With the announcement that the Cyberpunk 2077 release date will now fall in September, much closer to the launch of the next-generation of consoles, there has of course been speculation about the game getting a separate next-gen release. Of course, CD Projekt Red is avoiding talking about this topic at present. However, a Cyberpunk 2077 next-gen release is looking likelier than ever, for a few different reasons.
The Likelihood of a Cyberpunk 2077 Next-Gen Release
When asked on a recent investors call about whether CD Projekt Red would port Cyberpunk 2077 to the next-generation of consoles, Michał Nowakowski stated; “We are, of course, looking at the next generation of consoles, we have a lot of information on what’s going on with those platforms, but we – frankly speaking – have nothing to share here and now in relation to that.”
There is one important factor to bear in mind regarding this topic; Cyberpunk 2077 should be playable on both the PS5 and Xbox Series X anyway, without a separate next-gen release. After all, both consoles will feature backwards compatibility to some degree, which should certainly include Cyberpunk 2077. As such, there doesn’t really have to be a Cyberpunk 2077 next-gen re-release. However, the principal reason for doing one would be to bring the game’s console graphics up to the higher standards allowed for by the Xbox Series X and PS5; graphics which will be limited somewhat by the older technology of the PS4 and Xbox One.
A re-release of that sort is relatively likely, especially now that CD Projekt Red has confirmed that their separate triple-A release coming in 2021 will be Cyberpunk Multiplayer. However, it’s unlikely that this next-gen release will come straight away; rather, it’s more likely to be something that happens post-launch. Indeed, the game could get something akin to a ‘Game of the Year Edition’ in 2021. (Perhaps after the launch of DLC). Something like that could easily coincide with a next-gen release, as one example.
For now, fans shouldn’t expect CD Projekt Red to announce a next-gen release anytime soon. After all, such an announcement could result in gamers cancelling pre-orders in order to wait for the next-gen launch; thus hampering the game’s launch day sales. Rather, such an announcement is more likely to come after the game’s release in late 2020 or early 2021.