Randy Pitchford defends Borderlands 4 performance, suggests refunds for PCs that can't run "premium game"

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford has never been afraid to directly engage with fans. Facing criticism over Borderlands 4 performance, he’s again pleading for players to lower expectations. However, as has happened before, some gamers are finding Pitchford's social media comments more offensive than helpful.

Pitchford implies that many PC gamers are trying to play the looter shooter on dated hardware. He refers to the demanding Borderlands 4 system requirements, which recommend at least an Nvidia RTX 3080 for an optimal experience. Any gamer without an acceptable configuration should consider Steam refunds.

The often-controversial Pitchford also calls Borderlands 4 a “premium game made for premium gamers.” That drew a sharp reaction from readers who don’t view its graphics as industry-leading. Many AAA titles with cutting-edge visuals make an effort not to exclude the more common configurations of Steam users.

Less than premium Borderlands 4 performance

Gamers also argue that Borderlands 4 performance disappoints on premium hardware. One poster notes that the game struggles to maintain 60 fps at 4K with top-end CPUs and GPUs. At PC Gamer, a combination of an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RTX 5090 yielded mixed results. The graphical settings were maxed out, but it seems that few PCs can display the game in its full glory.

PC Gamer did note that the game met frame rate goals once DLSS 4 was active. Even so, stutters began to reappear in some open-world areas. While not an issue unique to this looter shooter, critics argue that poorly optimized titles rely on upscaling and frame generation. Reduced graphical fidelity and added latency are also potential drawbacks.

Since before the Borderlands 4 release date, Pitchford was confident it was a premium product. He initially suggested that buyers should be willing to pay $80 or more for the game. Even at $70, mixed Steam reviews suggest that the poor performance makes it a questionable purchase.