The Witcher 4 UE5 Tech Demo Is Official

The technical demo for The Witcher 4 unveiled at State of Unreal 2025 is still undergoing refinements ahead of launch. Discover CD Projekt Red's performance targets and insights shared during the presentation.

The Witcher 4 State of Unreal 2025 Technical Demonstration

Targeting 60fps on Standard PS5

The Witcher 4's State of Unreal demo showcased breathtaking visuals running at 60fps on base PlayStation 5 hardware. CD Projekt Red clarifies this represents work-in-progress technology rather than final gameplay quality.

In a June 3 interview with Eurogamer, CDPR representatives confirmed 60fps on PS5 remains their target, though specifications are still being optimized. "While it's premature to confirm exact platform specifications," they noted, "we're collaborating closely with Epic Games to deliver an open-world experience that balances visual excellence with smooth performance."

While the demonstration generated significant excitement, CDPR acknowledges the risks of creating unrealistic expectations - a challenge the studio previously faced during Cyberpunk 2077's promotional cycle. The technical preview primarily serves to demonstrate collaborative development tools rather than representing final game content.

"This demonstration highlights the technological partnership between CDPR and Epic Games," clarified developers. "Specific visual elements including character models and environments may differ in the final product."

Unreal Engine 5.6 Technical Preview

The 14-minute live demonstration highlighted Unreal Engine 5.6's capabilities including photorealistic environments, high-fidelity graphics, advanced ray tracing, and other next-generation features. Developers stressed this was purely a technical demonstration rather than actual gameplay footage.

Following an introductory cinematic depicting a monster ambush, the presentation transitions to live gameplay showing Ciri investigating the aftermath. The demo emphasizes environmental interaction and exploration mechanics.

Audiences were introduced to Ciri's equestrian companion Kelpie, featuring advanced "root motion movement" technology creating realistic horse locomotion. The team implemented ML Deformer technology to simulate accurate muscle movement beneath the horse's skin.

Notable engine enhancements demonstrated include Nanite Foliage for high-density vegetation rendering, Fast Geo Streaming for seamless large-world loading, and MetaHuman AI crowds powered by Mass Framework for dynamic population simulation.

The presentation revealed Kovir, a previously unexplored region in The Witcher universe, with Ciri visiting the mountainous port settlement of Valdrest. The demo focused on environmental storytelling and technological capabilities rather than combat systems.

Despite the absence of combat sequences, the demonstration successfully showcased the potential of Epic's latest engine for next-generation RPG development. The Witcher 4 is confirmed for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC platforms, though release timing remains unannounced.