Borderlands 4 Steam reviews tell a troubling story that every PC gamer needs to know before purchasing. Despite critical acclaim and massive hype, the latest entry in Gearbox’s beloved looter-shooter franchise launched to a storm of negative feedback from actual players experiencing the game firsthand.
Performance Problems Dominate Player Experience
The core issue plaguing Borderlands 4 isn’t gameplay mechanics or story problems – it’s fundamental performance failures that make the game nearly unplayable for many users. Players report consistent stuttering, frequent crashes, and frame rates that drop well below acceptable levels even when using powerful gaming rigs.
Steam user testimonials paint a grim picture. One player with an RX 6900 XT graphics card couldn’t maintain 60 FPS even after reducing settings to low and enabling FSR upscaling. Another user running a 3080 TI managed only 30 FPS at medium-to-high settings on 1440p resolution, describing the visual quality as worse than Borderlands 3 despite the newer engine.
High-End Hardware Struggles with Basic Performance
What makes these Borderlands 4 Steam reviews particularly concerning is that even users with top-tier hardware are experiencing problems. Reports indicate that players with RTX 5090 GPUs – currently among the most powerful consumer graphics cards available – struggle to exceed 60 FPS without relying heavily on DLSS technology.
The performance requirements seem disproportionate to the visual improvements over the previous game. Many reviewers note that Borderlands 4 doesn’t appear significantly more advanced graphically than its six-year-old predecessor, making the demanding hardware requirements feel unjustified.
Common Performance Issues Reported
- Persistent stuttering during gameplay
- Frequent crashes with Unreal Engine errors
- Frame rate drops below 60 FPS on high-end systems
- Long loading times between zones
- Screen tearing and visual artifacts
Steam Deck Performance Reaches Unplayable Levels
Steam Deck owners face the worst experience, with Borderlands 4 running at an abysmal 8-9 FPS in many scenarios. Even at the lowest possible settings with upscaling enabled, the handheld typically manages only around 22 FPS, making the game effectively unplayable on Valve’s popular portable system.
This poor Steam Deck performance has led many users to immediately request refunds, contributing to the negative review cascade that initially pushed the game’s rating to “mostly negative” status.
Community Suspects Multiple Culprits Behind Problems
Players and gaming communities have identified several potential causes for these widespread performance issues. The most commonly cited suspects include:
| Suspected Cause | Impact |
|---|---|
| Unreal Engine 5 | Known for causing stuttering in multiple recent games |
| Denuvo Anti-Tamper | DRM software often blamed for performance degradation |
| Poor Optimization | Insufficient development time for PC platform optimization |
Gearbox Responds to Criticism
Gearbox has acknowledged the performance complaints by responding to individual Steam reviews with links to NVIDIA optimization guides and PC troubleshooting resources. The developer has also requested that players continue playing for at least 15 minutes after adjusting settings to allow the game’s systems to stabilize.
However, many players feel these responses are inadequate given the severity and widespread nature of the problems. The fact that major PC gaming outlets like PC Gamer didn’t receive pre-release review copies has raised suspicions that Gearbox was aware of the PC version’s problems before launch.
Silver Lining: Strong Player Numbers Despite Issues
Despite the negative Borderlands 4 Steam reviews, the game achieved impressive concurrent player numbers, reaching over 200,000 players at launch. This suggests strong underlying interest in the franchise, with many players willing to tolerate performance issues to experience the new content.
The review rating has also gradually improved from “mostly negative” to “mixed” as some players have managed to optimize their systems or found the gameplay compelling enough to overlook technical problems.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Borderlands 4 Steam reviews so negative?
The negative reviews primarily stem from severe performance issues including stuttering, crashes, and low frame rates that affect players across different hardware configurations, from mid-range to high-end systems.
Can you play Borderlands 4 on Steam Deck?
While technically possible, Borderlands 4 performs extremely poorly on Steam Deck, often running at 8-9 FPS and rarely exceeding 22 FPS even on lowest settings, making it practically unplayable.
What hardware do you need to run Borderlands 4 smoothly?
Based on user reports, even RTX 5090 GPUs struggle to maintain consistent performance, suggesting the game requires cutting-edge hardware and significant optimization patches to run properly.
Is Denuvo causing Borderlands 4’s performance problems?
While not definitively proven, many players suspect Denuvo anti-tamper software contributes to the performance issues, as this DRM technology has been linked to similar problems in other games.
Will Gearbox fix Borderlands 4’s performance issues?
Gearbox has acknowledged the problems and provided optimization guides, but major performance improvements will likely require substantial patches rather than simple settings adjustments.
Should you buy Borderlands 4 despite the Steam reviews?
Consider waiting for performance patches unless you have high-end hardware and high tolerance for technical issues, as the current state may significantly impact your gaming experience.
The Verdict on Launch Performance
Borderlands 4’s Steam launch serves as another reminder that modern game releases often prioritize meeting deadlines over ensuring optimal PC performance. While the underlying game may prove excellent once technical issues are resolved, the current state demonstrates how poor optimization can overshadow even the best gameplay mechanics and content. Players considering a purchase should weigh their hardware capabilities and patience for patches against their desire to play immediately.