Cyberpunk 2077 Releases Next-Gen Update, 1.5 Patch and Free Trial

For PS5 and Xbox Series X|S owners, the wait is over: the Cyberpunk 2077 next-gen upgrade is here. It launches alongside the long-awaited 1.5 patch and a free trial that allows you to play the game for five hours.

This news comes to us courtesy of today’s CD Projekt Red livestream in which devs showed off how the next-gen upgrade looks and plays:

What can next-gen players look forward to seeing? Graphically, the game now has features like ray tracing, 4K resolution, dynamic scaling, and other important improvements. And if you’re playing on PS5, you will experience haptic feedback, adaptive triggers, and special audio features via the DualSense Controller.

When it comes to how the game looks, different consoles give players different options. For example, those playing on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X can choose between a ray-tracing mode and a performance mode. Sadly, the Xbox Series S version gives players no options, so you must play in 0 FPS in 1440p using dynamic resolution scaling.

Achievements and trophies are being implemented differently across systems, too. If you previously had unlocked achievements on the Xbox version of this game, then your system’s Smart Delivery system will transfer those new achievements to the next-gen version. Unfortunately, trophies previously unlocked on the PS4 version of the game will not transfer to the PS5 version.

Other assorted fixes include improved rendering quality, fewer FPS drops, and better HDR. The next-gen versions of the game now have Spanish voiceover support and the PS5 version has Activity Cards.

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Veteran players may want to come back to experience some other improvements to the gameplay. For example, character customization is improved, and you can change features every time you use a mirror at a safehouse. And once you complete the Playing for Time quest, you can pay a one-time fee to rent an apartment in Night City or when using  EZEstates website in V’s Megabuilding H10 apartment. This gives you a safe, convenient place to stash various gear and loot.

Speaking of gear, the game has added new weapon attachments, two new weapons, and four new weapon scopes. The perk tree has been rebalanced and your existing perks reset. And don’t forget to check out the new poses in the Photo Mode!

The AI has gotten a general overhaul that improves NPC combat and driving. And many of the glitches that the game became notorious for have now been fixed. That may be enough to lure in players worried about the game’s increasingly negative reputation after it was released.

If you’d like to check the game out with no commitment, there is a free trial between now and March 15. It allows you to play five hours of the game. At that point, you are given the option to buy the full game, and all of your progress will transfer over.

Will you be returning to Cyberpunk 2077 or checking it out for the first time? Let us know in the comments!