The Witcher has turned into a cultural sensation as a top-tier video game series, a TV show, and even an animated film. Although the novels are often forgotten in the process, the impact of the IP is evident for everyone to see. The fourth installment of the video game might be a few years away, but the latest Witcher 4 PS5 demo shows us just how much work is going into building this open-world RPG. The Witcher 4, a CD Projekt Red game, was recently showcased during Epic Games’ Unreal Fest 2025, and it flaunted just how Unreal Engine 5.6 was aiding in helping the title reach its full potential.
TheWitcher 4 tech showcase gave fans a glimpse at a live demo running at 60fps on a base PS5, and while the team cautioned viewers that the demo wasn’t a representation of the final version of the game, fans were more than happy to get a glimpse at the direction the game was headed. Let’s see what we know about the showcase.
The Witcher 4 PS5 Demo Has Reignited Hopes for Another Well-Designed Title
It has been 10 years since CD Projekt last released a game in the series, and the wait has been unbearable for fans who were hoping to see the mighty Geralt of Rivia make a return. Unfortunately for many fans who don’t like change, the upcoming game focuses on Ciri, Geralt’s adopted daughter. This has left many gamers fuming about the “wokeness” of a game that’s actually borrowing from real source material and not making characters up on a whim. Still, the Witcher 4 UE5 footage was well-received.
What Did the Witcher 4 Performance Test Reveal About the Game?
The Witcher 4 trailer is set in a new location of Kovir, and it begins with a winged beast attacking a group of travelers. It then shifts to Ciri, who has now grown into an adult Witcher herself. She is seen with her horse Kelpi as she travels through the snow to take down the monster and find the men.
After this brief trailer, the Witcher 4 PS5 technical demo also showed viewers a more detailed tech demo to showcase the finer details of the project under development. While the footage shown is not the final form the visuals are set to adopt, it was interesting to witness just how the project was developing.
Nanite Foliage
The demo showcased how UE 5.6’s Nanite Foliage technology was being utilized to enhance the environmental factor. The technology supports the creation of dense, lifelike foliage with high details and virtually unlimited drawing distance, allowing for a very natural atmosphere in Kovir. The demo also showcased fast Geometry Streaming to help the surroundings keep up with quick movements from the protagonist without any stuttering or drop in quality, “using a lightweight method to register and unregister assets.”
A Dynamic Approach to NPCs
The demo featured the bustling port town Valdres, and presented the interaction of NPCs to make the open-world game far more immersive. The data-driven Mass Framework helps with the creation of large, reactive crowds that make the game more immersive. while reducing performance costs.
Advanced Physics and Animations
Ciri’s horse, Kelpie, showcases realistic muscle simulation and motion physics, with individual muscles flexing as it gallops. The ML Deformer allows for more realistic textures across the board, and this is highlighted in the horse’s design details, which don’t lose their luster close-up.
Does Witcher 4 Have a Release Date?
No official release dates have been announced for Witcher 4 and considering the scale of the project, it is highly unlikely that the game will be released before 2027. From what we’ve heard, the game has been in full-scale production since the end of 2024, so it is evident that we are only witnessing the game in its nascent stage.
The title is the first installment of a new trilogy, and part of a larger expansion of the Witcher universe. There are also reportedly two other spin-off games also under development, codenamed Canis Majoris and Sirius. Not too much is known about Sirius, other than the fact that The Molasses Flood team is in charge of developing the title and that it could involve a multiplayer element in addition to the single-player campaigns and quests.
Canis Majoris has been confirmed to be a remake of the very first Witcher game and is being overseen by Polish studio Fool’s Theory. This will involve a full redo of the game on Unreal Engine 5, which will bring the title up to match the quality of games being released today. Before you get too excited, you should know that this remake will only be released after The Witcher 4, so we have a long wait ahead of us before the game materializes.
The Witcher 4 CD Projekt and Epic Games Collaboration is Something to Behold
CD Projekt Red’s partnership with Epic Games, initiated in 2022, focuses on tailoring Unreal Engine 5 for open-world experiences. The demo showcases tools like the Unreal Animation Framework, MetaHuman technology, and Mass AI, which will be shared with the wider development community for their own needs as well.
The Witcher 4 tech showcase is impressive, to say the least, even if it isn’t fully representative of the final game. Not only does the trailer offer insight into the experience in-game, but it also shows just how much is still possible on the PS5. Some fans remain wary of trusting CD Projekt after the challenges surrounding its release of Cyberpunk 2077, but most fans trust that the company has learned from its mistakes.
Overall, the Witcher 4’s PS5 demo has been a huge success. While Geralt’s return to the game has not yet been confirmed, it is believed that he’ll show up in a supporting role at the least. This open-world RPG game has set itself up to be one of the most immersive and ambitious games from CD Projekt yet, and its leveraging of Unreal 5’s engine shows that technology will only get smarter from here on out.
There are reports of over 400 developers working on the project, making this the company’s most resource-intensive endeavor. With such a mighty force behind the title, we can’t wait to see what the game has in store for us in the next few years.
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