PC gamers are raising alarms about how game performance is being marketed, with Borderlands 4 becoming the latest flashpoint in a growing controversy. Players claim that developers and GPU manufacturers are presenting artificially enhanced frame rates as standard performance, making it difficult to know what games actually run like without technological tricks.
The issue centers on two technologies: upscaling and frame generation. These features can dramatically boost frame rates, but players argue they’re being used to hide poor native performance rather than enhance already solid gameplay.
With Borderlands 4, players report the game struggles to maintain 60 frames per second on current consoles and requires upscaling technologies like DLSS or FSR to hit acceptable frame rates on PC. Some users found these features enabled by default when first launching the game, forcing them to manually disable the settings to see actual performance.
Upscaling works by rendering games at lower resolutions and using AI to reconstruct the image at your display resolution. While this can double or triple frame rates, it’s not the same as native rendering. Frame generation goes further, creating entirely artificial frames between real ones to inflate FPS numbers even more.
The controversy intensified when marketing materials began highlighting “4x frame generation” numbers, showing games running at 150+ FPS when most of those frames are artificially created. As one player put it, showing your new $1,500 GPU has only 7% more actual performance doesn’t look as impressive as claiming massive FPS gains through generated frames.
Frame generation comes with significant downsides when used incorrectly. Using it to boost 30 FPS to 60 FPS creates noticeable input lag and visual artifacts, making games feel less responsive despite higher frame counters. Most experts recommend having at least 60 native FPS before enabling frame generation.
The confusion extends to technical features as well. Borderlands 4 uses Unreal Engine 5’s Lumen lighting system, which provides advanced global illumination through ray tracing. However, this demanding feature often requires upscaling to maintain playable frame rates, creating a cycle where enhanced technologies become necessary rather than optional.
This isn’t just about Borderlands 4. The trend has been building across the industry, with recent GPU launches emphasizing AI features over raw performance gains. Consoles have normalized sub-native rendering for years, using various reconstruction methods since the PlayStation 4 Pro era.
Time for some honest numbers
Players are demanding standardized disclosure in system requirements. They want to see native performance baselines at defined settings and resolutions, with separate listings for upscaling modes and frame generation. The goal is simple: Let consumers know what they’re actually buying before they spend hundreds on new hardware.
This debate shows a fundamental shift in how games achieve their visual targets. As rendering becomes more demanding with advanced lighting and effects, upscaling has transformed from an optional boost to an assumed part of the pipeline. Whether the industry will embrace transparency or keep muddying the difference between real and enhanced performance remains to be seen.
