Cyberpunk 2077 comes to PS5/XSX/XSS, will get massive patch on all systems
Cyberpunk 2077 comes to PS5/XSX/XSS, will get massive patch on all systems
CD Projekt RED's notoriously troubled RPG reaches another milestone, but does anyone care anymore?
The cat was out of the bag for hours before CD Projekt RED’s livestream ever happened, of course, but it’s an important development about a much-talked game nonetheless, so there: Cyberpunk 2077 gets the next-gen PlayStation and Xbox treatment today, while Patch v1.5 is on the way for PC, last-gen PlayStation/Xbox and Stadia. It’s been a long time coming, this update, and it seems that CD Projekt’s teams have put in a lot of work to make it happen, but whether that will help the sales of Cyberpunk 2077 or repair the major damage that the company’s reputation has suffered remains to be seen.
The PS5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S versions of the title get some new graphics options. The Xbox Series S won’t be offering raytracing but a Performance Mode of 30 FPS at 1440p resolution - not bad at all considering its processing power. The Xbox Series X and the PlayStation5 will be offering 4K resolution support at either 60 FPS (Performance Mode) or 30 FPS (Raytracing Mode) although occasional dips in framerates are expected, while certain effects are not available on all modes. The new PlayStation and Xbox also support spatial audio via headphones, while the former’s version supports the DualSense controller natively.
Owners of PS4, Xbox One S/X, PC and Stadia versions of the game can look forward to literally hundreds of fixes, improvements and additions to Cyberpunk 2077 via the v.1.5 Patch very soon. CD Project RED’s changelog is quite lengthy, but the following stand out:
- AI enemies: they react better to player reactions and combat is more fluid, too.
- Driving: Reworked burnout models have been implemented, there’s more control while driving, AI driving is more predictable. Vehicles feel heavier, too, plus braking is better. Drifting is more realistic and the suspension feels better in all vehicles. First-person dashboards and interiors have been reworked too.
- Reworked perk trees: every one of a player’s perks will be unassigned if he/she picks up on an old save and he/she will need to reassign them all because of how drastically the perk tree system has been changed. One will find new branches, the removal of some perks and the addition of new ones.
- Economy: Players will receive more cash for completing quests and gigs, while items and vehicles aren’t as expensive to purchase. Stores have been revamped with new items, sales and new aesthetics for weapons.
- Crowds: Night City is “more alive” and crowds react better to the player’s actions. Crowd members will start shooting at players based on what he/she does or they might run away.
- Traffic: Drivers drive more realistically and there are more pedestrians during the day.
- Map: Gigs do not reveal their type and additional colors have been added to the map for readability.
- Home: Players can now change their character’s appearance mid-game in the mirror of their apartment. Additional appearance options include new types of hair, extra hair colors, more makeup options and new colors for makeup.
- EZ Estates: This is a new app on the players’ computers helping them change their apartments’ aesthetic as well as find new apartments to rent.
During today’s livestream CD Projekt RED also announced a 5-hour “trial version” of Cyberpunk 2077 for PS5, XSX and XSS, which will be available until March 15th. The company would obviously like to entice consumers that own these three systems into buying the full version of the game after them having refrained from doing so because of all the negative press about it in the first place. Whether a demo will be enough for that is anybody’s guess.
Owners of last-gen entertainment systems, PCs and Stadia accounts (is that still a thing?) will of course welcome the hefty v1.5 Update of the game as it seems to resolve plenty of issues. Chances are, though, that — outside of any special offers and discounts — Cyberpunk 2077 will not be attracting many more sales on those formats. CD Projekt RED has also promised some future content expansions and a multiplayer component for the game, but consumers should not be holding their breath for those: the company has confirmed that the PS5/XSX/XSS versions of The Witcher 3 take priority for 2022. Whether an Update 2.0 for Cyberpunk 2077 will be offered in 2023 or not might be of little interest by then: most gamers appear, for better or worse, to have already moved on. Not surprising, but rather fitting, no?