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CD Projekt Red's recent Witcher 4 tech demo offered breathtaking visuals while carefully clarifying its status as just that - a technical showcase rather than game footage. As IGN revealed, despite running on Unreal Engine 5 within the Witcher universe, this demonstration doesn't represent actual gameplay from the anticipated sequel, still several years away from completion.
Kovir Comes to Life
Captured running at 60fps on PlayStation 5, the demo follows Ciri exploring the newly revealed region of Kovir during a monster hunt (CDPR confirms this northern territory will feature in The Witcher 4). The staggering level of detail showcases animation quality beyond current console capabilities, with particularly impressive interactions between Ciri, her horse Kelpie, NPCs, and the environment as they traverse Kovir's mountains toward the bustling port of Valdrest. One standout moment features a marketplace teeming with 300 uniquely animated characters before culminating in the first glimpse of Lan Exeter, Kovir's frost-laden capital.
CD Projekt understands better than most the perils of inflated expectations, having endured Cyberpunk 2077's troubled 2020 launch. This context raises inevitable questions: Will The Witcher 4 ultimately resemble this impressive tech demo?
When we posed this to CDPR's Cinematic Director Kajetan Kapuściński at Epic's State of Unreal 2025, his measured response emphasized this as an "ambition demonstration" rather than promise. Here's his full explanation:
"This UE5 tech demo represents collaborative development between our teams and Epic, exploring technologies that will power Witcher 4. While not actual gameplay, it reflects our technical ambitions and artistic direction - though everything remains subject to change as development continues."
Breaking Performance Expectations
Epic's Wyeth Johnson surprised many by confirming the demo's 60fps ray-traced performance targets actual PS5 gameplay aspirations: "Our technology must deliver what players demand - smooth 60fps experiences across all hardware." This seemingly ambitious target for an open-world title comes from optimized parallel processing techniques in Unreal Engine, as Johnson explained:
"By reworking traditional serial processes into parallel operations, we're unlocking console capabilities that previously seemed unavailable. Our animation framework and geometry streaming improvements exemplify this approach - fundamental upgrades that now benefit all Unreal developers."
Witcher 4 Tech Preview Screenshots
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While remaining guarded about specifics, Kapuściński hinted at key takeaways: "That sweeping forest vista demonstrates Nanite foliage capabilities, while the crowded marketplace previews our advanced NPC systems - both representing technologies crucial to our vision."
With CDPR targeting a 2027 release at earliest, platform strategy remains unclear. While this PS5 demo suggests current-gen compatibility, potential next-gen versions and Xbox Series S support remain open questions - especially given Rockstar's similar cross-gen plans for GTA VI. For now, fans must temper their expectations while admiring these promising technical foundations.
