands 4 performance issues are causing major headaches for console players, according to a damning new analysis from Digital Foundry. Despite the game’s impressive gameplay improvements and technical ambitions with Unreal Engine 5, serious performance problems are undermining the experience across PlayStation 5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X platforms.
The Performance Problem That Gets Worse Over Time
Digital Foundry’s Tom Morgan discovered a troubling pattern during testing – Borderlands 4 performance degrades significantly after just 30 minutes to an hour of continuous play. What starts as acceptable frame rates quickly deteriorates into “dire mid-30fps passages of play” that make the 60fps target feel like a distant dream.
The technical analysis shows that all console versions suffer from this progressive performance degradation. Even the powerful PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X struggle to maintain consistent frame rates as play sessions extend, leading to what Morgan describes as “sizeable, sub-60fps lurches” that become increasingly frequent.
Gearbox’s Temporary Workaround Draws Criticism
Gearbox development chief Randy Pitchford has acknowledged these Borderlands 4 performance issues on social media, offering a workaround that has drawn sharp criticism from technical experts. His suggestion? Simply quit and restart the game regularly to restore performance.
Digital Foundry’s response was swift and pointed: “Resetting the game every hour should really not be an expected solution for players.” This temporary fix, while functional, highlights the severity of the underlying technical problems that shouldn’t exist in a major AAA release.
PC Players Face Different But Equally Frustrating Issues
While console players deal with progressive performance degradation, PC players are battling their own set of Borderlands 4 performance issues. Digital Foundry’s PC analysis reveals significant stutter problems that persist even on high-end hardware configurations.
The technical team tested the game on some of the fastest gaming CPUs available and still encountered stuttering issues that make the experience feel “less polished.” Additionally, they advise against using the ‘Badass’ graphics preset, noting that the visual improvements don’t justify the performance hit over ‘Very High’ settings.
PC players also report strange technical decisions, such as real-time cutscenes being locked to 30fps, creating jarring transitions from higher gameplay framerates.
Gameplay Improvements Can’t Hide Technical Shortcomings
Despite these significant Borderlands 4 performance issues, the game has received praise for its gameplay improvements. The new movement system featuring dashing, grappling, and enhanced mobility has been particularly well-received by players who consider this the best-playing entry in the series.
The transition to a proper open-world structure represents a major evolution for the franchise, moving away from segmented levels to seamless exploration. Combined with improved gunplay mechanics and more engaging boss fights, these changes would normally position Borderlands 4 as a triumphant return for the series.
Emergency Patch Needed According to Experts
Digital Foundry has called for an emergency patch to address these critical Borderlands 4 performance issues. Tom Morgan emphasized that while the game shows “huge ambition” with its Unreal Engine 5 technical upgrades, the launch performance is simply unacceptable for a title of this caliber.
Gearbox has promised additional fixes are coming after an initial patch addressed some PC crash issues. However, the core performance degradation problems on consoles remain unresolved, leaving players in a frustrating situation where they must choose between enduring poor performance or constantly restarting their game sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What causes Borderlands 4 performance to get worse over time?
A: Digital Foundry’s analysis suggests the game has memory management or resource allocation issues that cause performance to progressively degrade during extended play sessions, though the exact technical cause hasn’t been officially confirmed by Gearbox.
Q: Does restarting Borderlands 4 really fix the performance problems?
A: Yes, Digital Foundry confirmed that completely quitting and restarting the game does restore performance to launch levels, but this workaround needs to be repeated roughly every hour of play.
Q: Which console versions are affected by these performance issues?
A: All console versions are affected, including PlayStation 5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X. Digital Foundry found that each platform experiences significant frame rate drops after extended play sessions.
Q: Are PC players experiencing the same problems as console players?
A: PC players face different but equally problematic performance issues, primarily severe stuttering problems that occur even on high-end hardware, plus various optimization issues with graphics settings.
Q: Has Gearbox provided a timeline for fixing these performance problems?
A: While Gearbox has acknowledged the issues and promised fixes are coming, no specific timeline has been provided for resolving the core performance degradation problems affecting console players.
Q: Should players wait for patches before buying Borderlands 4?
A: Given the severity of these performance issues and the need for frequent game restarts, potential buyers might want to wait for significant patches unless they’re willing to tolerate these technical problems.
Conclusion
Borderlands 4 performance issues represent a significant disappointment for a franchise return that otherwise shows tremendous promise. While the gameplay improvements and technical ambitions deserve praise, the reality is that players are being asked to work around serious technical problems that should never have made it to release.
Digital Foundry’s analysis makes it clear that whether you’re on console or PC, you’ll likely encounter frustrating performance problems that detract from what could be an excellent gaming experience. Until Gearbox delivers the emergency patches that technical experts are calling for, Borderlands 4 remains a cautionary tale about launching ambitious games before they’re technically ready for prime time.