Golden Keys in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel serve as a vital resource for players looking to upgrade their arsenal quickly. These special keys allow vault hunters to open the iconic Mysterious Chest in Concordia for high-rarity loot scaled to their current character level. Understanding how to acquire and save these keys can give you a significant advantage as you fight across Elpis.
What Are Golden Keys in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel?
Golden Keys are a special currency in the game that cannot be earned through standard enemy drops or quest rewards. Instead, they are primarily redeemed using SHiFT codes provided by Gearbox Software. Opening the Golden Chest consumes one key and guarantees purple-tier or legendary-equivalent equipment.
Because the gear generated from the chest scales directly to your active level, opening it at higher levels yields much stronger rewards. Players often save a portion of their keys until reaching difficult story bosses or endgame challenges. This ensures you always have access to powerful weapons when normal drops fall short.
How to Redeem SHiFT Codes for Golden Keys
To acquire Golden Keys, players must first set up a SHiFT account through Gearbox Software and link it to their gaming platform. SHiFT codes are regularly released via official social media channels, community events, and special promotional announcements. Once you obtain a code, it can be redeemed directly in the game's main menu or via the web portal.
After redeeming a code, head to the SHiFT kiosk located in the hub city of Concordia. Accessing the kiosk transfers the keys directly to your inventory profile. From there, you can step over to the Golden Chest and spend your keys whenever you need a gear boost.
Locating and Using the Golden Chest in Concordia
The Golden Chest in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is conveniently located in the center of Concordia near the town plaza. Approaching the chest displays your current key count alongside a prompt to unlock it. Each opening uses a single Golden Key and immediately grants random high-quality items.
The loot pool includes powerful shotguns, pistols, shields, and grenade mods tailored to aid your journey. While the items are random, their quality is consistently high, making the chest ideal for filling gaps in your loadout. It is best to avoid spending all your keys early on so you retain options for late-game content.
Best Strategies for Saving and Spending Keys
Smart inventory management is key to getting the most value from your Golden Keys. Using one or two keys when hitting a difficult level curve can help you overcome tough enemy encounters without grinding. However, burning through dozens of keys at low levels often leads to quickly outgrowing the gear you received.
Consider holding the majority of your keys for TVHM (True Vault Hunter Mode) or UVHM (Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode). At these higher difficulty settings, having instant access to level-appropriate gear makes progression much smoother. Planning your key usage carefully ensures you stay competitive against the toughest threats on Elpis.
