The Witcher 4 may still be some time away from release, but the game is already running internally on PlayStation 5. CD Projekt RED is testing its upcoming RPG across all target platforms throughout development—a strategy shaped by one of the biggest lessons learned from Cyberpunk 2077’s troubled console launch.
CD Projekt RED doesn’t want to repeat one of the biggest mistakes made during the development of Cyberpunk 2077 with The Witcher 4.
Co-CEO Michał Nowakowski explained in a new interview that the next Witcher game is already playable across its different target platforms.
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According to Nowakowski, someone walking into the studio today could launch The Witcher 4 on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X.
That may sound like an obvious part of modern game development, but for CD Projekt, it represents a fundamental change in how the studio approaches its projects.
Cyberpunk 2077 was developed too heavily around PC
According to Nowakowski, development of Cyberpunk 2077 followed a very different approach.
The studio initially focused heavily on achieving the best possible visual results on PC. The resulting game then had to be adapted to work properly on consoles.
Looking back, CD Projekt considers that approach a mistake.
The original console versions of Cyberpunk 2077 suffered from significant technical problems at launch. The situation became so serious that Sony temporarily removed the game from the PlayStation Store.
With The Witcher 4, CD Projekt wants to make sure that doesn’t happen again.
The PS5 version is already being tested during development
The studio’s new principle is relatively straightforward:
Every major development milestone needs to work across all intended platforms.
If, for example, a new feature works perfectly on PC but causes technical problems on PS5, the team wants to address that issue immediately rather than leaving console optimization until much later in production.
The console versions are therefore no longer being treated as adaptations of an almost-complete PC build toward the end of development.
For PlayStation players in particular, that’s encouraging news.
Cyberpunk 2077 demonstrated just how serious the consequences can be when actual console hardware isn’t sufficiently accounted for throughout large parts of development.
More than 500 developers are working on The Witcher 4
Resources shouldn’t be a major issue for the project either.
CD Projekt recently confirmed that more than 500 developers are now working on The Witcher 4.
The studio describes the RPG as one of its most ambitious projects to date, with plans for a large open world, action-focused combat, and an extensive story centered around Ciri.
There’s also now a clearer window for when players might finally get their hands on it.
CD Projekt RED is currently targeting 2028, although an exact release date has yet to be announced.
The Cyberpunk launch still influences CD Projekt today
Perhaps the most notable part of all this is how openly CD Projekt now discusses the mistakes surrounding Cyberpunk 2077.
After numerous updates and the Phantom Liberty expansion, Cyberpunk 2077 was dramatically improved both technically and in terms of gameplay. But those improvements can’t erase what happened at launch.
With The Witcher 4, the studio appears determined to prevent history from repeating itself—and it’s making those changes years before the game is expected to arrive.
The fact that the PS5 version is already being developed and tested alongside the other versions obviously doesn’t guarantee a flawless launch.
What it does show is that CD Projekt has apparently incorporated one of the most important lessons from Cyberpunk 2077 directly into its development process.
There’s still plenty of time for further optimization before 2028.
And after the Cyberpunk 2077 launch disaster, CD Projekt will likely be paying very close attention to the condition The Witcher 4 is in when it finally arrives on PlayStation 5.
What do you think? Has CD Projekt earned back your trust after Cyberpunk 2077, or are you still cautious about The Witcher 4? Let us know in the comments.
Source: Game Developer / CD Projekt RED
