Borderlands 4 has suffered a little controversy since it launched, but has otherwise weathered much of its initial criticism and came out on top. While fans have justified complaints, the game has proven to be a success in many other respects, from its refresh of the game’s tone to its vastly improved gameplay. Suffice it to say, if you enjoy the Borderlands series or are just looking for a solid FPS, it is a strong offering.
However, what is particularly interesting is Borderlands 4’s performance controversies. The game has been review bombed on platforms such as Steam due to poor performance, and Randy Pitchford’s comments on the matter have only added fuel to the fire. More importantly, Borderlands 4’s performance woes have proven almost indisputably that the PS5 Pro may be one of the most pointless and criminally underutilized consoles in existence.
Borderlands 4 Runs Poorly On The PS5 Pro
It Has A Major Memory Leak Issue
Fans have realized that Borderlands 4 runs terribly on the PlayStation 5 Pro, the console designed to run any game without compromise. It turns out there’s a serious memory leak issue that sees frames drop drastically the longer you play it for. This is the same issue that plagued Oblivion Remastered on the PS5 Pro and, rather infamously, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet at launch.
It is a frustrating technical issue that has few fixes outside an official patch, especially for a game like Borderlands 4 that’s designed to be played over long sessions. Gearbox has provided workarounds for Borderlands 4’s technical problems, but this remains a major issue for many players. The only real solution is to quit the game and restart, but that only serves to break immersion and ruin your flow. Frankly, all of this really highlights not just a major issue with Borderlands 4’s optimization, but the PS5 Pro as a whole.
The PS5 Pro Hasn’t Proven Its Worth Yet
No Games Really Stand Out On The PS5 Pro
The PS5 Pro has many problems, but by far its biggest is its value proposition. It costs $200 more than the base PS5 model – disc version – which is a significant chunk of change, especially as that difference could also get you a Switch or Xbox Series S. The major issue with that is the PS5 Pro doesn’t really offer you $200 more than what the base PS5 does.
Unlike the New 3DS, the PS5 Pro doesn’t have exclusive games that utilize its improved performance and specs. Its versions of games are often still riddled with compromises, despite the promise being that you wouldn’t have to choose between a performance or quality mode. Frankly, there’s no reason to buy a PS5 Pro over the base PS5 unless you’re desperate to occasionally get more frames.
The PS5 Pro was always going to be a niche console, so it isn’t like its expensive price tag is hurting the general consumer. Additionally, a handful of games have found success on it. However, Borderlands 4 running poorly on the PS5, as well as Oblivion Remastered before it, and several more before that, just prove that Sony hasn’t quite found a purpose for it yet. If the PS5 Pro can’t run Borderlands 4, then one must wonder why you should bother getting one at all, especially when the base PS5 offers a largely comparable experience.
- Released
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September 12, 2025
- ESRB
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Rating Pending
- Publisher(s)
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2K
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
