Witcher 4 UE5 demo debuts as tech showcase

The Witcher 4's State of Unreal 2025 demonstration may undergo further refinements before launch. Here's what CD Projekt Red revealed about their performance targets and the technical showcase.

The Witcher 4 State of Unreal 2025 Technical Presentation

Targeting 60fps on Standard PS5

CD Projekt Red's tech demo displayed stunning 60fps visuals running on standard PlayStation 5 hardware. However, the studio emphasizes this is purely a technology preview rather than final gameplay.

Speaking with Eurogamer on June 3, a CDPR representative noted: "While 60fps on PS5 remains our target, platform specifications aren't finalized. We're collaborating with Epic to deliver an open world that balances visual fidelity with smooth performance."

The impressive demo risks creating unrealistic expectations, recalling CDPR's Cyberpunk 2077 marketing. The studio clarifies this demo primarily showcases development tools rather than final game assets. "Environmental details and character models may differ significantly in the actual game," the representative added.

Early Unreal Engine 5 Technology Demonstration

This 14-minute presentation highlighted Unreal Engine 5.6's capabilities including photorealistic environments, enhanced ray tracing, and advanced rendering. Developers stressed this was purely a technical showcase.

The demo opened with a monster attack on a carriage before transitioning to live gameplay featuring Ciri exploring the aftermath.

Viewers saw Ciri's horse Kelpie, featuring revolutionary "root motion movement" technology and muscle deformation through UE5's ML Deformer system. The presentation also debuted new technical features:

• Nanite Foliage for dense vegetation rendering
• Fast Geo Streaming for massive environments
• MetaHuman AI crowds with realistic behaviors

The demo unveiled Kovir, a never-before-seen Witcher region, including the mountain port town of Valdrest. While combat remains unshown, the technical demo demonstrates The Witcher's next-generation potential.

The Witcher 4 is confirmed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with no official release date announced. Check back for future updates on CD Projekt Red's upcoming RPG.