I’ve put over 300 hours into Borderlands 3 PlayStation 4 since it launched, and I still find new little tricks that make runs way smoother every month. If you’re just jumping into the chaotic looter-shooter for the first time on PS4, or coming back after a break to catch up on DLC content, you’re probably wondering how to cut through the noise of thousands of weapon drops and messy skill trees to have the most fun possible. This guide pulls together all the tips I’ve picked up from endless co-op runs and solo playthroughs to help you skip the frustration and get straight to the good stuff: rare loot, hilarious side missions, and beating even the hardest bosses without dying 10 times in a row.
Key Borderlands 3 PlayStation 4 Performance Settings to Adjust First
Before you even start your first playthrough, take 2 minutes to tweak a few settings that will make your entire experience far more enjoyable, no matter if you’re on a base PS4 or PS4 Pro. I used to play with motion blur on for the first 10 hours of my playthrough, and I couldn’t figure out why I was getting headaches after every session – turning it off fixed that immediately. Performance mode is always the better pick for PS4 Pro users – you drop a tiny bit of visual sharpness, but the consistent 60fps during large fights with tons of enemies makes dodging attacks and aiming far easier.
You should also turn on the “loot beam” setting in the accessibility menu, so rare and legendary drops glow from across the map, so you won’t miss them in the chaos of a fight. I also recommend adjusting the controller deadzone if your aim feels floaty – I set mine to 12% for both sticks, and it made a huge difference in my hit rate with sniper rifles and fast-firing SMGs. You can test different deadzone levels in the shooting range onboard Sanctuary until you find a setting that feels right for your playstyle.
Best Early-Game Builds for New PS4 Players
If you’re just starting out, don’t overcomplicate your skill tree right away. Each character has a low-effort build that works perfectly for the first 20 levels before you start specializing for endgame content. You don’t need to follow a strict meta build to have fun, but picking a focused skill path early will stop you from wasting skill points on abilities you never use. Moze’s splash damage build is the most forgiving for new players – put all your early skill points into the Demolition Woman tree, and you’ll be able to clear entire rooms of enemies with a single rocket launcher shot without worrying about taking too much damage yourself.
For players who prefer close-quarters combat, Zane’s hit-and-run build with the barrier and drone skills works great, you can stay mobile while the drone picks off enemies for you. If you’re playing co-op, Amara’s elemental brawler build makes you the perfect frontline fighter, you can stun entire groups of enemies for your teammates to wipe out quickly. Fl4k’s pet build is also a great pick for solo players, as your pet will draw enemy fire away from you while you focus on landing shots from a distance.
Top Legendary Farm Spots That Work Perfectly on PS4
You don’t have to wait until endgame to start farming good legendaries, there are several spots that work even at level 15 to get weapons that will carry you through most of the main story. I’ve tested every popular farm spot on both base PS4 and PS4 Pro, and these are the only ones that have consistent drop rates without long load times or annoying glitches. All of these spots have been tested repeatedly on PS4, with no exploits or glitches required, so you don’t have to worry about getting banned or breaking your save file.
One thing to note for PS4 users: if you’re playing solo, turn off network connection before you start farming, it stops the game from trying to connect to co-op lobbies in the background, which cuts down on load times between runs by almost 30%. That’s a little trick I picked up after getting frustrated with long wait times between Graveward runs last year.
PS4 Co-op Tips to Make Runs Smoother for Your Whole Team
Borderlands 3 is way more fun with friends, but there are a few PS4-specific quirks you should know about before you invite your squad to play. First, always set your loot mode to "group" instead of "free for all" if you’re playing with friends you trust, that way everyone gets a separate set of drops, so no one has to fight over a legendary that drops. If you’re playing with randoms, set it to "loot instanced" to avoid arguments over rare items.
If you’re the host of the co-op lobby, make sure you have a stable internet connection, because the PS4 version of the game is very sensitive to host lag – if your internet cuts out for even a second, the entire lobby will crash, and you’ll lose all progress from your current run. You can also adjust your crossplay settings to turn off cross-platform play if you’re running into lag with players on other systems, since PS4 to PS4 connections are almost always more stable. Another tip: if you’re playing split-screen co-op on the same PS4, switch to performance mode even if you’re on a base model, it cuts down on frame drops when there are a lot of enemies on screen for both players. Split-screen players also don’t have to worry about loot rules, since each player gets their own separate drops automatically.
At the end of the day, Borderlands 3 PlayStation 4 is still one of the most fun looter-shooters you can play on the console, even years after its initial launch. Don’t get too caught up in min-maxing every part of your build or farming for perfect legendaries right away – the best part of the game is the messy, chaotic fights and stupidly funny side missions that you stumble across as you explore. If you test out the settings, builds, and farm spots we listed above, you’ll have a way smoother experience, and you’ll be able to enjoy all the game has to offer without the annoying little frustrations that turn new players away. Next time you boot up your PS4 to jump into Pandora, give these tips a try, you might be surprised how much of a difference they make.