As you know, CD Projekt RED had long been using its in-house game engine, RED Engine, for all its game developments. However, the studio has now decided to switch to Unreal Engine 5, abandoning a choice that had disrupted the development of titles like Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 4. This decision appears to have given the company a significant boost, like a balloon shedding its weights.

Unreal Engine 5 and CD Projekt RED Collaboration for The Witcher 4

The Witcher 4 will be one of the first games developed by CD Projekt RED using Unreal Engine 5. The studio stated that they are working closely with Epic Games, and the collaboration has been mutually beneficial. Unreal Engine 5 aims to enhance both the visual quality and technical performance of the game to the highest standards.

Although this transition has been mostly positive, the studio has faced some uncertainties. It was revealed that the stunning trailer shown during The Game Awards was pre-rendered using an unfinished Nvidia RTX graphics card. While the visuals in the trailer are said to be close to the final quality of the game, there were concerns about optimization for console players.

CD Projekt RED has emphasized that it learned valuable lessons from the issues Cyberpunk 2077 faced on older-generation consoles. Charles Tremblay, the studio’s Vice President of Technology, explained that they now incorporate lower-spec hardware into their development process for all their games. This ensures that even on lower-powered consoles like the Xbox Series S, the games will run smoothly.

Do you think The Witcher 4 will meet the expectations of console players? Don’t forget to share your thoughts in the comments!