Borderlands 4 might be playable on handhelds, but don’t expect it to hit 60 FPS without a fight. The MSI Claw 8 AI, powered by AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip, performs better than the Steam Deck, but not without limits.

MSI Claw 8 AI shows decent gains in Borderlands 4 performance

In a recent test by YouTuber ETA PRIME, the MSI Claw 8 AI outpaced Valve’s Steam Deck while running Gearbox’s latest looter shooter. Equipped with the more powerful Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU, the Claw 8 AI manages smoother gameplay at comparable settings, though a steady 60 FPS still remains out of reach.

Initial testing at 1080p on medium settings with FSR Balanced and a 35 W TDP delivered around 30 FPS, sometimes dipping lower even with no combat on screen. That performance suggests heavier scenes will hit the frame rate harder.

MSI Claw 8 AI can’t consistently lock 60 FPS in Borderlands 4

Lowering resolution helped, but not enough to lock gameplay at 60 FPS. At 1600×900 on medium settings, performance climbed above 30 FPS. Enabling frame generation got closer to 50 FPS. Yet, even dropping to 700p or 800p on low was required to approach that elusive 60 FPS mark.

ETA PRIME also tested an 18 W power profile, which surprisingly didn’t change much. Low settings, FSR Balanced, and frame generation produced similar results, with slight dips still interrupting smoother play.

Here’s how Borderlands 4 performed on MSI Claw 8 AI:

• 1080p, Medium, 35 W TDP: ~30 FPS, frequent drops
• 900p, Medium: Slightly smoother, still under 60
• 900p, Low + Frame Gen: Averages near 50 FPS
• 700–800p, Low: Closest to consistent 60 FPS
• 18 W TDP: Minor difference vs. 35 W, but playable

Steam Deck lags behind in Borderlands 4 testing

The Steam Deck fared worse. At 800p with FSR set to Performance, the game dipped into the 18–22 FPS range, with frame generation unable to rescue it. Overclocking the GPU to 1600 MHz brought averages close to 40 FPS, but input lag and heavy stutter made gameplay feel frustrating and unresponsive.

Borderlands 4 clearly isn’t built with handhelds in mind. Even the stronger MSI Claw 8 AI can’t fully stabilize the experience without dropping visuals or pushing aggressive upscaling.

MSI Claw 8 AI offers more headroom, but optimizations are still needed

In the end, it proves more capable than the Steam Deck, especially when running at lower resolutions and optimized settings. Its Ryzen Z2 Extreme APU and larger 80 Wh battery give it the edge, but neither device can truly master Borderlands 4 in its current state.

Until Gearbox rolls out performance updates, handheld players may have to settle for a compromise.