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In September 2025, Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford responded to complaints about Borderlands 4’s PC performance by arguing that the game was built for newer hardware and suggesting dissatisfied players request Steam refunds. His “premium gamers” description was his defense of the game—not a neutral guarantee that PCs meeting its requirements would run it smoothly.
What did Randy Pitchford say about Borderlands 4’s PC performance?
As reported on September 15, 2025, Pitchford was answering criticism of the game’s PC performance. PC Gamer quoted him describing Borderlands 4 as a “premium game made for premium gamers” and saying it could not be expected to run on “too-old PC hardware,” comparing that expectation to trying to use a weak engine in a monster truck. He also advised players who could not get acceptable performance—or did not want to adjust settings—to use Steam’s refund feature. PC Gamer’s September 15, 2025 report and contemporaneous coverage from Notebookcheck described the remarks as a response to performance backlash.
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The comments do not establish that every performance complaint came from an underpowered PC. Notebookcheck summarized reports of problems on powerful systems as well. The remarks were Pitchford’s position in that exchange, not a diagnosis of individual players’ hardware or a promise about how the game would perform on a particular setup.
What are the Borderlands 4 PC requirements?
Steam’s listing, accessed October 8, 2026, sets out minimum and recommended specifications. The minimum listing also calls for an eight-core CPU, 8 GB of VRAM and an SSD; the recommended listing specifies an SSD but does not give a separate VRAM figure. Check Steam’s current system requirements before buying, since store information can change.
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| Specification | Minimum | Recommended |
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| CPU | Intel Core i7-9700 or AMD Ryzen 7 2700X; eight CPU cores required | Intel Core i7-12700 or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X |
| Memory | 16 GB RAM | 32 GB RAM |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT or Intel Arc A580; 8 GB VRAM required | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT or Intel Arc B580 |
| Storage | 100 GB available; SSD required | 100 GB available; SSD required |
These are component requirements, not a specified resolution or frame-rate guarantee. A PC that matches the recommended parts may still produce a different experience depending on settings and the rest of its configuration.
Can my PC run Borderlands 4?
Compare your processor, graphics card, memory and storage with the Steam listing above. The minimum tier is the listed entry point; the recommended tier is a higher target configuration, not proof that every system at that level will deliver a particular frame rate. Neither list alone answers whether you will find the result acceptable.
Settings and rendering features can affect performance. PC Gamer’s September 2025 report described its own testing, including higher performance with DLSS Performance than native rendering on an RTX 5090-based setup, while noting hitches. In additional testing on an RTX 5070 Ti, the publication reported higher frame rates with DLSS and multi-frame generation. Those observations reflect PC Gamer’s hardware, settings and test period; they are not a survey of players or a current retest, and they do not predict results on every PC. Read PC Gamer’s account of the exchange and its testing.
Does Borderlands 4 run well on an RTX 5090?
The available report does not support a universal yes or no. PC Gamer said its RTX 5090-based system performed substantially better with DLSS Performance enabled than with native rendering, but it also noted hitches. That is one publication’s reported test, not evidence that every RTX 5090 setup—or every setting combination—will behave the same way.
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Can I get a Steam refund if Borderlands 4 runs badly?
Steam’s general refund guidance recognizes that a PC failing to meet a game’s hardware requirements may be a reason to request a refund. It does not promise that a request based on poor performance will be accepted, and Pitchford’s suggestion does not replace Steam’s review process. For the current rules and guidance for your purchase, consult Steam’s refund policy and contact Steam Support.
What do Steam’s reviews say?
In a Steam listing snapshot accessed October 8, 2026, 60% of 44,305 English-language reviews were positive, and 50% of 1,552 recent reviews were positive. These are changing platform figures, not performance measurements; check the live listing for current counts. View the Steam listing.
Steam lists Gearbox Software as the developer, 2K as the publisher and September 11, 2025 as the release date. The Pitchford exchange followed four days later, on September 15. Steam’s listing provides the release and store details.
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