'The Witcher 4' PS5 Tech Demo Is Stunning But CD Projekt Says 'It Doesn't Fully Represent The Final Game'
CD Projekt and Epic Games have unveiled a stunning tech demo of the long-awaited RPG sequel The Witcher 4 running on Unreal Engine 5, showcasing a gorgeous open world with ray tracing running on a base PS5 at 60fps. The catch? It's not actually gameplay footage.
Revealed during Epic's State of Unreal 2025 event, the tech demo follows the game's protagonist Ciri as she explores the brand new region of Kovir while in the process of a monster contract. The demo showcases the latest open-world features of Unreal Engine 5.6, including the Fast Geometry Streaming Plugin to enhance load times, and its character rendering innovations, able to generate 300 individually animated NPCs shown off towards the tail end of the segment.
'As Ciri explores the bustling market of Valdrest, we see how [Unreal Engine] 5.6 handles busy scenes full of high-fidelity characters and visual effects like ML Deformer. The tech demo also showcases Nanite Foliage — which provides a fast and memory-efficient way to achieve gorgeous foliage density and fidelity, slated for release in UE 5.7,' read the official blurb from Epic.
As breathtaking as the tech demo might have been, CD Projekt was quick to issue a statement insisting that it was not an official gameplay showcase, and was rather a 'standalone' tech demo built to showcase Unreal Engine 5's features.
'[The tech demo] reflects the direction we're taking with The Witcher 4 — but it doesn't fully represent the final game.' CD Projekt explained, 'Production is still underway, and we have a great deal of work ahead. That said, our goal is ambitious: to create one of the most visually advanced role-playing games to date.'
CD Projekt also explained why it chose to feature the tech demo on a base PS5 over a high-end gaming PC, saying that 'optimising for consoles early helps [to] future-proof performance across all platforms', and that 'consoles come with tighter constraints, and meeting them pushes [the studio] to make smarter, more efficient tech choices — the kind that benefit every version of the game'.
With the tech demo not showcasing actual gameplay footage, it further emphasises how far The Witcher 4 is from launch. And with CD Project previously indicating that the game won't be out until 2027 at the earliest, the suggestion is that the game will probably run on next-generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles alongside the PS5 and Xbox Series X, although its ability to run on the weaker Xbox Series S still remains a mystery.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. CD Projekt Epic Games state of unreal The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Geek Culture
a day ago
- Geek Culture
Apple Study Shows App Store Powered US$1.3 Trillion In Sales For 2024
Apple has announced that the global App Store ecosystem has facilitated US$1.3 trillion in developer billings and sales in 2024, an impressive feat supplemented by the fact that for more than 90 percent of said earnings, developers did not pay any commission to the company. According to a new study by Boston University Questrom School of Business professor Andrey Fradkin and Analysis Group's Dr. Jessica Burley, developer billings and sales for digital goods and services on the App Store totalled US$131 billion in 2024, a figure driven by games, apps and enterprise tools. Sales of physical goods and services rose to US$1 trillion that year, while in-app advertising revenue stood at US$150 billion. The study also found that billings and sales facilitated by the App Store ecosystem over the past five years more than doubled in the United States, China, and Europe. Additionally, digital payment spending grew sevenfold in the U.S. since 2019, while online grocery spending grew fivefold in China. Other notable increases include spending on apps that support digital content creation, such as photo and video editing apps like Adobe creative tools, which has seen a steady increase over the last five years. 'It's incredible to see so many developers design great apps, build successful businesses, and reach Apple users around the world,' said Apple CEO Tim Cook in a statement, 'This report is a testament to the many ways developers are enriching people's lives with app and game experiences, while creating opportunity and driving new innovations. We're proud to support their success.' WWDC 2024 To fuel its support for developers, Apple has invested in the tools needed to help them better distribute their apps and games on the App Store, including its commerce system that features support for over 40 local currencies and seamless tax handling in nearly 200 regions, alongside services like Xcode, App Analytics and Product Page Optimisation to help developers test their apps while monitoring and improving performance. Outside of the App Store, Apple also offers various online and in-person programmes to empower developers to elevate their apps, including Meet with Apple sessions, Apple Developer Academies and over 20 Apple Foundation Programmes, allowing budding developers to not only build their app creation skills but also further improve their created apps. Furthermore, at Apple's upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference from 9 to 13 June, developers worldwide will also have access to over 100 technical sessions with Apple experts, guiding them through its latest technologies and frameworks and supporting their development journey. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. app store Apple Apple App Store
Geek Culture
4 days ago
- Geek Culture
‘Adolescence' Dethrones 'Stranger Things 4' As Netflix's Second Most-Watched English-Language Series
One-take wonder Adolescence is one step closer to becoming a Netflix chart-topper. The British limited series has racked up a total of 141.2 million views since its debut 80 days ago on 14 March, surpassing its previous fourth-place result of 114 million views to outpace Stranger Things 4 as the second most-watched English-language TV show ever on the streamer. Only Wednesday , starring Jenna Ortega ( You, 2022's Scream ), stands in its way with 252.1 million views in its first 91 days of debut. Still, the numbers fall shy of the current No.1 across both English and non-English language titles, with Squid Game Season 1 scoring 265.2 million views. Season 2, now at 192 million views and counting, is sandwiched between Wednesday and Adolescence . Led by first-time actor Owen Cooper, the latter centres on a 13-year-old named Jamie Miller who is arrested after the murder of a girl in his school. It became known for shooting each of its four episodes in one continuous take, and also stars Stephen Graham ( Gangs of New York , Peaky Blinders ), Ashley Walters ( Top Boy , Doctor Who ), and Erin Doherty ( The Crown , Chloe ) as Jamie's father Eddie, detective inspector Luke Bascombe, and psychologist Briony Ariston, respectively. While hailed as a limited series, the crime drama may land a second season, with Netflix and Brad Pitt's production company, Plan B Entertainment, in early talks about continuing Jamie's story. It's hardly the only name on the list getting a (potential) sequel — as announced during the recent Netflix Tudum event, Stranger Things Season 5 will end things in three parts, scheduled for 26 November, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve. As for Wednesday , Season 2 is arriving in two parts: first on 6 August, then on 3 September, after Squid Game Season 3 debuts on 27 June. Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really. Adolescence Netflix stranger things 4
Geek Culture
4 days ago
- Geek Culture
'The Witcher 4' PS5 Tech Demo Is Stunning But CD Projekt Says 'It Doesn't Fully Represent The Final Game'
CD Projekt and Epic Games have unveiled a stunning tech demo of the long-awaited RPG sequel The Witcher 4 running on Unreal Engine 5, showcasing a gorgeous open world with ray tracing running on a base PS5 at 60fps. The catch? It's not actually gameplay footage. Revealed during Epic's State of Unreal 2025 event, the tech demo follows the game's protagonist Ciri as she explores the brand new region of Kovir while in the process of a monster contract. The demo showcases the latest open-world features of Unreal Engine 5.6, including the Fast Geometry Streaming Plugin to enhance load times, and its character rendering innovations, able to generate 300 individually animated NPCs shown off towards the tail end of the segment. 'As Ciri explores the bustling market of Valdrest, we see how [Unreal Engine] 5.6 handles busy scenes full of high-fidelity characters and visual effects like ML Deformer. The tech demo also showcases Nanite Foliage — which provides a fast and memory-efficient way to achieve gorgeous foliage density and fidelity, slated for release in UE 5.7,' read the official blurb from Epic. As breathtaking as the tech demo might have been, CD Projekt was quick to issue a statement insisting that it was not an official gameplay showcase, and was rather a 'standalone' tech demo built to showcase Unreal Engine 5's features. '[The tech demo] reflects the direction we're taking with The Witcher 4 — but it doesn't fully represent the final game.' CD Projekt explained, 'Production is still underway, and we have a great deal of work ahead. That said, our goal is ambitious: to create one of the most visually advanced role-playing games to date.' CD Projekt also explained why it chose to feature the tech demo on a base PS5 over a high-end gaming PC, saying that 'optimising for consoles early helps [to] future-proof performance across all platforms', and that 'consoles come with tighter constraints, and meeting them pushes [the studio] to make smarter, more efficient tech choices — the kind that benefit every version of the game'. With the tech demo not showcasing actual gameplay footage, it further emphasises how far The Witcher 4 is from launch. And with CD Project previously indicating that the game won't be out until 2027 at the earliest, the suggestion is that the game will probably run on next-generation PlayStation and Xbox consoles alongside the PS5 and Xbox Series X, although its ability to run on the weaker Xbox Series S still remains a mystery. Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise 'duds' like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3 . He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying. CD Projekt Epic Games state of unreal The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5
