Borderlands 4 is struggling to achieve a positive reputation on Steam after hundreds of launch-day players have reported problems with performance or even getting the game to load. Borderlands 4 has enjoyed generally favorable reviews among critics, yet its approval is currently below 50 percent among players on Steam.
For players on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, Borderlands 4's release is set for midnight on September 12, but players on PC have been able to dive in a few hours early. While that may seem like a treat, many players have not been responding well, and the game is presently sitting at just a 41 percent approval rating with close to 1,200 responses logged.
Borderlands 4 PC Minimum Requirements Are Leaving A Lot of Gamers Behind
The steep minimum and recommended requirements to run Borderlands 4 on PC will leave a lot of potential Vault Hunters out in the cold.
Borderlands 4 on Steam Faces Major Performance Problems
Concurrent player counts for Borderlands 4 show its pre-release popularity, as the game registered more than 148,000 players on Steam just an hour after its launch. But with just a quick glimpse at fans' responses to the game on Steam, it is evident that Borderlands 4 is facing some major launch-day issues, including graphical stuttering and low FPS counts. These reports have varied from player to player, but many have recorded FPS counts in the 50 to 55 range even after switching to low graphical settings, and some have even seen the game running in the 20 to 30 FPS range. While some Steam reviewers have responded to these complaints by reporting that they have experienced no performance issues, even some of the responses giving the game a thumbs up have acknowledged that the game is not running at a quality up to their standards.
Players have a few different theories as to why the game is not running as smoothly on their PCs as they had hoped. The most popular suspected culprit behind the performance issues seems to be Borderlands 4' s use of Unreal Engine 5. While the graphics engine has been praised for giving developers the ability to work with high-fidelity assets, it has also come under fire for allegedly influencing stuttering and other performance issues in games like Wuchang: Fallen Feathers, Lords of the Fallen, and Oblivion Remastered.
Some others are suspicious of the Denuvo anti-tamper software that Borderlands 4 utilizes. The digital rights management software, which was confirmed to be included in Borderlands 4 just a few days before launch, serves the dual purposes of preventing both cheating and piracy, but it's also been criticized for reportedly slowing games down. That reputation has earned it the ire of many gamers, and games like life simulator InZOI have removed Denuvo following complaints from their player communities.
Borderlands 4
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 82 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
- Released
- September 12, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Gearbox Software
- Publisher(s)
- 2K
WHERE TO PLAY
Borderlands 4 brings intense action, badass Vault Hunters, and billions of wild and deadly weapons to an all-new planet ruled by a ruthless tyrant.
Crash into Kairos as one of four new Vault Hunters seeking wealth and glory. Wield powerful Action Skills, customize your build with deep skill trees, and dominate enemies with dynamic movement abilities.
Break free from the oppressive Timekeeper, a ruthless dictator who dominates the masses from on high. Now a world-altering catastrophe threatens his perfect Order, unleashing Mayhem across the planet.
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- Yes - all platforms
- Prequel(s)
- Borderlands 3, Borderlands 2, Borderlands
- Franchise
- Borderlands
- Number of Players
- 1-4 players
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Unsupported
- PC Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- Xbox Series X|S Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- PS5 Release Date
- September 12, 2025
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
- October 3, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- Local Co-Op Support
- Yes
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
