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Here is everything you need to know about the best upscaler for Borderlands 4 that provides the best image quality.
After the September 13 update, things improved quite significantly. Still, to get good performance, you should use upscaling. This guide compares the Balanced preset across all available upscalers and highlights the fundamental differences you should look out for. The featured image above represents full resolution with DLAA, and the image quality is the best you can get.
Note: The tests were performed using the Borderlands 4 build ID 19969485, which points towards the September 13 version. The test configuration comprises an RTX 4070 Ti and an Intel Core i5-13600K. The test area is Fishin’ Spot right next to the Coastal Bonescape. OBS is used to capture screenshots, so that the highest quality is retained.
Read More: Borderlands 4 September 13 Update: Performance Overview and Expectations
DLSS 4: Image Overview
Looking closely at distant foliage and tree branches, DLSS maintains clear definition, particularly around the edges of the trees and rocks in the background. There is some minor shimmering, particularly on the edges of leaves and foliage, but it is significantly less than any other upscaler. The gun model in the foreground remains crystal clear; you can easily read the text on the weapon.
The water reflections are mostly intact, with just a slight softness at the transition between water and the land. The overall image is temporally stable, meaning it holds together well during motion, and appears highly plausible. The clouds at the top also appear correctly, and there is less ghosting involved within the image.
XeSS: Image Overview
Although on non-Intel-based GPUs, the algorithm falls back to DP4A, the image quality is largely identical to what we are representing. That said, there are noticeable differences. The edges, particularly at the twigs, are slightly softer when compared to DLSS; the details on the distant rocks and trees are a bit blurred out. The text on the gun could have been sharper.
Minor artifacts and shimmering are visible across the scene, particularly on distant tree branches, the gun’s iron sights, and even faintly in the clouds. Water reflections are accurate, but sharpness and contrast suffer when the character is in motion.
FSR: Image Overview
Surprisingly, this is one of the better FSR implementations within AAA games. The environment and the color reproduction are nicely reconstructed, but certain elements have issues. The distant tree branches and foliage appear softer in contrast to DLSS and XeSS.
The leaves appear less distinct, especially against the sky. Small texture details in rocks and ground foliage show minor blurring, and high-contrast edges exhibit noticeable shimmering and artifacts. The gun looks clean, and the text is readable, but thin outlines, such as iron sights, are less sharp. The sky and clouds appear correctly in static motion, but character movement introduces ghosting.
TSR: Image Overview
TSR is Unreal Engine’s native upscaler, and it also uses a similar approach to FSR in reconstructing the image. Overall, the image is neck and neck with FSR, but it also has issues. The distant tree trunks have a good overall structure, but they appear soft. Only DLSS does an accurate job in reconstructing distant trees. Geometric edges on foliage are appropriately handled, but they may appear fused or smooth, especially when night falls or during dusk.
TSR handles cloud rendering better than FSR, with no noticeable ghosting or breakup around motion. The gradients within the sky also remain artifact-free. The significant tradeoff TSR introduces is a slight shimmering within the foliage, especially as it increases when you are moving.
Verdict
DLSS has the upper hand in image reconstruction and provides the best image quality, but suffers from minor shimmering, particularly on the edges of leaves and foliage. XeSS does great in representing good color and stable clouds, and retains reasonable sharpness. However, the edges are slightly softer and the distant objects appear blurrier.
FSR has strong color vibrancy and is good in motion, but the trees and edge details shimmer in motion. TSR is neck and neck with FSR, but has lower motion issues and artifacting. But foliage quality takes a hit with TSR. If you are confused about which one to use on your system, check our ‘Should You Use DLSS/XeSS/FSR?’ article for more clarity.
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