Borderlands 4 Tests Indicate Dismal Performance
This should be a smooth launch. Test for Borderlands 4 Early shows dismal performance on both PC and Apple M4. The disheartening early performance tests for Borderlands 4, which might indicate optimization issues on both a solid PC and on the latest M4-equipped MacBook Air, have been shared by a Reddit user.
MacBook Air M4 Test Results
With the CrossOver application on minimum graphics settings, this poor soul attempted to try the game on a MacBook Air with an M4 chip. Frame rates fell to 10 FPS during combat and around 20 FPS in indoor locations. The tests had been marred, however, by graphical glitches, such as "invisible textures," and random crashes.
Desktop PC Performance Also Concerning
The same user, who considers himself an avid fan of the series, tested the game on a capable desktop equipped with a GeForce RTX 3070 and an Intel i5-11400F processor. Even with this hardware, he considered it "ridiculous" that Borderlands 4 could only muster around 30 FPS with medium settings at 2K resolution. Reportedly, achieving 60 FPS stably required further assistance from tools such as Lossless Scaling and Frame Generation.
Our Experiense
We also tested the game with an RTX 5080 and got only 25 FPS on 4K with maxed-out(Badass) graphics. We had to enable DLSS and FG 2x to reach 60 FPS. The game is really poorly optimized. You can also check out our full review of the game.
Community Reaction and Future Concerns
This was further echoed by other participants in the discussion. One user, ProtectusCZ, noted that Borderlands 4 "looks almost the same as the previous part, but runs several times worse." Others verified that performance remained sluggish even when most graphics settings were turned down considerably.
This leads to a concern regarding the optimality of the game, especially since a release date for the Nintendo Switch 2 has been set under a stone-mason's hammer.
