Borderlands (and Borderlands 4) Motion Sickness: Why It Happens & What Helps
Borderlands has generated the same complaint for over a decade: a narrow fixed view on console, weapon sway and head bob with no toggle, and vehicle sections that bounce. Borderlands 4 launched in September 2025 without a console FOV slider and brought the whole argument back. Gearbox added one in the patch on September 25, 2025.
PC, PlayStation, Xbox · first-person · Partial settings · Player-reported motion-sickness risk: one of the most commonly reported triggers in gaming.
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
Risk levels summarise what passengers and riders commonly report, not measured testing.
Key facts
- Borderlands (and Borderlands 4) runs on PC, PlayStation, Xbox.
- The camera is first-person.
- Player reports place it in the high band for motion sickness.
- The game ships some comfort settings, but not a full set.
- It sits at number 7 in our ranking of the 20 games players report most for motion sickness.
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Why Borderlands (and Borderlands 4) can trigger motion sickness
The series-long trigger is field of view. PC versions have exposed an FOV slider since Borderlands 2, and Borderlands 4 on PC reaches 110 for both the on-foot and vehicle cameras, but console players spent years locked to a narrow default that makes the tunnel-vision effect worse. On top of that sit prominent weapon sway, head bob while running and an FOV change when you sprint, a stack that a dedicated Borderlands 2 mod exists purely to remove. Add the vehicle sections, where the suspension throws the camera around, and the commonly reported result is a car-sick feeling inside a short session. As of August 2026, Borderlands 4 has a console FOV slider from the September 25, 2025 patch, with Gearbox noting that a higher FOV can cost performance on console.
- Narrow fixed field of view on the older console versions
- Weapon sway and head bob while running, with no toggle
- The FOV change when you start sprinting
- Vehicle sections with bouncing suspension
Comfort settings in Borderlands (and Borderlands 4)
Borderlands (and Borderlands 4) ships some comfort settings, but not a full set.
The FOV fix depends on which Borderlands and which platform. PC has had a slider since Borderlands 2. Borderlands 4 got one on console in the September 25, 2025 patch. The older games on console have no slider and no comfort menu, so there the answer is pacing, sitting further back and off-screen help.
| Setting | Where | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Field of view (PC) | Options > Video | Raise it. Borderlands 4 on PC reaches 110 for the on-foot and vehicle cameras |
| Field of view (console, Borderlands 4) | Options > Video, added in the September 25, 2025 patch | Raise it in steps. Gearbox notes a higher FOV can cost performance on console |
| Head bob and sprint FOV mod (Borderlands 2, PC) | Nexus Mods | Disables head bobbing and the sprint FOV change on the older game, where no setting exists |
| Driving | Not a game setting | Ride as the gunner in co-op, or break after long driving stretches |
Set up before your next session with Borderlands (and Borderlands 4)
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What helps beyond the settings
- Change FOV first where your version has it, then judge whether anything else is needed
- Break after driving sections rather than pushing straight into the next area
- Cap graphics settings for a stable frame rate. Stutter makes the mismatch worse
- A drug-free sound-therapy app like Dizzout is designed to help once symptoms start, through the headphones you already have on
The fixes people reach for once they step away from the screen are covered separately, with the trials attached: the remedy verdicts.
Frequently asked questions
Why does Borderlands make me motion sick?
A narrow field of view is the long-running culprit, and on the older console versions there is no slider to widen it. Weapon sway, head bob while running and the sprint FOV change add to it, and the vehicle sections bounce the camera hard. Players commonly report a car-sick feeling inside a short session.
Does Borderlands 4 have an FOV slider on console?
Yes, since the patch on September 25, 2025. It was missing at the September 2025 launch, which is what set off the complaint wave. On PC the slider was there from the start and reaches 110 for the on-foot and vehicle cameras. Gearbox noted that a higher FOV can cost performance on console, so raise it in steps.
What helps in the older Borderlands games on console?
There is no FOV slider and no comfort menu, so the levers are off-screen: sit further from the screen, keep sessions short, break after driving sections, and stop at the first queasy signal. On PC the same games take a mod that removes head bobbing and the sprint FOV change.
Other game motion-sickness guides
Sources & further reading
- https://www.gamespew.com/2025/09/borderlands-4-fov-sliders/
- https://kotaku.com/borderlands-4-fov-slider-consoles-ps5-update-pc-crashing-patch-performance-2000628823
- https://www.gamespot.com/articles/borderlands-4-patch-notes-add-fov-slider-on-console-stability-and-performance-improvements-and-more/1100-6535022/
- https://www.nexusmods.com/borderlands2/mods/313
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Based on publicly reported player experiences and each game's documented settings, as of July 2026. Settings menus change with updates, so check your version. Game names are trademarks of their respective owners; Dizzout is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Motion-sickness sensitivity varies by person, so this is informational, not a game review or a substitute for a doctor's advice.