Borderlands 4: How to Get and Use Enhancements
Borderlands 4 introduces a brand-new layer of customization to the looter-shooter formula with the addition of Enhancements. These items allow players to fine-tune their Vault Hunter's kit, empowering builds with stat boosts, weapon synergies, and even bonus abilities. For players looking to maximize efficiency in farming, boss fights, or co-op chaos, learning how to get and use Enhancements in Borderlands 4 is essential.
In this guide, we'll cover everything you need to know: how Enhancements work, where to find them, and the different types of bonuses they can provide.
What Are Enhancements in Borderlands 4?
Enhancements are ability-modifying items that Vault Hunters can equip to adjust or expand their skill sets. Much like how artifacts worked in Borderlands 3, Enhancements in Borderlands 4 act as customizable modifiers, but with far greater depth. They don't just tweak your numbers-they can change how your abilities, weapons, and overall playstyle function.
This means that whether you prefer high DPS gunplay, ability-spam builds, or supportive co-op synergies, Enhancements will let you refine your Vault Hunter exactly the way you want.
How to Get Enhancements in Borderlands 4
Enhancements can be acquired in multiple ways throughout your journey across Pandora and beyond. Like guns and gear, they drop from a variety of sources, making farming a key part of the process. Players who don't want to rely solely on RNG can also use Borderlands 4 Items to unlock upgrades more quickly.
1. World Drops and Loot Chests
Enhancements can drop randomly from defeated enemies, bosses, and world chests. As with Borderlands' signature loot system, the rarity of an Enhancement will directly affect its quality and strength.
2. Quests and Challenges
Certain side quests and progression milestones reward specific Enhancements. These often lean into unique playstyles, giving you specialized modifiers you won't find in regular loot pools.
3. Manufacturers: Daedalus and Hyperion
In Borderlands 4, Enhancements are primarily tied to two manufacturers: Daedalus and Hyperion. Each has its own design philosophy, meaning the same Enhancement type may behave differently depending on its origin.
·Daedalus Enhancements often emphasize energy manipulation, shields, and elemental mastery.
·Hyperion Enhancements lean into precision, crit bonuses, and tactical utility.
Choosing wisely- buying Borderlands 4 Items of a specific manufacturer can unlock insane synergies for your build.
Types of Enhancements in Borderlands 4
Not all Enhancements are created equal. They are subdivided into three main categories, each affecting gameplay differently:
1. Licensed-Part Enhancement
When your equipped Enhancement matches the manufacturer of your weapon, you gain access to Licensed-Part bonuses. These add unique effects to your weaponry, such as explosive reloads, shield-penetrating rounds, or special elemental bursts.
For example, pairing a Hyperion weapon with a Hyperion Licensed-Part Enhancement might improve crit scaling while granting temporary shield boosts after kills.
2. Stat Bonus Enhancement
Stat Enhancements offer direct percentage-based boosts to core gameplay mechanics. These may include:
·Faster reload speed
·Increased accuracy
·Reduced recoil
·Boosted fire rate
·Higher elemental damage
These Enhancements are straightforward but powerful, especially in the early game, where raw efficiency matters more than flashy abilities.
3. Bonus Ability Enhancement
The rarest and most powerful of the bunch, Bonus Ability Enhancements grant entirely new powers. Think of them as mini-skill tree extensions, adding abilities like:
·Deployable drone support
·Temporary invulnerability shields
·Elemental explosions are tied to melee attacks
·Auto-reloading magazines after critical hits
These Enhancements fundamentally change how you approach combat, enabling hybrid playstyles and devastating combos.
How to Use Enhancements in Borderlands 4
Equipping Enhancements in Borderlands 4 is as intuitive as slotting gear. However, the real strategy lies in choosing which ones align with your preferred playstyle.
1. Match to Your Playstyle
·Aggressive players may prefer Bonus Ability Enhancements that trigger extra damage or mobility.
·Precision-focused players might lean on Stat Bonuses that tighten accuracy and increase crit multipliers.
·Experimenters and build-crafters will find joy in Licensed-Part Enhancements, as these enable complex manufacturer synergies.
2. Mind the Rarity Tiers
Like other loot in Borderlands, Enhancements come in multiple rarities: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary. Higher rarity not only improves stats but may also unlock multiple modifiers within a single Enhancement, stacking powerful effects together.
For instance, a Legendary Bonus Ability Enhancement could provide both a damage-boosting drone and an elemental stat buff, effectively giving you two perks in one.
3. Synergize with Your Skill Tree
Borderlands 4 offers a wider skill tree system than ever before. Enhancements allow you to push your Vault Hunter's chosen branch even further. For example:
·A DPS-heavy build can amplify its output with reload and fire rate Enhancements.
·A supportive build can prioritize team-based buffs like shield regeneration or healing effects.
·A mobility-focused build can combine dash or evasion Enhancements with fast-reloading weapon mods.
Why Enhancements Matter for Endgame
In Borderlands 4, Enhancements aren't just an optional feature-they're critical for endgame progression. With more demanding bosses, tougher raid encounters, and expansive co-op content, having the right Enhancement setup can be the difference between victory and repeated wipes.
The endgame grind will likely involve farming high-rarity Enhancements from bosses, raids, or world events, just as players once farmed legendary guns. In this sense, Enhancements represent the next evolution of Borderlands build diversity, giving players even more freedom to experiment.
Final Thoughts
Enhancements are one of the most exciting new systems in Borderlands 4, giving Vault Hunters a fresh way to tailor their abilities and weapons. Whether you're farming for Stat Bonus Enhancements to boost DPS, experimenting with Licensed-Part synergies, or hunting down Bonus Ability Enhancements to unlock entirely new playstyles, these items will play a central role in shaping the meta.
To maximize your potential, farm widely, test combinations, and lean into the manufacturers that best fit your weapons and skill tree. The right Enhancement setup will turn your Vault Hunter into a powerhouse, ensuring you stay ahead in the looter-shooter chaos that defines the Borderlands series.