Randy Pitchford Discusses Borderlands 4 PC Performance
Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford recently took to social media to address ongoing criticisms regarding the PC version of Borderlands 4. His statements suggest that many players are experiencing performance issues not due to poor game optimization, but rather from an unfortunate selection of in-game settings, while also emphasizing the importance of utilizing modern upscaling technologies like DLSS.
Pitchford asserted that his team has delivered a highly optimized game. He advised PC players to meticulously adjust their graphics settings to match the capabilities of their hardware. "Every PC gamer must accept the reality of the relationship between their hardware and what the software they are running is doing," Pitchford stated, adding, "We have made an amazing and fun and huge looter shooter campaign game. The game is pretty damn optimal — which means that the software is doing what we want without wasteful cycles on bad processes."
He highlighted the extensive suite of tools available within Borderlands 4 that allow PC gamers to find a balance between frame rates (FPS), resolution, and rendering features. "If you aren’t happy with the balance between these things you are experiencing, please tune to your preferences using the tools available to you," he urged players.
The Role of DLSS and Acknowledging Specific Bugs
Beyond personal settings, Pitchford strongly recommended using NVIDIA's DLSS technology, which is designed to improve performance by upscaling lower-resolution images. He expressed regret for players who might avoid DLSS due to information found online, stating, "If you are so attached to the idea that DLSS is bad for your game experience because of something you saw or read on the internet, I am sorry. I hope instead you would use the technology designed to give you the experience you want."
While largely shifting the blame to player configuration, Pitchford did acknowledge that some genuine technical glitches exist. He assured the community that Gearbox is actively investigating these issues, noting that they affect a "very, very small percentage of users." Many of these problems are already being fixed, or have been fixed, and the studio is committing to continuous work on PC performance and other encountered challenges.
Customer Support Statistics Presented
To further support his stance that widespread issues are exaggerated, Pitchford shared customer support statistics for Borderlands 4. According to his data, only about 1% of players who installed the game have contacted support. Within that figure:
- Approximately 0.55% of players reported difficulties with their SHiFT online accounts (e.g., lost emails or access).
- The next most common issue (without a specific percentage provided) was a request for a Field of View (FOV) slider on consoles, which Gearbox is reportedly addressing.
- About 0.055% of inquiries concerned issues with Twitch Drops.
- Crucially, only 0.04% of all support tickets were related to PC performance. Of these, Pitchford claims a mere 0.009% were deemed "justified" by specialists, with the rest reportedly resolved by providing guidance on adjusting the game's settings.
Pitchford concluded by reaffirming Gearbox's dedication to player satisfaction: "We want *every* customer to have the best experience. We’re not stopping — working day and night to not only add more cool stuff that, according to almost unanimous critical and fan opinion, made Borderlands 4 the best game in the series, but also to improve technical aspects, especially for a wide range of PC configurations."
Community Reaction and Ongoing Issues
Despite Pitchford's assertions, the PC version of Borderlands 4 currently holds a "Mixed" rating on Steam, with 65% positive reviews out of over 22,000. A recent patch aimed at improving PC stability has been released, but player feedback suggests it hasn't significantly alleviated widespread performance concerns. This ongoing discrepancy between the developer's statements and player experiences indicates that for many, finding that optimal balance remains a challenge, even with the available tools.
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