The Witcher 4 UE5 Demo Stays as Tech Showcase

CD Projekt Red's Unreal Engine 5 tech demo for The Witcher 4, showcased at State of Unreal 2025, may see further enhancements before the game's official launch. Here’s what the developers revealed about their performance targets and what the technical presentation demonstrated.

The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo Overview

Targeting 60fps on Standard PS5

The Witcher 4’s State of Unreal 2025 presentation displayed stunning next-gen visuals running at 60 frames per second on a base PlayStation 5. This demonstration, however, is not representative of the final product and remains subject to change.

In a June 3 interview with Eurogamer, a CD Projekt Red spokesperson confirmed that achieving 60fps on PS5 is a development goal, though final specifications are not yet locked. They explained, "While it's premature to confirm exact platform specifications, we're collaborating closely with Epic Games to deliver an open-world experience that balances visual excellence with smooth performance."

Although the tech demo generated significant excitement, it risks creating unrealistic expectations for the final game's performance and presentation. CD Projekt Red faced similar challenges prior to Cyberpunk 2077's launch, where initial showcases set expectations that weren't immediately met due to technical issues at release.

The spokesperson clarified that the demonstration primarily served to highlight the collaborative tools developed by CDPR and Epic Games, rather than representing final game content. "Specific visual elements, including character models and environments, may differ in the final version of The Witcher 4," they noted.

Unreal Engine 5.6 Technical Demonstration

The 14-minute live demonstration showcased Unreal Engine 5.6's advanced capabilities, featuring photorealistic environments, high-definition visuals, next-generation ray tracing, and other cutting-edge technologies. Developers emphasized that this was strictly a technical showcase rather than actual gameplay footage.

Beginning with a cinematic sequence of a carriage ambush, the presentation seamlessly transitioned to live gameplay showing Ciri investigating the wreckage and exploring the surrounding area.

Viewers were introduced to Ciri's horse Kelpie, with developers highlighting the implementation of "root motion movement" technology to create more authentic horseback riding mechanics. The team demonstrated Kelpie's detailed muscle movements using Unreal Engine's ML Deformer technology.

Key Unreal Engine upgrades featured included Nanite Foliage for highly detailed vegetation without performance loss, Fast Geo Streaming for seamless loading of expansive environments, and the MetaHuman AI crowds system with Mass Framework for managing large-scale dynamic crowds with realistic behavior.

The presentation also revealed the new region of Kovir, previously unseen in The Witcher series, including the mountain port town of Valdrest nestled within snowy peaks.

Notably absent from the demonstration was any combat gameplay, as the focus remained on highlighting Unreal Engine 5's graphical capabilities and technical advancements. Despite this, fans expressed enthusiasm for seeing the next Witcher installment realized through Epic's latest engine technology.

The Witcher 4 is scheduled for release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC platforms. No specific release date has been announced. For continuing coverage and updates, refer to our ongoing coverage below.