The Witcher 4 Unreal Engine 5 Tech Demo Unveiled for PS5 on PlayStation.Blog

Alright, so here’s the lowdown. CD Projekt Red, you know, those folks who brought us Geralt and his iconic bathtub scene? Yeah, they’re teaming up with Epic Games. And the reason? They’re cooking up something wild with The Witcher 4. Though, hang on, it’s not exactly a sneak peek of gameplay, more like a flashy tech demo, if you catch my drift. Anyway — no, seriously wait — something about this just gives me goosebumps.

Picture this. Ciri, our new lead in a monster mash, and she’s in this fresh area called Kovir. Weirdly, it’s not smack in the middle of conflict like the rest of the Northern areas. Kind of a trading hub vibe, I guess? Now—did I mention it’s all about the tech? They flaunted it on stage, running buttery smooth at 60 FPS on a PS5. Trying not to gush here, but I mean… come on! Anyway. They’re not keeping this magic to themselves. Nope. They’re sharing the tech love with developers using Unreal Engine 5. Goosebumps, right?

Now, what’s this about a horse named Kelpie? Strutting in with more flair than our dear Roach. They’ve got her with this ML Deformer tech that makes Kelpie’s muscles do their thing realistically. It’s this whole big deal with fancy deformations happening in real-time. Sounds sci-fi, but also, like, why not?

Back to landscapes. They’ve figured out this Fast Geometry Streaming—seriously, who names these things?—so environments like snowy peaks and forest-y depths load without hiccups. It’s all about the smooth ride, no random pop-ups to kill the vibe. I mean, how do they even do this stuff? Whatever, it’s working.

Alright, trees! More specifically, Nanite Foliage. I had to Google this one, not even gonna lie. But once again, no skipping on the cool factor. It lets them craft forests that look ridiculously real without bogging down performance. Imagine leaves swaying and stuff without slowing your game down. I could watch that all day.

Oh, and villages in this demo look busy, thanks to something they call the Unreal Animation Framework. The NPCs are not just standing around like lifeless statues; they’re actually reacting to what’s happening. Feels like they’re aiming to blur the line between players and NPCs. Oops, sorry, I veered off there—anyway—onward!

Speaking of packed places, Mass Framework deals with huge crowds. Got this scene where Ciri bumps into a dude with apples, right? Apples rolling everywhere, kids scurrying, pigs snorting for snacks—I’m chuckling just picturing it. Just feels like they’re making the world genuinely lived-in. There’s the kicker, they’ve managed to make the everyday chaotic and that’s the charm.

Real talk, this tech demo thing? It’s a peek into the future, and I’m here for the ride. Or maybe it’s just my geeky heart going wild. Who knows?