Borderlands 4's smallest controversy is its specs – wait until you hear its biggest

Borderlands 4 won't be released until September, but we've got additional details on the game that might immediately raise your eyebrows.

Steam has published new information on Borderlands 4 ahead of its launch on September 12, including pricing and hardware specs.

And I have some thoughts.

Between steep hardware requirements to play it and an expensive deluxe edition, I've got to wonder what Borderlands 4 developer Gearbox was thinking. However, this is far from Gearbox's first controversy with its flagship loot-shooter.

But before I get too salty about these new details, let's break things down.

'Borderlands 4' hardware requirements

One of the more interesting and infuriating aspects of Gearbox's upcoming Borderlands sequel is the hardware requirements.

While Gearbox and its parent company 2K have optimized the game for older hardware going back to Intel's 9th-gen and AMD's Ryzen 2000 series, gamers on more budget-friendly 6-core CPUs will have problems. Borderlands 4 appears to require an 8-core CPU at minimum -- you're out of luck if you're running an Intel Core i5 or Ryzen 5 CPU.

The GPU specs are also on the high-end, requiring an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070, with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 recommended. On the AMD side, Gearbox requires at least a Radeon RX 5700 XT, with a Radeon RX 6800 XT recommended. Borderlands 4 requires at least 8 GB of VRAM for graphics, with 12+ GB recommended.

Currently, the most popular gaming GPU on the Steam hardware survey is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 with 8 GB of VRAM, which puts most gamers out of range for Borderlands 4's recommended specs.

The hardware specs for Borderlands 4 are:

'Borderlands 4' price tags

Assuming your gaming rig can even play Borderlands 4, you've got three purchase tiers to buy the game.

The base game alone is $69.99, which is about average for a game these days. But if you want to upgrade to the Deluxe or Super Deluxe editions, it will cost you.

The Borderlands 4 Deluxe Edition includes the base game, the Bounty Pack bundle, and Firehawk's Fury and costs $99.99.

Upgrading to the Super Deluxe Edition costs $129.99 and gets you the base game, Bounty Pack Bundle, Firehawk's Fury, Vault Hunter Pack, and Ornate Order Pack.

Pre-ordering Borderlands 4 gets you the Gilded Glory Pack for free. The Gilded Glory Pack includes a Vault Hunter skin, a weapon skin, and an Echo-4 drone skin. So it's just a free cosmetics pack.

The Bounty Pack includes four unique areas with new missions and unique bosses, plus 4 vault cards with unique challenges, new gear, new weapons, new Vault Hunter cosmetics, and four new vehicles and vehicle cosmetics.

Firehawk's Fury is just a special weapon skin.

The Ornate Order Pack includes 4 Vault Hunter skins, 4 Vault Hunter heads, and 4 Vault Hunter bodies to customize your character with additional glamour options.

Finally, the Vault Hunter Pack includes two new playable Vault Hunters, two new Story packs with new story and side missions, two new map regions, new gear and weapons, new Vault Hunter cosmetics, and Echo-4 drone cosmetics.

So, if you want all the Borderlands 4 content, including all playable missions and maps, you need to buy the Super Deluxe Edition for $129.

Outlook

As long as you meet the minimum hardware requirements, you'll be able to start shooting and looting in just about two months. If your gaming rig doesn't meet the minimum hardware specs, you've got two months to save up for a new gaming laptop or PC overhaul.

Alternatively, you could always opt to play Borderlands 4 through GeForce Now, assuming you pay for the higher-tier streaming rigs.

Borderlands 4 arrives on September 12, 2025, for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. The base game retails for $69.99, while the Deluxe Edition retails for $99.99, and the Super Deluxe Edition will set fans back a hefty $129.99.

But as noted above, if you want access to all of the missions and maps, you need to shell out for the Super Deluxe Edition. The Deluxe Edition locks you out of 2 map areas, while the base game is short six maps.

PC players can snag Borderlands 4 through Steam or the Epic Games Store.

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