Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford has addressed the ongoing debate surrounding Borderlands 4’s hardware requirements, stressing that the new entry was designed for modern platforms and cannot run on older systems such as the PlayStation 4. His remarks come amid widespread discussion about the game’s performance on PC, where players with mid-range setups have reported struggling to balance framerate, resolution, and visual fidelity.
Speaking on Twitter/X, Pitchford emphasized that Borderlands 4 was built to push current-generation hardware, particularly with Unreal Engine 5’s capabilities. “Borderlands 4 is a premium game made for premium gamers,” he wrote, noting that while consoles offer a uniform experience, PC players face the challenge of widely varied configurations. He likened running the game on outdated systems to “trying to drive a monster truck with a leaf blower’s motor,” arguing that players with three-to-four-year-old hardware can still achieve solid performance if they adjust settings. Pitchford encouraged users to experiment with toggles such as hardware ray tracing and to consider lowering resolution to 1440p rather than insisting on 4K at ultra settings.
The CEO also took a defensive stance when challenged about reliance on upscaling and performance optimization. Responding sarcastically to one critic, he suggested that anyone dissatisfied with current approaches to graphics rendering should attempt to code their own engine. Despite this bluntness, he reassured fans that Gearbox is actively monitoring telemetry data to refine optimization tools and will continue offering guidance on how to get the best results across different PC setups.
This is not the first time Pitchford has made bold public remarks about Borderlands 4. Prior to launch, he challenged the community to stress-test the game’s servers by attempting to overwhelm its backend systems. At the time, he declared it “very unlikely” that players could bring the game down, reflecting his confidence in the infrastructure supporting its online play.
Borderlands 4 released on September 12, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with a Nintendo Switch 2 version scheduled for October 3.
