The Witcher 4 already runs on all target platforms – CD Projekt Red not taking any chances after Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red says its upcoming game, The Witcher 4, is already running on all its intended platforms early in development, a deliberate change in approach after the troubled launch of Cyberpunk 2077. Co-CEO Michal Nowakowski told Game Developer that the studio can currently launch the game on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X at will, rather than leaving performance optimisation until late in the process as is common industry practice. The shift matters because Cyberpunk 2077's simultaneous release across two console generations and PC proved disastrous, with the game nearly unplayable on PS4 and Xbox One and beset by problems even on newer consoles, prompting Sony to temporarily pull it from the PlayStation Store.
Nowakowski explained that CDPR previously assumed a game built for the best PC visuals could simply be "toned down" for consoles, a belief carried over from The Witcher 3 that ultimately let it down with Cyberpunk 2077, even though the studio "got a bit lucky" in places. The studio has also refined how it tracks development milestones internally, aiming to address platform-specific issues as they arise rather than letting problems accumulate. The Witcher 4 is targeting a 2028 release across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, giving CDPR time to apply these lessons before launch.
- The Witcher 4 already runs on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X
- CDPR is avoiding Cyberpunk 2077's late-stage optimisation mistakes
- The Witcher 4 targets a 2028 release across all platforms
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CD Projekt Red, the Polish studio behind The Witcher series, is developing The Witcher 4, the next instalment in its fantasy role-playing game franchise. The studio's previous release, Cyberpunk 2077, launched in 2020 in a badly broken state on older PlayStation and Xbox consoles, leading to widespread refunds, a temporary removal from the PlayStation Store, and lasting reputational damage.
That experience is now shaping how CDPR approaches its next big project. The company has said it wants to avoid repeating the same mistakes, particularly around how well a game performs on consoles versus PC, and around leaving technical problems until too late in development to fix properly.
The Witcher 4 is due out in 2028 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. How CDPR handles development this time matters both for players hoping for a smoother launch and for the studio itself, which is working to rebuild trust after Cyberpunk 2077's rocky debut.
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