New Borderlands 4 update brings stability improvements "for a wide range of PCs"

A new Borderlands 4 update today offers developer Gearbox's first salvo at tackling the performance complaints for the PC version of its long-awaited looter shooter. If you've been playing as much as I have, you've likely encountered texture pop-in, lag, frame rate drops, crashes, or other issues. This BL4 patch is the first post-launch attempt to solve those problems, and while it's unlikely everything will be ironed out immediately, it feels like a step in the right direction for me. Alongside this, Gearbox has also added two more free skins to its release-weekend rewards.

It'll take some time and further updates for Borderlands 4 to recover from the negative reviews it picked up in the first couple of days. The user average has climbed up slightly to 66% positive since launch, but there's a little further to go if it's to escape the dreaded 'mixed' Steam rating. I hope it gets there; taking those troubles out of the equation, Borderlands 4 is definitely ranking as one of the best FPS games in a while for my personal tastes, surfacing feelings for the series I've not felt in earnest since the first two entries.

"Today, we're releasing a new update to help improve stability for a wide range of PCs," Gearbox writes. I managed to get it downloaded and do some testing across a few Borderlands 4 missions and a bit of open-world exploration, and I will say that my early impressions were a more consistent 50-60 fps compared to the drops into the 30s and 40s I was seeing previously. That said, with just half an hour or so of play since the patch, I wouldn't want to offer too definitive a conclusion, and it's still not at the level it needs to be.

Gearbox also reminds players that "any time you change any of your graphics settings, your shaders will need to be recompiled; it may take up to 15 minutes for this process to fully complete." Shader compiling is certainly nothing new, and although this particular requirement does make it awkward to test adjustments, I did notice a difference after giving it the extra time suggested. Gearbox says it's "continuing to read your feedback, planning additional updates, and will have more details to come."

While the developer doesn't provide full patch notes beyond the promise of improved stability, it does include two guides with charts to optimize your setup for both Nvidia and AMD. This should help you squeeze the most out of the game, whether you're running the best graphics card in 2025 or something a little older. You'll also want to make sure you've updated to your GPU manufacturer's most recent drivers, and we've got some additional fixes if your Borderlands 4 settings fail to save.

There are also an additional two skins for the Break Free pack, which will be provided via Borderlands 4 Shift codes based on the combined carnage caused by players over the opening weekend. The latest offerings are the 'Break Free' and 'Knox' looks for drone companion Echo-4, and you can see them above. These join the current loadout of styles for the four leading Borderlands 4 characters and the 'Firebreak' legendary Ripper Shield.

If you're yet to get started, be sure to study the Borderlands 4 system requirements carefully first. For those already out there blasting, here's how Borderlands 4 enhancements work and the best ones to pick.

Has this latest patch made a notable difference for you, or is your rig still struggling? Let us know how you're getting on in the PCGamesN community Discord server, and feel free to share your favorite Vault Hunter and loadout while you're there.