Borderlands 4 PC Performance Sees 20% Improvement Post-Launch, Says Gearbox

Gearbox Entertainment has announced significant optimization progress for Borderlands 4 on PC, stating that the game's performance has improved by approximately 20% since its initial release. This comes after the game faced criticism at launch for its disappointing performance across various hardware configurations.

The development team has since dedicated efforts to a series of targeted updates, which have evidently yielded concrete results.

Enhanced Framerate, Stability, and More

To illustrate these advancements, Gearbox shared comparative data. For a setup featuring an RTX 4080, native 1440p resolution, and "Very High" settings, the average framerate has risen from roughly 55 frames per second (fps) at launch to 78 fps in the March 1.5 version of the game.

Beyond the raw framerate increase, the team also claims to have improved overall game stability and fluidity. This includes reducing stutters and bringing the 1% and 0.1% low FPS values closer to the average, indicating a smoother experience. Technical optimizations extend to HLOD (Hierarchical Level of Detail), making distant areas less graphically demanding without visual compromises. Furthermore, game crashes have been nearly halved compared to the launch period.

Intensive graphical effects such as particles, thrusters, and aerial events have been lightened. Several CPU-intensive systems, including Cryo damage, collision physics, and fabric simulation, have also undergone optimization. Lighting benefits from the implementation of Virtual Shadow Maps, which reduce the GPU load during the day/night cycle. Lastly, the user interface backend has been made more efficient, resulting in lighter menus and HUD elements, all while maintaining the player's perceived experience.