Maxwell Jeffery 6/25/20

Why Cyberpunk 2077 Releasing With Next-Gen is a Good Thing

When Cyberpunk 2077 was unveiled in May of 2012, gamers knew that they had a long wait ahead of them. In 2013, the game’s first teaser trailer emerged, and it wasn’t until E3 2018 that we finally got our first peek of what the game would look like. Since then, the Cyberpunk hype train has seemingly lost its breaks, and video game fans around the globe have been counting down the days until we finally get our hands on the Keanu Reeves-endorsed futuristic masterpiece. 

When Cyberpunk 2077 was unveiled in May of 2012, gamers knew that they had a long wait ahead of them. In 2013, the game’s first teaser trailer emerged, and it wasn’t until E3 2018 that we finally got our first peek of what the game would look like. Since then, the Cyberpunk hype train has seemingly lost its breaks, and video game fans around the globe have been counting down the days until we finally get our hands on the Keanu Reeves-endorsed futuristic masterpiece. 

Unfortunately, that wait has been a little longer than expected, especially with developer CD Projekt Red’s latest announcement that the game will be delayed one last time. This announcement postponed the already rescheduled September release date and promised fans that November 19 would be the final day to mark in their calendars. Incidentally, this date appears to coincide with the leaked release window of next-gen consoles, something I firmly believe to be a good thing. Cyberpunk 2077 will be releasing as one of the final games on the current generation of
consoles prior to next-gen, meaning that the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 era is truly going out with a bang. What’s more, the game is already confirmed to be backwards-compatible with the new hardware. Therefore, those who pick up the upgraded tech at launch are treated to one of the best launch titles they could imagine.

Unfortunately, that wait has been a little longer than expected, especially with developer CD Projekt Red’s latest announcement that the game will be delayed one last time. This announcement postponed the already rescheduled September release date and promised fans that November 19 would be the final day to mark in their calendars. Incidentally, this date appears to coincide with the leaked release window of next-gen consoles, something I firmly believe to be a good thing. Cyberpunk 2077 will be releasing as one of the final games on the current generation of
consoles prior to next-gen, meaning that the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 era is truly going out with a bang. What’s more, the game is already confirmed to be backwards-compatible with the new hardware. Therefore, those who pick up the upgraded tech at launch are treated to one of the best launch titles they could imagine.

Older gamers will be well-aware that console launch periods often contain plenty of hype, but not so many great games, so Cyberpunk 2077 will be a welcome addition to the roster on day one. 

Older gamers will be well-aware that console launch periods often contain plenty of hype, but not so many great games, so Cyberpunk 2077 will be a welcome addition to the roster on day one. 

Of course, the game is also playable without purchasing the Xbox Series X or PS5, but I would argue that this future-inspired open world with visuals that push 7-year-old tech to its very limits is likely best played on next-gen. If there was ever a game to deserve the
“lightning fast” load times we’ve been promised, this is it. The sprawling open world will reportedly appear in seconds, thanks to the in-built solid state drives in the new consoles.

Of course, the game is also playable without purchasing the Xbox Series X or PS5, but I would argue that this future-inspired open world with visuals that push 7-year-old tech to its very limits is likely best played on next-gen. If there was ever a game to deserve the
“lightning fast” load times we’ve been promised, this is it. The sprawling open world will reportedly appear in seconds, thanks to the in-built solid state drives in the new consoles.

Photo credit: CNET

Due to this final delay, Cyberpunk 2077 will actually be more accessible for all gamers. Those who don’t have a current-gen console now have yet another reason to splash out on some new tech. As for those who traditionally play on PC but might not have the best build for an intense game like Cyberpunk, next-gen gives them a chance to play the
game on a powerful setup, while also securing a platform for fan-favorite exclusives further down the line. It’s also worth pointing out that those who own a copy of Cyberpunk 2077 on console will also be upgraded to a “more-robust” updated next-gen version for free, when it releases next year.

Due to this final delay, Cyberpunk 2077 will actually be more accessible for all gamers. Those who don’t have a current-gen console now have yet another reason to splash out on some new tech. As for those who traditionally play on PC but might not have the best build for an intense game like Cyberpunk, next-gen gives them a chance to play the
game on a powerful setup, while also securing a platform for fan-favorite exclusives further down the line. It’s also worth pointing out that those who own a copy of Cyberpunk 2077 on console will also be upgraded to a “more-robust” updated next-gen version for free, when it releases next year.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, CD Projekt Red cares about quality like no other games company. For them, the titles they release are labors of love, and if waiting a little longer is the price to pay for the perfect game launch, then we’re happy to do so. After all, we’ve certainly had enough of games needing to be patched and fixed after a broken release. 

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, CD Projekt Red cares about quality like no other games company. For them, the titles they release are labors of love, and if waiting a little longer is the price to pay for the perfect game launch, then we’re happy to do so. After all, we’ve certainly had enough of games needing to be patched and fixed after a broken release.