Borderlands 4 may only be a few months away from launch, but its arrival is already shaping up to be more controversial than anticipated—not merely for the spectacle of its signature guns-blazing gameplay, but for hard questions around who will truly get to experience all it has to offer. Between steep hardware specs and strikingly segmented content packs, Gearbox Software’s next entry into the loot-shooter saga has ignited both excitement and exasperation across the gaming community.
For over a decade, Borderlands has been synonymous with frenetic gunplay, gallows humor, and endless loot-driven adventures. With Borderlands 4, Gearbox appears determined to push those ambitions to new heights, promising a grander, more visually arresting world packed with fresh content. But there’s a catch—the technical leap required of players’ hardware is not insignificant.
In a move that’s already sparked heated debate, Steam’s listing for Borderlands 4 reveals hardware requirements that leave budget-conscious players in the dust. The game demands, at minimum, an Intel Core i7-9700 or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X—both of which are 8-core CPUs. Even more surprisingly, entry-level 6-core CPUs like Intel’s widely used Core i5 or Ryzen 5 series simply don’t make the cut. The message is clear: Borderlands 4 is not meant for older rigs or entry-level systems.
The GPU front is equally demanding. Players will need at minimum an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 or an AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, both of which are mid-to-high tier cards from the previous generation. For recommended settings, the requirements escalate to an Nvidia RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, paired with at least 12GB of VRAM—substantially higher than the common 8GB standard found in cards like the RTX 3060, which, according to the latest Steam hardware survey, remains the most widely owned GPU among PC gamers today.
To further drive the point home, here’s a breakdown of what Gearbox is officially recommending:
These specs align with the creeping trend of modern AAA games raising the minimum bar, whether due to higher-fidelity graphics, more complex systems, or less efficient engine optimization. Yet, few recent titles have entirely excluded such a broad swath of "mid-range" hardware owners quite so bluntly. This move has provoked frustration across forums and social channels, with some users concerned the game’s base will fracture before it even launches.
By pre-ordering, players receive the “Gilded Glory Pack,” which is limited to a cosmetic Vault Hunter skin, weapon skin, and Echo-4 drone skin. The Bounty Pack, Firehawk’s Fury, Ornate Order Pack, and Vault Hunter Pack break up content further—offering a mix of skins, story packs, maps, and new playable Vault Hunters, but only at higher tier bundles.
A repeated refrain is that story expansions and elaborate cosmetics are often bundled into higher-priced editions, but the withholding of default map areas smacks of “deluxe edition extortion.” This is especially pointed given Borderlands’ history of releasing rich post-launch expansions and side content—previously presented as separate, optional DLC rather than carved out from launch offerings.
Some defenders argue that rising development costs, the expense of pushing graphics fidelity to next-gen levels, and the economics of live-service games justify premium content tiers. Nevertheless, the optics remain poor: with the bar to entry raised by both hardware and price, many day-one fans of the series are left feeling sidelined.
The tension is elevated by the fact that the most visually intensive features—massive environmental upgrades, elaborate new models, and streaming voice content—are part and parcel of what sets Borderlands 4 apart from its predecessors. Yet these very features, intended to make the experience more immersive, remain off-limits for anyone not upgrading both their system and their purchase tier.
Gearbox counters with the inclusion of four new vehicles and vehicle cosmetics, rare vault cards, and exclusive heads and skins. But it’s telling that these primarily aesthetic enhancements are bundled alongside narrative and gameplay content. Critics suggest this is an attempt to conflate optional cosmetic add-ons with non-negotiable gameplay pieces—a move that muddles the value proposition for consumers.
Statistically, only a minority of players typically invest in top-tier editions of any game. Locking fundamental experiences behind that tier risks fragmenting the player base, potentially depressing community engagement during the post-launch window, when most series rely on lively multiplayer populations.
Another stated benefit is improved AI, more dynamic environments, and longer view distances. These require more processing power and memory, but whether the game will actually leverage these specs for experiences beyond what’s possible on lower settings remains to be seen. Previous PC releases of Borderlands have been criticized for less-than-stellar optimization in the past, suggesting that high requirements may not necessarily translate into gameplay breakthroughs.
If optimization is handled poorly, players on systems that just meet minimum specs may nevertheless face stuttering, pop-in, or inconsistent frame rates—further discouraging those already stretching to meet requirements.
This opens up access to players who pay for premium-tier cloud gaming subscriptions, potentially broadening the audience to those with aging PCs or laptops. But performance and latency—particularly in the fast-paced looter-shooter genre—remain hurdles. Cloud gaming isn’t a panacea, but for many, it may prove the most affordable ticket into Pandora’s next spectacle.
Yet, past experience suggests that controversy alone won’t stop millions from flocking to Pandora anew. The hunger for co-op mayhem and the series’ iconic visual design guarantee strong initial sales. The real question is whether enough players—especially on PC—will be able to join at launch, or if the combination of hardware elitism and aggressive content segmentation will dilute the impact.
The core lesson for the wider gaming industry may be this: as technical ambition soars and business models fragment, the definition of what constitutes a “full game” is under more scrutiny than ever. Whether Gearbox’s bet on both high performance and high-priced bundles pays off depends less on headline sales than on the vibrancy and inclusivity of the world it invites players to inhabit. If that world shrinks to only the most privileged, no amount of graphical flair or clever writing will completely fill the void left behind.
For now, Borderlands 4 stands as a bellwether for the incoming tide of gaming’s new business and technical frontiers—one that gamers, and the industry at large, will be watching very closely.
Source: inkl Borderlands 4's smallest controversy is its specs – wait until you hear its biggest
An Ambitious Sequel with Heavy Lifting Needed
For over a decade, Borderlands has been synonymous with frenetic gunplay, gallows humor, and endless loot-driven adventures. With Borderlands 4, Gearbox appears determined to push those ambitions to new heights, promising a grander, more visually arresting world packed with fresh content. But there’s a catch—the technical leap required of players’ hardware is not insignificant.In a move that’s already sparked heated debate, Steam’s listing for Borderlands 4 reveals hardware requirements that leave budget-conscious players in the dust. The game demands, at minimum, an Intel Core i7-9700 or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X—both of which are 8-core CPUs. Even more surprisingly, entry-level 6-core CPUs like Intel’s widely used Core i5 or Ryzen 5 series simply don’t make the cut. The message is clear: Borderlands 4 is not meant for older rigs or entry-level systems.
The GPU front is equally demanding. Players will need at minimum an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 or an AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, both of which are mid-to-high tier cards from the previous generation. For recommended settings, the requirements escalate to an Nvidia RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT, paired with at least 12GB of VRAM—substantially higher than the common 8GB standard found in cards like the RTX 3060, which, according to the latest Steam hardware survey, remains the most widely owned GPU among PC gamers today.
To further drive the point home, here’s a breakdown of what Gearbox is officially recommending:
| Spec Type | Minimum | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i7-9700/AMD Ryzen 7 2700X | Intel Core i7-12700/AMD Ryzen 7 5800X |
| Cores | 8 | 8+ |
| GPU | GeForce RTX 2070/Radeon RX 5700 XT | GeForce RTX 3080/Radeon RX 6800 XT |
| VRAM | 8GB | 12+GB |
| Memory | 16GB RAM | 32GB RAM |
| Storage | 100GB | 100GB |
| OS | Windows 10/11 | Windows 10/11 |
Pricing: Not Just a Numbers Game
While the hardware requirements may be the most immediately contentious aspect, it’s the game’s purchasing model that is poised to create the greater uproar. Borderlands 4’s pricing structure, divided into three distinct tiers, has been met with disbelief, even among loyal fans.- Base Game: $69.99 — Standard for AAA launches, but offers only a fraction of the game’s total content.
- Deluxe Edition: $99.99 — Adds the “Bounty Pack” (four new mission areas, unique bosses, vault cards, new weapons, cosmetics, and vehicles) and the Firehawk’s Fury weapon skin.
- Super Deluxe Edition: $129.99 — The only edition to include two new playable Vault Hunters, two new map regions (with story and side missions), and even more exclusive cosmetics and weapons.
By pre-ordering, players receive the “Gilded Glory Pack,” which is limited to a cosmetic Vault Hunter skin, weapon skin, and Echo-4 drone skin. The Bounty Pack, Firehawk’s Fury, Ornate Order Pack, and Vault Hunter Pack break up content further—offering a mix of skins, story packs, maps, and new playable Vault Hunters, but only at higher tier bundles.
The Community Reaction: Frustration, Fatigue, and FOMO
The backlash among core fans has been swift and vocal. On leading gaming forums and social media, the division of map content and crucial characters behind high-priced editions is widely interpreted as a paywall on the essence of the Borderlands experience—a practice commonly derided as “content gating.”A repeated refrain is that story expansions and elaborate cosmetics are often bundled into higher-priced editions, but the withholding of default map areas smacks of “deluxe edition extortion.” This is especially pointed given Borderlands’ history of releasing rich post-launch expansions and side content—previously presented as separate, optional DLC rather than carved out from launch offerings.
Some defenders argue that rising development costs, the expense of pushing graphics fidelity to next-gen levels, and the economics of live-service games justify premium content tiers. Nevertheless, the optics remain poor: with the bar to entry raised by both hardware and price, many day-one fans of the series are left feeling sidelined.
The tension is elevated by the fact that the most visually intensive features—massive environmental upgrades, elaborate new models, and streaming voice content—are part and parcel of what sets Borderlands 4 apart from its predecessors. Yet these very features, intended to make the experience more immersive, remain off-limits for anyone not upgrading both their system and their purchase tier.
Value for Money: A Dispassionate Assessment
Is the Super Deluxe Edition’s $129.99 price point justified by its content? Crunching the numbers suggests that, for “completionists” and diehard fans, the answer may be yes purely in terms of volume: new characters, at least two additional map regions, fresh weapons, and story arcs expand the playable content substantially compared to the base game. However, for gamers accustomed to paying extra for optional add-ons, rather than what many consider “core” content, the outlay feels exploitative.Gearbox counters with the inclusion of four new vehicles and vehicle cosmetics, rare vault cards, and exclusive heads and skins. But it’s telling that these primarily aesthetic enhancements are bundled alongside narrative and gameplay content. Critics suggest this is an attempt to conflate optional cosmetic add-ons with non-negotiable gameplay pieces—a move that muddles the value proposition for consumers.
Statistically, only a minority of players typically invest in top-tier editions of any game. Locking fundamental experiences behind that tier risks fragmenting the player base, potentially depressing community engagement during the post-launch window, when most series rely on lively multiplayer populations.
Technical Challenges and Future-Proofing Claims
Gearbox has stated that, by requiring 8-core processors and high-end GPUs, they are “future proofing” the Borderlands experience and ensuring parity across consoles and PC. Such claims are plausible, as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S both feature 8-core CPUs (based on AMD’s Zen 2 architecture). However, many PC players rightly point out that even three years into the current generation, the adoption rate of true 8-core desktop chips remains relatively low outside of enthusiast and streamer circles.Another stated benefit is improved AI, more dynamic environments, and longer view distances. These require more processing power and memory, but whether the game will actually leverage these specs for experiences beyond what’s possible on lower settings remains to be seen. Previous PC releases of Borderlands have been criticized for less-than-stellar optimization in the past, suggesting that high requirements may not necessarily translate into gameplay breakthroughs.
If optimization is handled poorly, players on systems that just meet minimum specs may nevertheless face stuttering, pop-in, or inconsistent frame rates—further discouraging those already stretching to meet requirements.
Options for the Dispossessed: Cloud Gaming to the Rescue?
For PC users unable or unwilling to upgrade their hardware, Gearbox isn’t entirely without an answer. Borderlands 4 will be available day-one on Steam, Epic Games Store, and “select streaming platforms,” with an explicit nod to Nvidia’s GeForce Now service.This opens up access to players who pay for premium-tier cloud gaming subscriptions, potentially broadening the audience to those with aging PCs or laptops. But performance and latency—particularly in the fast-paced looter-shooter genre—remain hurdles. Cloud gaming isn’t a panacea, but for many, it may prove the most affordable ticket into Pandora’s next spectacle.
The Borderlands Franchise: Tradition of Controversy
Borderlands is no stranger to controversy—from microtransaction debates, “always-online” requirements, and the Epic Games Store exclusivity deal for Borderlands 3, to ongoing debates over the franchise’s tone, humor, and monetization. Borderlands 4’s dual controversies fit this tradition: each new title has arrived with technical leaps, bold artistic shifts, and marketing choices that divided its fanbase.Yet, past experience suggests that controversy alone won’t stop millions from flocking to Pandora anew. The hunger for co-op mayhem and the series’ iconic visual design guarantee strong initial sales. The real question is whether enough players—especially on PC—will be able to join at launch, or if the combination of hardware elitism and aggressive content segmentation will dilute the impact.
Critical Analysis: Strengths and Pitfalls
Strengths:- Ambitious technical standards promise richer, denser worlds and more visually stunning firefights.
- True next-gen parity across console and PC ensures no platform is left with a subpar version.
- Expansive, multi-tier content structure offers massive value for those willing to invest fully.
- Robust cloud gaming and PC storefront support reflects a commitment to platform inclusivity (on paper).
- Exclusionary hardware specs alienate large portions of the PC gaming community.
- Fragmentation of the core game world behind pay tiers undermines the sense of a complete package at baseline prices.
- Risk of player base dilution, with possible negative impacts on multiplayer and endgame longevity.
- Historical precedent: previous Borderlands launches have faced technical hiccups around optimization and connectivity.
- PR backlash and fatigue from aggressive monetization can damage franchise goodwill, even if initial sales remain high.
Conclusion: A Controversial Gamble for the Next Generation
Borderlands 4 looks set to deliver the series’ biggest, boldest adventure yet—assuming your wallet and your hardware are up to the challenge. For some, this aggressive play for the future will mean an even more spectacular loot chase than ever before. For others, it’s a dealbreaker: whether for reasons of outmoded rigs, anger over content segmentation, or simple burn-out from monetization schemes.The core lesson for the wider gaming industry may be this: as technical ambition soars and business models fragment, the definition of what constitutes a “full game” is under more scrutiny than ever. Whether Gearbox’s bet on both high performance and high-priced bundles pays off depends less on headline sales than on the vibrancy and inclusivity of the world it invites players to inhabit. If that world shrinks to only the most privileged, no amount of graphical flair or clever writing will completely fill the void left behind.
For now, Borderlands 4 stands as a bellwether for the incoming tide of gaming’s new business and technical frontiers—one that gamers, and the industry at large, will be watching very closely.
Source: inkl Borderlands 4's smallest controversy is its specs – wait until you hear its biggest
