CD Projekt's 'Console-First' Witcher 4 Plan Detailed

CD Projekt has revealed why it adopted a "console-first" development strategy for the highly anticipated The Witcher 4, diverging from its traditional PC-first approach seen in previous titles.

Earlier this month, CD Projekt showcased an impressive The Witcher 4 tech demo built with Unreal Engine 5, giving players their first glimpse of what's coming.

Captured on PlayStation 5 running at 60fps, the demo follows Ciri exploring the previously unseen region of Kovir during a monster hunt.

The demo features unprecedented detail with fluid animations surpassing current console capabilities. Ciri and her horse Kelpie demonstrate remarkably natural movement and environmental interactions as they traverse Kovir's mountains toward the bustling port city of Valdrest. One standout moment displays a vibrant marketplace populated by 300 individually animated NPCs. The showcase concludes with the first look at Lan Exeter, Kovir's winter capital.

Speaking with Digital Foundry, CDPR's VP of Technology Charles Tremblay explained the rationale behind showing the PS5 version first, confirming the studio's shift to console-first development.

"Previously we'd develop for PC then scale down," he noted. "But past challenges led us to prioritize consoles this time."

This change stems from Cyberpunk 2077's troubled 2020 launch, where severe console performance issues led to PlayStation Store removal and mass refunds. CD Projekt later admitted insufficient focus on optimizing for last-gen consoles.

After years addressing these technical problems, Cyberpunk 2077 regained success – even launching smoothly on Nintendo Switch 2.

The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo Screenshots

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Now developing The Witcher 4 (projected release 2027+), CD Projekt aims to avoid previous mistakes. Jakub Knapik, VP Global Art Director, explained the logic behind scaling up from consoles:

"Establishing solid technical foundations first makes sense," he said. "It's easier scaling upwards."

Tremblay reassured PC players they'll receive premium experiences despite the new approach: "We've always pushed PC capabilities as CDPR creators."

Acknowledging the challenge Xbox Series S poses maintaining 60fps across platforms, Tremblay admitted: "This remains our next hurdle - achieving consistent performance on Series S will be extremely demanding."

While representing CD Projekt's ambitions for The Witcher 4, IGN confirms the tech demo doesn't reflect actual gameplay. Development continues with much work remaining.