Does Borderlands 3 Have Ray Tracing? Graphics & Performance Review

Borderlands 3, the chaotic four-player looter shooter from Gearbox Software, remains a visually demanding title even years after its release. Players upgrading their rigs or optimizing settings often ask a specific question about graphical fidelity: does Borderlands 3 have ray tracing?

Ray Tracing in Borderlands 3: The Short Answer

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The direct answer to the core question is yes, Borderlands 3 supports ray tracing, but with critical context. This functionality was not present at launch in 2019; it was added later through a significant technical update. To utilize it, you must be running the game on the specific version designed for modern hardware, which is the version distributed through the Epic Games Store.

The Two Versions: Steam vs. Epic Games Store

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This distinction is the most important detail for players asking about ray tracing. The original version of Borderlands 3 on Steam runs on the Unreal Engine 4 and lacks support for modern rendering features like ray tracing. If you purchased the game on Steam, you will not find ray tracing options in your settings menu, regardless of your GPU power.

Conversely, the version available via the Epic Games Store was built using Unreal Engine 5. This upgrade was essentially a complete remake of the game’s foundation. Because it leverages Unreal Engine 5, this version unlocks a suite of advanced graphical features, with ray tracing being the most prominent one available to players.

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Hardware and Performance Requirements

Enabling ray tracing is a demanding process that shifts a significant portion of the rendering workload to your graphics card. To achieve a stable frame rate with this feature active, you need substantial hardware. Here is a breakdown of the recommended specifications for smooth performance in Borderlands 3 with ray tracing enabled.

Component	Minimum Recommendation	Ideal Recommendation
Graphics Card	RTX 2060 / RX 6700 XT	RTX 3070 / RX 7800 XT
Processor	Intel i5-9600K / Ryzen 5 3600	Intel i7-12700K / Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Memory (RAM)	16 GB DDR4	16 GB or 32 GB DDR5

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Visual Features and Settings

In the Epic Games Store version, ray tracing is not a single on/off switch; it is a collection of visual enhancements that elevate the game’s distinct art style. When activated, you can expect to see the benefits in several specific areas.

Enhanced Shadows:Traditional shadow maps can appear pixelated or disconnected. Ray tracing calculates shadows in a more physically accurate way, resulting in softer edges and more realistic contact shadows that hug the geometry.
Improved Reflections:This is where the effect is most noticeable. Metallic surfaces on weapons, environmental debris, and liquid bodies will reflect the surrounding world dynamically and accurately, rather than relying on blurry cubemap textures.
Better Lighting:Global illumination effects benefit from ray tracing, meaning light bounces more realistically in the environment. This can make bright areas feel more vibrant and shadowed areas more immersive.

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The Performance Trade-Off

While the visual upgrade is tangible, it comes at a cost. Enabling full ray tracing will significantly reduce your frames per second (FPS) compared to running the game with traditional rasterization. Most players will need to adjust other settings to compensate.

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Common strategies to maintain smooth performance include lowering the resolution scale, turning off ambient occlusion, or reducing the number of reflections that use ray tracing. The goal is to find a balance where the visual enhancements are clear, but the gameplay remains fluid and responsive, especially during intense gunfights.

Verdict and Recommendations

So, does Borderlands 3 have ray tracing? Absolutely, but only if you own the Epic Games Store version. If you value visual accuracy and have the hardware to support it, enabling this feature transforms the game into a showcase of modern lighting techniques.

For most players, the best approach is to start with the medium ray tracing settings and adjust from there. Monitor your performance metrics, and do not hesitate to turn off specific effects like reflections if your frame rate drops. The technology is present and effective, but optimizing it is key to enjoying the chaotic beauty of Pandora.