In a Night City Wire video presentation, CD Projekt Red gave fans of Cyberpunk 2077 a glimpse at the difference between the game on Xbox One X and Xbox Series X, where it is running via backward compatibility. The goal was to make it crystal clear to consumers that the game will be compatible with new and old video game consoles alike when it launches. The Polish company promises an even more impressive upgrade is headed out when the actual next-generation version launches as a free upgrade “sometime in 2021.”
The video highlights several sections of a single, extended quest while clipping out most of the spoilery bits of narrative. It shows the player moving through dimly lit alleys, confronting both friendly and hostile non-player characters, and using every tool in their arsenal to make it through to their objective. You’ll see pistols, shotguns, explosives, and even a futuristic katana in action.
A single sequence showed the same scene side-by-side. The Xbox Series X version clearly shows enhanced reflectivity in the wet puddles on the surface of the street. Given the nature of streaming video, it’s not at all clear how the frame rates or other performance features match up. For example, we don’t know whether the game will run at 60 frames per second on Xbox Series X at launch, or whether that would be something that will change with next year’s update.
“A PlayStation gameplay video is also planned for release,” CD Projekt said in a news release, “with a specific date set to be revealed in the near future via the game’s official channels.”
Cyberpunk 2077 was initially scheduled to be released on April 16, 2020. In January, CD Projekt Red delayed the game to Sept. 17. Around the same time, executives announced that completing it would require a lengthy period of crunch. Later, in June, it was delayed once more until Nov. 19. It’s now set to be released on Dec. 10.
Update (Nov. 24): On Tuesday, developer CD Projekt Red published a YouTube video showcasing Cyberpunk 2077 running on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 consoles. Specifically, the video shows a specific mission from early on in the game, beginning with footage from the PlayStation 4 Pro, followed by footage from a PlayStation 5 using backward compatibility.
You can watch the full video below.