The Witcher 4 UE5 Showcased as Tech Demo

The Witcher 4's Unreal Engine 5 tech demo showcased at State of Unreal 2025 hints at further refinements before launch. Discover CD Projekt Red's framerate targets and key revelations from this visual spectacle.

Breaking Down The Witcher 4's UE5 Tech Presentation

PS5 Performance Targets: Aiming for 60fps

State of Unreal 2025 attendees witnessed The Witcher 4 tech demo running smoothly at 60fps on standard PS5 hardware, though CD Projekt Red cautions these visuals don't represent the final product. The studio remains open to adjustments throughout development.

During a June 3 Eurogamer interview, CDPR clarified their current PS5 performance aspirations: "While 60fps remains our target, platform-specific specifications haven't been finalized. We're collaborating with Epic Games to balance stunning open-world visuals with fluid gameplay across all systems."

Though impressive, the demo risks creating inflated expectations reminiscent of Cyberpunk 2077's pre-launch marketing. CDPR emphasizes this technical demonstration primarily highlights collaborative development tools rather than final game assets, noting: "Environmental details and character models shown may differ significantly from the shipped version."

Exploring UE5's Cutting-Edge Features

During the 14-minute demonstration, Unreal Engine 5.6 unveiled groundbreaking capabilities including photorealistic rendering, enhanced ray tracing, and next-generation visual fidelity. Developers stressed this served purely as a technical preview rather than actual gameplay.

The presentation opened with cinematic monster ambush footage before transitioning seamlessly to player-controlled exploration featuring Ciri investigating wreckage amidst breathtaking environments.

Innovations like "root motion movement" achieved remarkably lifelike horseback riding animations, with ML Deformer technology accurately simulating Kelpie's muscle movements. Other showcased advancements included:

• Nanite Foliage: High-density vegetation rendering without performance compromises
• Fast Geo Streaming: Instant loading of massive environments
• MetaHuman AI: Dynamic crowds exhibiting realistic behaviors
• Mass Framework: Advanced crowd simulation systems

The demo introduced Kovir, a new region unexplored in previous Witcher titles, with Ciri visiting the mountain port town of Valdrest.

While combat mechanics remained absent—as CDPR prioritized demonstrating UE5's graphical prowess—fans enthusiastically welcomed this next-generation vision for The Witcher universe.

Currently confirmed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC platforms, The Witcher 4 lacks an official release window. Stay tuned for further updates as development progresses.