Borderlands 3 cover art
2019

Borderlands 3

Performance overview

Borderlands 3 delivers a substantial generational jump on PS5 compared to PS4 Pro. While PS4 Pro struggled to maintain 30fps at 1800p and had unstable frame rates in its performance mode, PS5 provides a crisp 4K 60fps Resolution Mode and a high-refresh 1080p 120Hz Performance Mode. Resolution Mode is the recommended experience, featuring improved shadow quality and foliage density over last-gen while maintaining a mostly solid 60fps, barring drops during heavy alpha effects. The 120Hz mode offers lower latency but drops to 80fps during intense combat, compounded by PS5's lack of system-level VRR support at launch.

Graphics modes on PlayStation 5

79
Good
Editorial summary

PS5 provides a major upgrade over last-gen with enhanced foliage, shadows, and significantly faster load times. The 4K60 Resolution Mode offers the best balance, maintaining near-4K image quality with minor drops to the 50s during heavy action, while the 120Hz mode suffers from frame drops down to 80fps in intense scenes.

Resolution Mode

PS5
Recommended
Target FPS
60
Typical FPS
50–60
Output
4K
Internal
2016p–2160p

Runs at native 4K with dynamic resolution scaling dropping to 2016p minimum. Features superior foliage density, dynamic shadows, and shadow draw distance compared to PS4 Pro.

Performance Mode

PS5
Target FPS
120
Typical FPS
80–120
Output
1080p
Internal
810p–1080p
120 Hz

Targets native 1080p output with dynamic resolution scaling reaching as low as 1440x810 in cutscenes.

Graphics modes on PlayStation 4 Pro

71
Good
Editorial summary

PS4 Pro offers two visual modes but struggles to maintain stability in either. The default resolution mode renders at 1800p with frequent frame rate dips below 30fps, while the performance mode is highly unstable.

Default Mode

PS4 Pro
Target FPS
30
Typical FPS
Output
1800p
Internal

Renders at a default 1800p target resolution.

Performance Mode

PS4 Pro
Recommended by PSFoundry — best balance of image quality and frame rate
Recommended
Target FPS
60
Typical FPS
Output
1080p
Internal
1080p–1080p

Graphics modes on PlayStation 4

58
Below average
Editorial summary

Base PS4 acts as the primary target platform, maintaining a mostly solid 30fps at 1080p with proper frame pacing. While visual trade-offs include aggressive texture streaming pop-in and rough close-up texture work, gameplay performance is noticeably more consistent than on PS4 Pro.

Standard Mode

PS4
Recommended
Target FPS
30
Typical FPS
30
Output
1080p
Internal

Outputs at 1080p resolution. Exhibits aggressive pop-in and texture streaming issues.

Known issues

Cutscenes locked to 30fps
minor

Cutscenes remain capped at 30fps across all modes rather than matching gameplay frame rates.

Status: ActiveType: performancePlatform: PS5
Framerate instability in heavy combat and alpha-heavy scenes
moderate

Lavish alpha transparencies and intense vehicle combat on Promethea cause drops into the 50s in Resolution Mode and down to 80fps in Performance Mode.

Status: ActiveType: performancePlatform: PS5
Severe Frame Drops in Resolution Mode
moderate

Resolution mode fails to maintain its 30fps target, frequently dropping into the mid-20s and as low as 20fps during combat encounters.

Status: ActiveType: performancePlatform: PS4 Pro
Severe UI and menu latency
moderate

Menu navigation experiences substantial input delay, taking up to half a second to switch options or swap weapons due to lower CPU clock speeds.

Status: ActiveType: performancePlatform: PS4
Unstable Framerate in Performance Mode
moderate

Performance mode fails to sustain its 60fps target outside of traversal, experiencing substantial frame drops during action scenarios.

Status: ActiveType: performancePlatform: PS4 Pro

Video analysis

Independent technical videos referenced in our analysis.

Borderlands 3 Tech Analysis: PS4 Pro vs Xbox One X ...
YouTube
YouTube

Borderlands 3 Tech Analysis: PS4 Pro vs Xbox One X Graphics Comparison! · Comments.

Borderlands 3 PC: The Best Settings For 'Bang For the Buck ...
YouTube
YouTube

I think in general the settings menu is really good the only problem is kind of scalability you you about four to five key settings that you'll want to change.

Borderlands 4 on Xbox Series S is better in 1 way vs. Series X ...
YouTube
YouTube

Let's compare Borderlands 4 on Xbox Series S versus Series X versus the base PS5 versus PS5 Pro.

Borderlands 3 - PS5 Performance vs Resolution graphics ...
YouTube
YouTube

Howdy! I was messing around with graphics settings in Borderlands 3, specifically Performance and Resolution mode.

Borderlands 3 PS5 vs Xbox Series X: 4K60 and 120fps Modes ...
YouTube
YouTube

Everything there is to know about Borderlands 3's new PS5 and Xbox Series X support. Hitting 4K and 60 frames per second is the priority for ...

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands: PS5 vs Xbox Series X/S Tested - A ...
YouTube
YouTube

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands: PS5 vs Xbox Series X/S Tested - A Tech Evolution Over Borderlands 3? @DigitalFoundry4.6K likes167K views4 years ago

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Frequently asked

Answers built from the verified data on this page.

What frame rate does Borderlands 3 run at on PS5?

On PS5, Borderlands 3 offers 2 graphics modes: Resolution Mode targets 60 FPS at 4K; Performance Mode targets 120 FPS at 1080p.

Does Borderlands 3 support 120 Hz on PlayStation?

Yes. Performance Mode on PS5 runs with 120 Hz output on a compatible display.

What is the PSFoundry Performance Score of Borderlands 3?

Borderlands 3 scores 79/100 on PS5. The Performance Score measures technical performance only — frame rate, image quality, graphics modes, visual features, responsiveness, loading and stability — not how good the game is.

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