Borderlands 4 – How to Enable DLSS 4, NVIDIA GPU, and Optimize G-SYNC

Borderlands 4 is a visually stunning but graphically demanding game, and to get the absolute best performance on PC, you’ll want to go beyond the standard in-game menus. For NVIDIA users, a suite of powerful technologies like DLSS, Frame Generation, and G-SYNC can transform your gameplay experience, but unlocking their full potential requires some specific configuration.

Even more excitingly, the talented modding community has already found ways to enable Frame Generation on officially unsupported hardware, including the popular RTX 20 and 30 series GPUs.

This advanced guide will walk you through everything you need to know to unlock the full potential of your NVIDIA hardware in Borderlands 4. We’ll cover how to force the latest and greatest version of DLSS, how to enable Frame Generation on both supported and unsupported GPUs using community mods, and how to perfectly configure G-SYNC for the smoothest, most responsive gameplay imaginable.

Disclaimer: This guide involves using third-party mods and editing game files. These mods are widely used in the community, but you should always proceed at your own risk. Be sure to back up any files before modifying them.

Section 1: The Foundation – Essential Windows and Driver Setup

Before diving into mods or specific settings, it’s crucial to ensure your system is properly configured to support these advanced features.

Windows Graphics Settings

These Windows settings are a prerequisite for Frame Generation and G-SYNC to function correctly.

1. Press the Windows key and search for “Graphics settings.”
2. In this menu, ensure the following three options are enabled:
   • Hardware-accelerated GPU scheduling (HAGS): This is mandatory for Frame Generation.
   • Variable refresh rate: This is required for G-SYNC.
   • Optimizations for windowed games: This improves latency and performance for games not running in exclusive fullscreen.

NVIDIA DLSS Override: Get the Latest Version

Borderlands 4 ships with DLSS 4, but NVIDIA is constantly updating the core files to improve image quality and performance. You can use the NVIDIA App to ensure your game is always using the absolute latest version.

1. Open the NVIDIA App (or GeForce Experience).
2. Navigate to the Graphics tab on the left.
3. Under Global Settings, find the setting DLSS Override – Model Presets and change it to Latest.
4. For good measure, you can also go to Program Settings, select Borderlands 4, and ensure the same setting is applied specifically for the game.

This will force the game to use the newest DLSS files provided by your driver, which can often result in better image quality and fewer visual artifacts than the version the game launched with.

Section 2: Frame Generation – A Guide for Every NVIDIA GPU

Frame Generation is a technology that inserts AI-generated frames between traditionally rendered ones, dramatically boosting your frame rate. While officially limited to the RTX 40 series and newer, mods now allow older cards to get in on the action.

For RTX 40-Series and Newer (Official Support)

If you own an RTX 40-series GPU or newer, the process is simple:

1. Ensure HAGS is enabled in Windows (as described in Section 1).
2. Launch Borderlands 4, go to the Advanced Graphics Settings, and simply toggle Frame Generation to ON.

For RTX 20/30 & GTX 10/16 Series (Unofficial FSR 3 Method)

For older cards, we can use a brilliant mod that replaces NVIDIA’s Frame Generation calls with AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution 3 (FSR 3) Frame Generation, which works on a wider range of hardware.

1. Download the dlssg-to-fsr3 mod from a trusted source like NexusMods.
2. Unzip the downloaded file. You will see two key files: dlssg_to_fsr3_amd_is_better.dll and version.dll.
3. Copy these two files.
4. Navigate to your Borderlands 4 installation directory. The typical path for Steam is: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Borderlands 4\OakGame\Binaries\Win64
5. Paste the two copied files directly into this Win64 folder alongside the game’s main executable.
6. Launch the game, go to the graphics settings, and enable the Frame Generation toggle. You are now using DLSS Super Resolution for upscaling combined with FSR 3’s Frame Generation.

The High-Quality Alternative: XeSS Frame Generation with OptiScaler

For users who want potentially better image quality with fewer artifacts than the FSR 3 mod, a more advanced tool called OptiScaler can be used to inject Intel’s XeSS Frame Generation (XeFG).

1. Download the latest version of OptiScaler.
2. Unzip the file. You will find a collection of files, including OptiScaler.dll and OptiScaler.ini.
3. Copy all the extracted files and paste them into your Borderlands 4 Win64 folder (the same location as the previous mod).
4. In the game folder, find the file you just pasted, OptiScaler.dll, and rename it to dxgi.dll. This allows the mod to hook into the game.
5. Launch the game. You should now be able to press the “Insert” key on your keyboard to open the OptiScaler in-game menu.
6. In the OptiScaler menu, navigate to the Frame Generation section.
7. Set FG Source to “DLSSG via Streamline” and FG Output to “XeFG.”
8. Click “Save INI” at the bottom and restart your game.
9. Once back in the game, go to the in-game settings and enable both DLSS and Frame Generation.
10. Press “Insert” again to open the OptiScaler menu and ensure that XeSS Frame Generation is now set to active.

Pro Tip: It is highly recommended to have a stable baseline of at least 60 FPS before enabling any form of Frame Generation, as it works best when it has a high base frame rate to draw from.

Section 3: The Ultimate Smoothness – Perfecting Your G-SYNC Setup

For a tear-free, ultra-responsive experience, correctly configuring G-SYNC is essential. The modern best practice for G-SYNC is as follows:

1. Enable G-SYNC: Open the NVIDIA Control Panel, go to “Set up G-SYNC,” and enable it for both windowed and full-screen mode.
2. Configure Global Settings: In the Control Panel, go to “Manage 3D Settings.” Set the following under the Global tab:
   • Vertical Sync: On. When G-SYNC is active, this does not introduce traditional V-Sync input lag. Instead, it acts as a backstop to prevent tearing if your FPS ever exceeds your monitor’s refresh rate.
   • Low Latency Mode: Ultra.
   • Max Frame Rate: Set this to 3-6 FPS below your monitor’s maximum refresh rate (e.g., set it to 138 for a 144Hz monitor). This is the crucial step that keeps you within the G-SYNC range and prevents the latency penalties of V-Sync from ever engaging.
3. In-Game Settings: Launch Borderlands 4 and ensure that V-Sync is set to OFF in the game’s own graphics menu.

This combination of settings (G-SYNC On, V-Sync On in Panel, V-Sync Off in Game, FPS Cap) is the community-accepted method for achieving the smoothest, lowest-latency G-SYNC experience.

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