As part of its latest financial reporting, CD Projket Red has re-confirmed its plans to launch "next-gen" console updates for Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3 in 2022. Optimised and enhanced for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. Perhaps the bigger news is that the studio has a dedicated team working on a major expansion for the game.

As per the video below, CDPR's Piotr Nielubowicz says, "We're hard at work on next-gen versions of Cyberpunk and The Witcher 3, with both games expected to ship next year. With each passing month we're also expanding teams responsible for developing a major expansion for Cyberpunk, as well as other unannounced projects."



This is great news for fans of the game, no doubt an in-depth expansion ala The Witcher 3's Blood & Wine would be awesome for Cyberpunk -- especially if it arrives after the next major update for the game. It's expected that alongside the next-gen upgrade the game will receive another massive update in terms of bug fixes and even a bit of free DLC.

Recently we got official word from CD Projekt Red that the planned next-gen update for Cyberpunk 2077 had been pushed back to 2022. With the company updating the roadmap for the game via the official site to reflect that, it now looks like there won't be any updates to the game until early next year.

Which is a little disappointing because we don't really know what the "next-gen console update" for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X will feature. Will it simply be the existing game running smoother on more powerful hardware? Or will it see the arrival of substantial overhauls or missing features?


And as we're getting close to the one year anniversary for the release of the game this new roadmap kind of makes it look like there won't be any new info for a while. Here we see Q1 2022 as the time for updates, improvements, and free DLC. All of this is fine, taking the time to get it right is definitely the right move for Cyberpunk 2077 -- we just hope CDPR takes the time to properly outline its plans for the game as it hits that one year milestone.

Optimised for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, CD Projekt Red is currently doing just that for both Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. With the former's launch being something of a cautionary tale when it comes to releasing a game when it's not ready, no doubt there are many waiting on the next-gen version before jumping in.

In the case of The Witcher 3, it's more like being able to console Geralt in 4K 60fps in one of the all-time great RPGs. Both next-gen updates were slated for release this year, with CDPR taking to social media to confirm the delay.

IMPORTANT PRODUCTION UPDATE pic.twitter.com/KOnaIVOt4v

— CD PROJEKT RED (@CDPROJEKTRED) October 20, 2021

As per above Cyberpunk 2077's update is now due in the Q1 of 2022, with The Witcher 3 to follow in Q2 2022. Cyberpunk's major update, 1.3, arrived in August with some DLC -- so we may not see 1.4 until Q1 2022. Assuming this is the 1.4 Update. There's a lot of hope for CDPR to make meaningful changes to the game, more so than a simple boost in performance. Taking the time to get it right is good, as it could very well act like a second launch for the game.

Cyberpunk 2077 is getting its next major patch soon, Patch 1.3, and it's another big one -- with seemingly countless bug fixes and updates looking to improve the experience for all players. In addition to improved performance for "last generation consoles and lower performance machines" this new update also introduces the very first bits of DLC to Night City.

Which are cosmetic in nature.

Johnny Silverhand's Alternative Appearance – can be enabled in Settings in the "Additional Content" tab.

Multilayered Syn-Leather Deltajock Jacket, Luminescent Punk Jacket - both available in the stash in V's apartment after receiving a message from Viktor after completing The Ride. They're of Rare/Iconic quality by default, Crafting Specs to craft a higher quality will also be unlocked.

Archer Quartz "Bandit" - available as a reward or for purchase (depending on choices made by player) after completing Ghost Town and then receiving a message from Dakota or Rogue. If you haven't received the message, make sure to be in the Badlands area and move further away from Dakota's workshop. Dakota will also need a couple of days to contact you.

Elsewhere the update makes improvements in the form of a zoomed out mini-map, the ability craft in bulk, respec Perk points, and more.

Improved the minimap's zoom level when driving, so that it's more zoomed out and easier to navigate.

Automatic Love - screen with pictures of Skye and Angel will be displayed substantially longer, making it easier to choose between the two.

Added a button which allows to reallocate the distribution of Perk points on a character's skill tree.

Increased the number of slots for autosaves from 10 to 20 and for quick saves from 3 to 10 across all platforms.

Added Database links to Journal entries.

Added an accessibility option for center of screen dot overlay which helps with reducing/avoiding motion sickness. It can be enabled in Settings → Interface → Center of screen dot overlay.

Fixers will now message V to offer a car for purchase less often.

Improved the Screen Space Reflections effect so that it looks less grainy on consoles and on lower visual settings qualities on the PC .

Added a filter for quest items in the Backpack.

Quest item tags from miscellaneous Job items will now be removed after finishing associated quests, allowing to sell or drop them.

It is now possible to rotate V in the Inventory with a mouse.

Players will now properly be able to craft a quickhack even if they once crafted it and then got rid of it.

Added a comparison tooltip for cyberware.

Improved a notification when buying cyberware and not meeting the level requirements to equip it.

It's now possible to upgrade crafting components in bulk.

Added new sleeping spots for Nibbles in V's apartment.

Icon on a disposal crate will now turn red when player picks up a body instead of being grayed out.

Landmine icon will now be grayed out after disarming it.

It's now possible to use an elevator while carrying a body.

Happy Together - Barry now has an updated, more unique appearance.

Base item will now be highlighted green like other components if it's present in the Inventory when crafting the same item of a better quality.

In addition to the above there are hundreds more balance changes and updates to quests, which you can find in the full patch notes here. Although NPC and enemy AI hasn't been completely overhauled as of yet, things like "NPCs will no longer react by crouching to every gunshot" and "Traffic vehicles will now honk after hitting V" are a step in the right direction.

In terms of the future, odds are that the next major patch for Cyberpunk 2077 will be the big next-gen update for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. Here's hoping that one also arrives with more fixes - but also more substantial overhauls to the open world side of the game.

Things have been a little quiet on the Cyberpunk 2077 front, especially when it comes to updates, DLC, expansions, and the upcoming next-gen update for PS5 and Xbox Series X. The last big update, Patch 1.2, arrived in the tail end of March 2021 -- and now several months later we're getting our first look at Patch 1.3. And it's good stuff, but not all that game-changing.

As part of an in-universe Patch 1.3 Development Insight update, which takes on the form N54 News report, the big changes are related to Quality of Life things. Stuff that you'd think wouldn't have been all that hard to implement.



First up the mini-map is finally getting the "zoomed out" treatment so you can see upcoming GPS twists and turns. “With the new minimap system software update you are able to see more and navigate better," says Andrzej, a Programmer at CDPR. A welcome update, but also one that feels overdue.

Elsewhere a Quest update to how you choose the right person to "speak" to at the VIP “Dollhouse” is coming, which makes things clearer. Finally, perhaps the most handy update is the ability to easily respec Perks. “For our players, this feature will mean safer experimentation with builds. It is easily accessible and affordable for everyone, so there is no need to hesitate while investing in particular perks,” says Katarína, Gameplay Designer at CDPR.

But, being a major Patch there will be more on the table with CD Projekt Red hosting stream via Twitch later tonight at around 2am AEST to talk about what's in store and potentially reveal what the first bits of DLC will entail. Based on the slow roll-out of updates odds are there will be a substantial Patch arriving in time with the next-gen update to the game -- which would make a lot of sense. Have new content and reworked systems launching alongside the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions.

That said, arriving almost three months after Patch 1.2 (which was pretty hefty in the bug-fix department) and a couple of hot-fixes it's a little disappointing. No doubt this new Patch has something to do with Cyberpunk 2077 returning to the PlayStation Store -- but it doesn't drop any clues or hints as to any meaningful changes to the game currently in development.

Even simple things like being able to try on clothes before you buy them, or change your appearance via a visit to a Ripper Doc are still MIA. As is the long-overdue overhaul to the policing system and the concept of a for reals GTA-style sandbox to play in. On that front the police now spawn further out instead of right next to the player, which is better but it brings into question CD Projekt Red's commitment to substantial post-launch support and improving the underlying AI.

Okay, so it's not all doom and gloom. We're still of the opinion that there's a great game inside Cyberpunk 2077, especially when played on PC. The planned next-gen PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X update has us excited, and with the last roadmap CDPR putting out outlining that DLC is still on the way, perhaps we'll see more then and the game will get a reboot of sorts when those versions arrive.

Head Here For the Full Patch 1.23 Notes for Cyberpunk 2077, which is now live on PC and Consoles.

With the missing-in-action-digital PlayStation version of CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 returning to the PlayStation Store on June 21. This news arrives six months after the game was pulled from sale by Sony, which goes to show you just how bad the base PlayStation 4 version of the game was. In fact, things aren't exactly perfect even now -- simply good enough to go back on sale.

In a statement made to Polygon, a Sony representative said, "Users will continue to experience performance issues with the PS4 edition while CD Projekt Red continues to improve stability across all platforms. [Sony Interactive Entertainment] recommends playing the title on PS4 Pro or PS5 for the best experience."

So yeah, the more power you throw at it the better. Which is why when we reviewed the game on PC -- we did so using the most ideal setup possible. And didn't experience severe performance issues or regular crashes.

The game was pulled from digital sale on December 17 and since then it has received a number of patches improving stability and performance on all platforms -- in addition to fixing a stack of bugs and glitches. March's Patch 1.2 made close to 500 changes.

Recently Cyberpunk 2077 got a major update, with Patch 1.2 fixing and improving around 500 elements of the game -- and with the new Hotfix 1.22 CD Projekt Red is addressing some of the feedback with another (albeit smaller) batch of improvements.

Which are as follows:

Quests & Open World

• The Metro: Memorial Park dataterm should now properly count towards the Frequent Flyer achievement.
  
• Fixed glitches in Johnny's appearance occurring after buying the Nomad car from Lana.
  
• Fixed an issue in Gig: Until Death Do Us Part where it was not possible to use the elevator.
  
• Fixed an issue in Epistrophy where the player could get trapped in the garage if they didn't follow the drone and ran into the control room instead.
  
• Added a retrofix for the issue we fixed in 1.21, where Takemura could get stuck in Japantown Docks in Down on the Street - for players who already experienced it before update 1.21 and continued playing until 1.22, Takemura will now teleport to Wakako's parlor.
  
• Fixed an issue preventing the player from opening the phone in the apartment at the beginning of New Dawn Fades.
  
• Fixed an issue where the player could become unable to use weapons and consumables after interacting with a maintenance panel in Riders on the Storm.

Visual

• Fixed various issues related to clipping in NPCs' clothes.

UI

• Fixed an issue where subtitles were not properly aligned in the Arabic language version.

Stability and performance

• Various memory management improvements (reducing the number of crashes), and other optimizations.
  
• Improved GPU performance of skinning and cloth rendering.

Console-specific

• GPU and ESRAM optimizations and improvements on Xbox One.
  
• Memory management improvements on PlayStation 5.

Stadia-specific

• It's no longer possible to get soft locked in the key bindings menu if a keyboard is not available

As per above it's good to see that the Xbox One version got some optimisations as at launch it was clearly the platform that struggled the most. Plus, improvements to NPC clipping.

There's no denying that the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 was a bit of a mess in terms of the state of the game -- but for CD Projekt Red the financial success is undeniable. As part of a new financial report for the studio comes word that the game sold over 13.7 million copies last year, most of which were on PC.

And Google Stadia, which gets lumped into that bracket. With 56% going to PC/Stadia, 28% on PlayStation 4, and 17% on Xbox One. 73% of all sales were digital too meaning the game's removal from the PlayStation Store shortly after launch has impacted the overall numbers.


As per the detailed financial report 4% of the total sales happened locally, with Aussies snapping up over 400,000 copies of the game. With the PC version generally viewed as the ideal way to play Cyberpunk 2077 it's interesting to see that the majority of players were rocking desktop or laptop rigs.

"Developing Cyberpunk 2077 was, without a doubt, the biggest and most complex project we’ve ever engaged in," writes CDPR CEO Adam Kiciński in an in-depth Management Board Report. "We did indeed enter uncharted territory and undertake risks. While not everything has gone according to our plans, from the creative standpoint we are proud of most of the pieces which make up the game. As for those we’re not proud of – we are improving them, and will continue to do so."

And on that note CD Projekt Red has updated its roadmap for Cyberpunk 2077 as follows.


In addition to more patches and general fixes, free DLCs are still planned for this year alongside the next-gen update to the game which would take advantage of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X hardware. Something that is also coming to The Witcher 3 which CDPR notes has sold an impressive 50+ million copies since its initial debut.

With a new strategy update for the studio outlining that CD Projekt has "decided to reconsider" its plans for a multiplayer focused Cyberpunk 2077 -- which was assumed to be its next big project. The announcement (as vague as it sounds) is part of a new approach to multiplayer for the studio which is to bring online functionality "into all of our franchises one day".

With CD Projekt CEO Adam Kiciński saying, "Previously we hinted that our next triple-A would be a multiplayer Cyberpunk game, but we have decided to reconsider this plan." Adding, "We are building an online technology that can be seamlessly integrated into development of our future games."



From that we can assume that the core engine, which is still some distance away from living up to its single-player promise may not be in a state ready for a GTA Online style overhaul. And that it's continued development will see online functionality added across all future titles. The studio is also looking to develop multiple AAA-sized projects in parallel which points to the possibility of more Witcher and more Cyberpunk in the future.

The video also re-confirms the studio's commitment to single-player story-driven experiences, with Kiciński clarifying, "What is changing is our long-term approach to online. By this, we mean ensuring we are properly prepared to implement online elements in our games where they make sense. We don't have to go overboard, or lose our singleplayer DNA. We want to take thoughtful steps to build robust online capabilities."

In related new CD Projekt Red has acquired Canadian studio Digital Scapes, which specialises in multiplayer and will now be called CD Projekt Red Vancouver. The studio had already been working closely with CDPR for a couple of years now on Cyberpunk 2077.

Which really puts the release state of the game into perspective as the Patch Notes for Cyberpunk 2077's latest update has to be one of the biggest lists of changes in recent memory. Most of which relate to fixing issues and glitches and NPC behaviour in quests and things like falling through the map because collision seemingly streams in after assets. It's a massive list.

Head Here to take a scroll and see for yourself.

It's a list of changes so long that trying to post it all here lagged our back-end with the sheer amount of formatting. It's close to 500 changes and on GOG a sizable 33GB in patchy patch-ness.

In terms of what it covers, basically everything: gameplay, quests, open world, cinematics, environments, graphics, audio, animation, UI, performance, and PC and console-specific changes. A lot of the updates naturally focus on game breaking bugs and progress stoppers. Plus, some miscellaneous things like ray-tracing now available on AMD cards.

No doubt this is the sort of major update the game needs, though in terms of the stuff Cyberpunk 2077 needs (that is overhauls and new mechanics and systems) to be able to sit among the greats the list above is pretty bare outside of changes to vehicle handling and police spawning a bit further out than "right behind you".

It's now been a few months since the release of Cyberpunk 2077, developer CD Projekt RED's highly anticipated but flawed epic. Which means many out there, including those that have played through the campaign, are waiting to see what steps will be taken to improve the game. And with the next major update, Patch 1.2, coming soon -- we've now got a preview outlining what's in store.

With the preview taking on the form of an in-universe N54 News broadcast. The first major change addresses police response in the game -- which was, well, pretty bad at launch with police spawning directly behind players. As per the video and note from CDPR below -- NCPD behaviour will now be a lot more realistic, with the added help of drones.

“This is an important step in addressing the behavior of the police in our game. It should decrease the problem of NPCs spawning behind players' backs and create an impression that it takes some time for the police to arrive at the crime scene after the crime has been reported. We've also added a recon "drone" unit to create the feeling of the police assessing the situation.” — Patryk, Lead Gameplay Designer & Łukasz, Technical Design Coordinator, CD PROJEKT RED

As per above this is something that will improve over time, and is an important step in getting that side of the experience to where it should be. The next update is pretty straight-forward in that is covers steering sensitivity for smoother and less floaty driving.

"Analyzing feedback on our driving model suggested a lot of players were having issues with the speed of the steering. Most complaints came from players using keyboards on PC or were on platforms with lower frame rates, and centered around how hard it was to keep cars off the sidewalks and such.

We have added a Steering Sensitivity slider to the Options menu. This allows the steering speed for all vehicles and all input devices to be slowed down, without affecting the maximum turn radius.

When experiencing lower frame rates, our cars were harder to control. We traced this to some code that wasn't handling extreme changes in frame rate properly. The steering speed is now very consistent from 20 to 60+ FPS.

Last, we looked at a bunch of tweaks to individual cars and adjusted some of them that were too twitchy in low frame rates, including the player's Archer Hella." — Séamus, Senior Vehicle Programmer, CD PROJEKT RED

Also coming is the ability to get your vehicle back on the road once stuck -- which is definitely welcome. Another quality of life addition is the ability to toggle how the dodge/dash movement works for those that dash when they don't mean to.

All in all, outside of the police behaviour, the preview does feel a little light when it comes to bug fixing and implementing missing features or fundamental open-world changes. Cyberpunk 2077 is still missing from the PlayStation digital storefront too -- so it remains to be seen how Patch 1.2 addresses console performance and overall stability.

Head here for the full Patch 1.2 preview.

Presented by NVIDIA

A virtual tour through Night City, as powered by NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 30 series of graphics cards, where impressive real-time ray-tracing, DLSS rendering, neon lighting, rule the streets. Alongside corpos and gangs.

A taste of our look at all seven Night City districts. From Watson to Westbrook to Heywood to the Badlands.



Cyberpunk 2077 – A Tour Through Night City

No doubt CD Projekt Red is working hard to improve the many issues plaguing Cyberpunk 2077, namely performance on previous-gen consoles and the many, many, bugs and glitches. The big January Patch 1.1 is here, with CDPR noting it "lays the groundwork for the upcoming patches".

Meaning it doesn't add anything new like improved traffic AI or the ability to preview clothing before you buy a new shiny pair of future pants. But, in getting the new Patch out players have noted that it can potentially break progression -- tied to the Down in the Street quest where Goro Takemura calls the player. In that he doesn't. CDPR have provided the following workaround in lieu of a Hotfix which is coming.

We're working on the issue where the conversation with Takemura may not start during the quest "Down on the Street" for @CyberpunkGame and plan to release a Hotfix to address it as soon as possible.
In the meantime, here's a potential workaround👇https://t.co/ujjxb8snGu

— CD PROJEKT RED CS (@CDPRED_Support) January 25, 2021

Here are the full Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 1.1 details.

In this update we focused on various stability improvements, which you can find outlined in the patch notes below. We will continue this work in patch 1.2 and other upcoming updates. At the same time we will keep fixing the bugs you encounter and listening to your feedback on how to improve the overall game experience.

Stability

Various stability improvements including:

• Memory usage improvements in various systems within the game: characters, interactions, navigation, in-game videos (news, tv, etc.), foliage, laser effects, minimap, devices, AI, street traffic, environmental damage system, GPU-related, and more.
  
• Various crash fixes (related to, among others, loading saves, game opening/closing and Point of No Return).

Quests/Open World

• Fixed an issue where calls from Delamain would end immediately and seem like they cannot be picked up in Epistrophy.
  
• Fixed an issue where players would not receive calls from Delamain when approaching relevant vehicles in Epistrophy.
  
• Fixed an issue where the objective could get stuck on "Answer the call from Mr. Hands" in M'ap Tann Pèlen.
  
• Fixed an issue where Judy could teleport underground in Pyramid Song.
  
• Fixed an issue where it would be impossible to talk to Zen Master in Poem of The Atoms.
  
• Fixed an issue where Takemura wouldn't call in Down on the Street.
  
• Fixed an issue where Jackie could disappear in The Pickup.
  
• Fixed an issue where it could be impossible to get out of the car in The Beast in Me: The Big Race.
  
• Fixed an issue where players could stop receiving calls and messages after moving too far away from A Day In The Life area.
  
• Fixed an issue where opening the package wouldn't update Space Oddity.
  
• Retro-fixed the saves affected by a rare issue where speaking to Judy in Automatic Love would be impossible due to an invisible wall. The underlying issue is under investigation.
  
• Fixed an issue that prevented players from collecting the reward in Gig: Freedom of the Press. The quest will auto-complete for those who could not collect the reward previously, and the reward will be provided automatically.
  
• Fixed an issue where Delamain would remain silent throughout Epistrophy if the player initially refused to help him.

UI

• Fixed an issue where prompt for exiting braindance could be missing.
  
• Removed an invalid item from loot.

Visual

• Fixed an issue where a grenade's trajectory could be displayed in photo mode.
  
• Fixed particles' hue appearing pink when viewed close up.
  
• Fixed cars spawning incorrectly in Reported Crime: Welcome to Night City.

Achievements

• Fixed an issue where completing one of theassaults in progress in Santo Domingo would sometimes not contribute towards progression for The Jungle achievement, preventing its completion.

Miscellaneous

• Addressed the issue responsible for saves getting oversized (related to the modifier indicating if the item is crafted), and trimmed the excess size from already existing saves (note: this won’t fix PC save files corrupted before 1.06 update).
  
• Fixed an issue where input could stop registering upon opening the weapon wheel and performing an action.
  
• Fixed an issue where the "Continue" button in the Main Menu could load an end game save.

PlayStation-specific

• Performance optimization of crowds on PlayStation 4 Pro and PlayStation 5.
  
• Various crash fixes on PlayStation 4.

Xbox-specific

• Improved memory usage for character creation, mirrors, scanning, camera remote control, menus (inventory, map) on Xbox One, Xbox One X and Xbox One S.

PC-specific

• It will now be possible to obtain achievements while in Steam offline mode. Note: Offline mode needs to be enabled before starting the game. This change does not work retroactively.
  
• Addressed the game startup crashes related to loading cache on NVIDIA graphics cards.

Stadia-specific

• Concert audio should no longer be inaudible in Never Fade Away.
  
• Fixed corrupted textures on several melee weapons.
  
• Tweaked default deadzone settings to be more responsive. Note: the change will not affect settings unless they’re set to default.

As per above the specifics are in-line with the post-launch Hotfix updates the game received, pointing to a long road ahead for Cyberpunk 2077 becoming the game it should be.

Presented by NVIDIA.

NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Super Sampling or DLSS became one of the most talked about bits of tech in 2020, and for good reason. As seen in Cyberpunk 2077 and its stunning futuristic Night City, it’s the sort of thing that will drive the future of games.

Powered by a suite of ray-tracing effects covering reflections, global illumination, shadows, and more, seeing Cyberpunk 2077 in motion is, well, next level. Being able to walk from an apartment building onto a busy Heywood intersection and not only have that be seamless and devoid of a loading screen but feel real is something else. There’s no doubt that what CDPR has pulled off here is nothing short of a technical feat, and in partnering with NVIDIA the results can be seen the moment you fire up the game on the latest GeForce RTX 30 Series graphics card.

The magic though, lies with DLSS -- NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Super Sampling, AI-based rendering that not only improves performance at higher resolutions (with or without ray-tracing), but presents an image as crisp and detailed as its natively rendered counterpart. What makes the DLSS implementation in Cyberpunk 2077 so incredible is not that graphics hardware might struggle to keep up when it's turned off, but that it allows the game to look this good in the first place.

Click Here For Our Deep Dive Into Cyberpunk 2077 and DLSS

Called the Arasaka Appearance Updater (available now via Nexus Mods) it lets you do that thing we all thought we could do in Cyberpunk 2077 - change V's appearance after the initial character creation screen. As a standalone tool it lets you update your V's hairstyle and even facial features via simple click of a few buttons.

How it works is that it reads your latest save file and then lets you change things up -- and then updates the save file so you can see the changes in-game.


Props to its creator 'homes432' for giving it an in-universe feel too and the very cool title 'Arasaka Appearance Updater'.

Of course as a mod it's wise to back up your saves before making any changes. With Cyberpunk 2077 coming up to two weeks since its launch no doubt this is one of those nice to have features players want to see added in-game. In our full review we mentioned the lack of an in-game futuristic hair-dresser as one of a few missing features that really should have been there. CD Projekt Red is currently addressing issues relating to bugs and other things -- but we wouldn't be surprised if this feature is added into the game in one of the major patches due in January and February.

To call the launch of Cyberpunk 2077 rocky would be an understatement, especially in light of the game's performance on baseline consoles. As per our review in progress and now this, our final(?) word on Night City - we played through CD Projekt Red's highly anticipated RPG on a high-end PC.

Which definitely adds context, especially when you factor in we did so using the latest in NVIDIA GeForce RTX hardware with cutting edge features like real-time ray-tracing and DLSS enabled. A snippet.

That little note above is not there to merely add context to this review, but to highlight how an experience can change based on the platform on which it is experienced. In the case of CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077, you could say that our review setup is something of a best-case scenario - the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX hardware, a vibrant 4K LG OLED display, immersive sound in the form of studio-grade speakers, and a brand-new controller.

This is not to say you need the above to get the most out of Cyberpunk 2077 on PC -- it scales well across a wide range of hardware configuration -- it’s simply, again, context. As per our review in progress we noted that stepping onto the streets of Night City for the first time can be overwhelming due to the sheer level of detail on display. On a high-end rig it is… breathtaking.

Even so there's a sense of unfinished business found throughout Cyberpunk 2077, not only in terms of V's journey and his or her relationship with Johnny Silverhand. Unfinished in the sense of bugs, glitches, and missing features found in an otherwise stellar and ground-breaking visual and narrative achievement.

Our Full Cyberpunk 2077 Review

Sponsored Post

With a story taking place in and around Night City, in Cyberpunk 2077 you take control of V, an agnostic avatar with the “V” name perhaps being ironical to the devs, but importantly you still craft who you are based on dynamic RPG rules, and in Cyberpunk 2077 this aspect alone is a bit different.

Choose Your Upbringing

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We mentioned The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and all previous entries from series-handler, and best New Kid on the self-management Gaming Block, or the “Donny” of gaming, CD Projekt RED. What’s different this time around is in antithesis to how the studio lauded their previous efforts -- “The World Doesn’t Need a Hero, it Needs a Professional”. That marketing line rang truest in The Witcher, because you played as an established character with a full backstory. In Cyberpunk, however, you are master of your origins domain.

In the truest RPG sense, you create your character; male, female, binary, fluid… the choice is yours. But expansive to this oldest of gaming options for the truly hardcore out there, is a prefabricated starting point. You can choose between three distinct cultural allegiances. And these will reflect your starting point in the game. If you consider another very popular RPG series, The Elder Scrolls, your intro regardless of allegiance was always the same. Your story started *here*. In Cyberpunk 2077, depending on said allegiance you start elsewhere, and your path to becoming a Cyberpunk in the year 2077 is unique and different not only based on all of the above, but also on decisions you make along the way. In many ways, this opens the massive game up to replayability -- a slice of design brilliance that will no doubt keep eager Nomads, Street Kids or Corpos coming back for more.

Head Here For Cyberpunk 2077 - Role-Playing in the Future

Corrupt save file, three words you don't want to see when firing up a massive open-world RPG on PC -- though that's exactly what's happening for some players. As acknowledged by CD Projekt Red, the issue stems from too many crafting materials and items for some Cyberpunk 2077 players - with saves corrupting when they go over 8mb in size.

As per this post on GOG, the size limitation might be increased in a future patch but corrupt saves look to be exactly that -- with CDPR urging those affected to "please use an older save file to continue playing and try to keep a lower amount of items and crafting materials". Another wrinkle in the very troubled launch of Cyberpunk 2077, though as the Hotfix 1.05 patch notes demonstrate -- the game's many bugs and glitches are slowly being ironed out.

A pretty extensive list, here's the full list of changes.

Quests

• Jackie will no longer disappear in The Pickup or The Heist.
  
• Fixed an issue preventing players from landing the helicopter in Love like Fire.
  
• Fixed an issue with Takemura not calling in Play it Safe.
  
• It's no longer possible to trigger the same dialogue twice in Big in Japan.
  
• Fixed an issue with Delamain appearing upside down at the end of Don't Lose Your Mind.
  
• Saul now correctly reaches the van in Riders on the Storm.
  
• Fast travelling before the encounter with Tyger Claws no longer breaks progression in I Fought the Law.
  
• Fixed an issue blocking progress in Ghost Town if an autosave made upon Raffen Shiv's arrival was loaded.
  
• Fixed an issue with not receiving new calls or messages if Happy Together failed as a result of combat.
  
• Elizabeth Peralez stops being excessively insistent with her calls after her job offer is refused.
  
• The scene with Misty and Jackie now starts properly after leaving Viktor's clinic.
  
• Wakako's dialogues no longer get blocked after finishing Search and Destroy.
  
• Walking away from Stefan in Sweet Dreams shouldn't prevent other characters from calling you anymore.
  
• Brick’s detonator should now be properly interactable for players to disarm. Or set off. Your call.
  
• Elevator doors should now correctly open in The Heist.
  
• Saul now correctly gets out of cars in Riders on the Storm.
  
• Fixed an issue with not receiving new calls or messages after running too far away from Frank in War Pigs.
  
• Jackie now correctly leaves the factory after the combat is finished in The Pickup.
  
• Fixed an issue with Militech reinforcements not spawning if driving through the gate too fast in Forward to Death.
  
• Skipping time while in the club in Violence no longer results in issues with progression.
  
• Fixed issues with starting Gig: Getting Warmer...
  
• Fixed an issue with not receiving new calls or messages after Pyramid Song has been abandoned midway.
  
• Fixed an issue whereby Delamain core could be already broken when player enters the Core room in Don't Lose Your Mind.
  
• Fixed issues with Delamain not appearing or doing nothing outside the Afterlife in The Heist.
  
• Fixed an issue with objective getting stuck on "Talk to Viktor" in The Ripperdoc.
  
• Fixed an issue whereby it was impossible to talk to the bouncer in front of Lizzie's in The Information.
  
• Added description for Don't Lose Your Mind in the Journal.
  
• Fixed an issue preventing player from saving, using fast travels, and talking to other NPCs after reloading a save with an active call with Frank in War Pigs.
  
• Fixed an issue with Panam not calling about any other matter until I'll Fly Away is completed.
  
• Fixed an issue with Dum Dum following V after The Pickup is finished.

Gameplay

• Improved the reaction times of NPCs taking cover.
  
• Corrected the number of shots needed to kill civilians from a distance while in combat.

Visual

• Fixed an issue with Delamain's image displayed on top of the current caller during phone calls.
  
• V's mouth doesn't stay open after entering the space lock in Where is My Mind.
  
• Fixed some UI overlap issues.
  
• V appears more modest in the inventory preview after the half year montage ;)
  
• NPCs are faster to appear in the quest area during Stadium Love.
  
• Added some warmth to HDR.
  
• Fixed T-posing NPCs in Suspected Organized Crime Activity: Just Say No and Gig: Hot Merchandise.
  
• Fixed an issue whereby after a braindance it was possible to be stuck in 3rd person view with no head.
  
• Silencer icons are no longer displayed with no image in the inventory.

UI

• Fixed an issue with weapon crosshair persisting on screen.
  
• The inventory menu no longer closes immediately after opening it for the first time after leaving a car.
  
• Fixed an issue whereby upon accessing a fast travel terminal the button shown on the top right corner prompting to open the quest journal would not work.

Performance & Stability

• Multiple stability improvements, including crash fixes.

Miscellaneous

• Offscreen explosions make noise now.

PC-specific

• [AMD SMT] Optimized default core/thread utilization for 4-core and 6-core AMD Ryzen(tm) processors. 8-core, 12-core and 16-core processors remain unchanged and behaving as intended. This change was implemented in cooperation with AMD and based on tests on both sides indicating that performance improvement occurs only on CPUs with 6 cores and less.
  
• Fixed an issue with the way Raw Input is collected.
  
• Removed the use of AVX instruction set thus fixing crashes occurring at the end of the Prologue on processors not supporting AVX.
  
• Removed debug console to prevent functions that could lead to crashes or blocked quests. This doesn't mean we don't want to support the modding community. Stay tuned for more info on that.
  
• Ray traced reflections should no longer seem too bright in comparison to the environment.
  
• Fixed an issue with Steam Overlay crash on game shutdown.
  
• Removed the memory_pool_budgets.csv file. which was not connected with the final version of the game and had no influence on it (it was a leftover file used during the development to estimate memory usage. It had no effect on how much memory was actually allocated). Perceived performance increase after editing the file may have been related to restarting the game.

Console-specific

• Improved image sharpness with Chromatic Aberration and Film Grain on.
  
• Settings should no longer reset to default after several game session restarts.
  
• Fixed visual issues occurring during the transition between The Heist and Love Like Fire.
  
• Corrected the look of several vehicles.
  
• [Xbox] Entering combat while Synaptic Accelerator is active no longer ends in player health bar not being displayed.
  
• [Xbox] Game no longer becomes unresponsive when signing out from a profile when the controller disconnection message is visible.
  
• Telemetry consent request will appear once more due to an earlier issue with settings reset.
  
• Fixed an issue whereby it was possible to fall down the elevator shaft in Megabuilding H8 in Automatic Love.

A huge move, but Sony has removed Cyberpunk 2077 from its online store, but even more poignant, offering discounts to anyone who purchased the game digitally, based off the series of problems it, developer CD Projekt RED and punters have had with the game on PS4 and Xbox One, or "last-gen", consoles since release.

CDPR has aligned itself with Microsoft in the lead up to the hotly anticipated game's launch, so there's no telling if the Xbox version of the game in a digital sense will offer the same refund option until it's last-gen ready, but this move from Sony is actually fairly significant.

SIE strives to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction, therefore we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store. SIE will also be removing Cyberpunk 2077 from PlayStation Store until further notice.

Once we have confirmed that you purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store, we will begin processing your refund. Please note that completion of the refund may vary based on your payment method and financial institution.

It's been an uphill battle for the most talked about game of at least this year, however, it definitely has legs as we've played it on high-end PC and found only a handful of problems. This doesn't help the consolers out there, but given the power of next-gen when a new patch comes it'll likely bring it in line with a moderate PC build. For all the last-geners though... we can't be sure what your future holds.

For PC StreetKids, here's our review in progress.