Remember the launch of Cyberpunk 2077? A game that promised a revolution but delivered… well, something else entirely. While patches and updates have transformed it into one of the best RPGs available today, the initial experience was undeniably rough, especially for PlayStation 4 owners who saw their consoles struggle to render Night City. Now, CD Projekt Red is determined to avoid repeating those mistakes with its next major title: The Witcher 4.
Lessons Learned: A New Approach to Development
Speaking candidly about the Cyberpunk debacle, Michał Nowakowski, co-CEO of CD Projekt Red, explained that the studio’s ambition for the game ultimately led to compromises. “We wanted to push the boundaries of what is doable in terms of cinematic feeling and whatnot [in Cyberpunk 2077], and PC was just the best suited rig for that,” Nowakowski said. This focus on pushing graphical fidelity on PC, coupled with a perhaps overly optimistic belief that scaling down for consoles would be straightforward, proved to be a critical miscalculation.
There’s also an element of what might charitably be described as “wishful thinking” involved. Nowakowski alluded to a bit of luck during development, which may have fostered a false sense of security regarding the game’s overall stability. This ultimately contributed to the disastrous launch on consoles.
The Witcher 4: A Promise of Smooth Performance
With the harsh lessons of Cyberpunk firmly etched in their minds, CD Projekt Red is adopting a more cautious and meticulous approach to The Witcher 4. “For example, technically, we should hit, let’s say, 10 checkmarks,” Nowakowski explained. “Back in the past, if we missed one or two, we were like, ‘we’re gonna catch up with that later on.’ Sometimes we did, but sometimes we didn’t, and then two milestones or three milestones down the road, you have like four or five missing checkmarks and it’s not that easy.”
The new strategy emphasizes achieving parity across all target platforms from the outset. “You come to the studio, you launch Witcher 4 right now. You can launch it on PC. You can launch it on PS5. You can launch it on Xbox Series X, and it’s going to run,” Nowakowski stated with a clear emphasis on stability and performance. While “it’s going to run” might seem like a low bar given the past, it represents a significant shift in priorities for CD Projekt Red.
The Witcher 4 is still in early development, and an official release date remains firmly under wraps. However, with this renewed focus on cross-platform optimization, fans can at least hope that Ciri’s next adventure will be a smoother experience for everyone. The Witcher 4: What we know about Ciri’s story. For those looking to dive deeper into the world of The Witcher, Witcher 3 mods: Good hunting. If you’re new to the franchise, The Witcher books: Where to start. And for players already familiar with The Witcher 3, Witcher 3 console commands: Cheat death.
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