The Witcher 4 tech demo showcased a breathtaking glimpse into CD Projekt's vision, though the studio emphasizes it’s purely a technical showcase, not gameplay, as reported by IGN. Built with Unreal Engine 5, the demo sparks curiosity about what the final game, still years away, might deliver.
Running at 60 frames per second on a PlayStation 5, the demo follows Ciri navigating Kovir, a new region confirmed as playable in The Witcher 4.
The demo boasts remarkable detail, with smooth animations unseen in current-gen consoles. Ciri and her horse Kelpie move fluidly, interacting with NPCs and the environment as they traverse Kovir’s mountains to the lively port of Valdrest. A standout moment features 300 individually animated NPCs in a bustling market scene. The demo concludes with a glimpse of Lan Exeter, Kovir’s winter capital and major port.
CD Projekt is no stranger to the risks of overhyping games, having faced challenges with Cyberpunk 2077’s troubled 2020 launch. This raises the question: does the tech demo reflect The Witcher 4’s final look?
At Epic’s State of Unreal 2025 event, Kajetan Kapuściński, Cinematic Director at CD Projekt, addressed this. He remained cautious, noting the demo reflects their “ambition” for a game not expected before 2027.
Kapuściński elaborated:
“What you saw is a tech demo powered by Unreal Engine 5, developed with Epic Games. It’s a project to test technology that will drive The Witcher 4.
“It’s not gameplay footage. It showcases our ambition, the advanced technology we’re co-developing, and our artistic direction.
“Everything shown is subject to change. It’s a snapshot of our current work, shared to highlight our collaboration and the tools we’re building with.”
In the same interview, Wyeth Johnson, Senior Director of Product Strategy at Epic Games, was asked if the demo’s performance—60fps with ray tracing on a base PS5—sets realistic expectations for players.
“Absolutely, we’re not misleading anyone,” Johnson said. “Our technology is built for the high-quality 60fps gameplay players demand across all hardware.”
Achieving 60fps with ray tracing in an expansive open-world game like The Witcher 4 on a base PS5 surpasses typical current-gen performance. Johnson credited their collaboration with CD Projekt for pushing “aggressive performance gains with stunning visuals.”
Despite the PS5’s age, Johnson believes its hardware has untapped potential. “You need smart optimization,” he explained. “By parallelizing processes instead of running them sequentially, we unlock more hardware power.
“Technologies like our new Unreal animation framework and fast geometry streaming let players move freely through environments. These are core to Unreal Engine’s future.
“By identifying bottlenecks and optimizing, we’ve seen performance improve dramatically while maintaining visuals. Developers like CD Projekt Red can then build extraordinary experiences on this foundation.”
The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo Screenshots
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Anticipation for The Witcher 4 is immense, with fans eager for concrete details. Kapuściński remained guarded but offered hints:
“The demo’s flow reveals our direction. The forest vista, powered by Nanite foliage, showcases our ability to render vast, detailed landscapes. The crowd scene, with over 300 animated characters, highlights the scale we’re aiming for.
“These elements—dense forests, bustling crowds—point to the possibilities unlocked by our work with Unreal Engine.”
So, expect vast, detailed forests and lively crowds in The Witcher 4.
A key question is which platforms The Witcher 4 will target. The PS5 demo suggests a cross-gen release, potentially including next-gen consoles like the PS6 and next Xbox. But will it support the less powerful Xbox Series S? With Grand Theft Auto VI targeting current-gen consoles, including the Series S, it’s plausible The Witcher 4 could follow suit.
CD Projekt estimates The Witcher 4’s release no earlier than 2027, so answers may be years away.
