Borderlands 4’s PC system requirements are out, and they raise the bar for midrange rigs: Gearbox and 2K list an RTX 2070 or RX 5700 XT as the minimum GPU, an Intel Core i7-9700 or Ryzen 7 2700X CPU, 16 GB of RAM as the baseline, and a 100 GB SSD install, while the recommended spec jumps to an RTX 3080 / RX 6800 XT and 32 GB of RAM — a clear signal that this entry expects modern hardware or smart use of GPU upscaling to get the best experience. (support.borderlands.com)
Borderlands 4 is Gearbox’s next mainline looter‑shooter, arriving on PC and consoles with a launch date of September 12, 2025. The game promises the series’ signature cel‑shaded, high‑loot loop while adding new vault hunters, expanded movement options, and updated systems — but it also ships with much higher PC hardware demands than many players expected, particularly around CPU core counts, VRAM and a large SSD footprint.
This article breaks down the published requirements, explains what they mean in practical terms for different PC classes, evaluates the trade‑offs and upgrade paths, and flags the key technical caveats every Windows PC player should know before pre‑ordering or upgrading.
Windows Central’s analysis highlights this exact consequence: recent hardware surveys show a significant portion of Steam users run CPUs with six or fewer cores — meaning a nontrivial share of players will need a CPU upgrade simply to run the game at minimum settings. Plan accordingly if your system is 3–5 years old.
For players on GTX‑class or older AMD Polaris cards, expect to either hit severe texture downscaling or fall back to very low visual settings — the experience will be materially different from Borderlands 3 on the same hardware. (gamingbolt.com)
Why this matters:
Background
Borderlands 4 is Gearbox’s next mainline looter‑shooter, arriving on PC and consoles with a launch date of September 12, 2025. The game promises the series’ signature cel‑shaded, high‑loot loop while adding new vault hunters, expanded movement options, and updated systems — but it also ships with much higher PC hardware demands than many players expected, particularly around CPU core counts, VRAM and a large SSD footprint.This article breaks down the published requirements, explains what they mean in practical terms for different PC classes, evaluates the trade‑offs and upgrade paths, and flags the key technical caveats every Windows PC player should know before pre‑ordering or upgrading.
Official system requirements: the numbers
Below is a condensed, verified presentation of Gearbox’s published PC requirements as shown on the official Steam product page and the Borderlands support documentation.Minimum (what Gearbox lists as the lowest supported configuration)
- OS: Windows 10 / Windows 11 (64‑bit).
- CPU: Intel Core i7‑9700 or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X — 8 cores required.
- Memory: 16 GB RAM.
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT (minimum 8 GB VRAM).
- DirectX: Version 12.
- Storage: 100 GB available space (SSD required). (store.steampowered.com)
Recommended (what Gearbox suggests for a comfortable play experience)
- OS: Windows 10 / Windows 11 (64‑bit).
- CPU: Intel Core i7‑12700 or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X — eight or more cores recommended.
- Memory: 32 GB RAM.
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT (12+ GB VRAM recommended).
- DirectX: Version 12.
- Storage: 100 GB available space (SSD required). (gamingbolt.com)
What the specs actually imply — practical interpretation
1. Why the CPU core count matters
Gearbox’s minimum CPU entries specify chips with eight physical cores (for example, the i7‑9700 or Ryzen 7 2700X). That requirement reflects modern game engines’ use of parallelized streaming, physics, AI and background tasks. Requiring eight cores at the minimum is an unusual but deliberate gating decision that effectively excludes many 6‑core systems common in budget and midrange PCs. In short: an older quad‑core or 6‑core CPU that otherwise “feels fast” may still fail to meet the minimum runtime expectations. (windowscentral.com)Windows Central’s analysis highlights this exact consequence: recent hardware surveys show a significant portion of Steam users run CPUs with six or fewer cores — meaning a nontrivial share of players will need a CPU upgrade simply to run the game at minimum settings. Plan accordingly if your system is 3–5 years old.
2. VRAM and GPU class
The minimum GPU entries (RTX 2070 / RX 5700 XT) place the threshold at roughly the high‑midrange class from the previous GPU generation. Gearbox also calls out 8 GB VRAM as the minimum and 12+ GB for the recommended tier, which means texture settings, resolution and ray‑trace style effects will be constrained on cards with less VRAM.For players on GTX‑class or older AMD Polaris cards, expect to either hit severe texture downscaling or fall back to very low visual settings — the experience will be materially different from Borderlands 3 on the same hardware. (gamingbolt.com)
3. Memory (RAM) — 16 GB is minimum, 32 GB recommended
Setting 16 GB as the minimum reflects the modern AAA baseline; recommending 32 GB points to large asset streaming, higher fidelity world data, and room for background apps (streaming, capture, voice). If you multitask (web browser + streaming + capture) while gaming, 32 GB becomes more than a comfort feature — it reduces paging and stutters during heavy scenes. (store.steampowered.com)4. Storage — 100 GB and SSD requirement
Gearbox requires 100 GB of available space and explicitly states SSD as required. That is consistent with large open‑world or heavily streamed titles where disk performance directly impacts streaming, level transitions and hitching. Players should reserve extra headroom: expect day‑one patches, optional DLC, and Windows swap files to push real usage beyond the headline figure. A practical recommendation is to free at least 140–160 GB on the drive you plan to install the game on.5. What the “minimum” actually targets (resolution / framerate)
Gearbox’s published system requirements do not always include explicit resolution and frame‑rate targets the way some studios do (e.g., “1080p/30 Low”). That means the minimum list is a hardware baseline rather than a guaranteed visual/framerate envelope. Early reporting and practical testing from preview outlets suggest the minimum tier aims for playable 1080p experiences, while the recommended tier targets better fidelity and frame rates at 1440p or higher — but final performance will depend on game settings, driver maturity and whether upscaling/frame generation is used. Treat the published minimum as the lowest supported hardware rather than a fixed performance promise. (gamingbolt.com)Upscaling, DLSS 4 and frame generation — the performance equalizer
One major mitigation for the heavy requirements is that Borderlands 4 launches with first‑class support for modern upscaling/frame‑generation tech. NVIDIA, Gearbox and the Borderlands marketing materials confirm support for DLSS 4 with Multi Frame Generation — a significant performance lever for RTX 40/50‑series owners that can multiply frame rates and reduce native GPU load — and NVIDIA is bundling Borderlands 4 with selected RTX 50‑series GPUs as part of a promotional package. (borderlands.2k.com)Why this matters:
- DLSS 4’s multi‑frame generation can dramatically increase perceived performance, especially at high resolutions.
- Players with RTX 50‑series hardware may see the biggest real‑world gains, while owners of prior generations will still benefit from more traditional upscalers (if supported) or driver optimizations.
- Relying on upscalers is a trade‑off: image fidelity, latency and motion artifacts vary by algorithm and quality preset; some players prefer native rendering while others prioritize stable frame rates. (tomsguide.com)
Cross‑referencing the claims: verification summary
The key technical claims in Gearbox’s system requirements have been cross‑checked against multiple independent sources:- The Steam product page reproduces the minimum and recommended tables (i7‑9700 / i7‑12700, RTX 2070 / RTX 3080, 16 GB → 32 GB RAM, 100 GB SSD).
- Gearbox’s official support documentation lists the same CPU, GPU, RAM and storage numbers and explicitly highlights the 8‑core minimum and VRAM thresholds.
- Major outlets (PC Gamer, Windows Central, GamingBolt, GameSpot) reported on and analyzed the store/support entries, calling attention to the unusual requirement of eight cores at the minimum and the practical impact on the Steam user base. (gamingbolt.com, store.steampowered.com, blogs.nvidia.com, blogs.nvidia.com, store.steampowered.com, blogs.nvidia.com, store.steampowered.com, support.borderlands.com, support.borderlands.com, blogs.nvidia.com)
Conclusion: the mayhem on Kairos will be worth the effort for many, but for Windows PC players, getting Borderlands 4 to sing means making smart hardware choices now — or relying on upscalers and careful settings to bridge the gap until an upgrade is possible.
Source: Turtle Beach https://www.turtlebeach.com/blog/blog/borderlands-4-system-requirements-minimum-recommended-and-more/
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