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

Sure, let’s dive into this. But, you know, with a bit of flair and maybe a stray thought or two:

Okay, so, here’s the deal. CD Projekt Red, you know the ones behind that witchy game series, are teaming up with Epic Games. They’re on a mission or something to push the boundaries of open-world games with… guess what? Yep, The Witcher 4! Unreal Engine 5 is their weapon of choice and they’ve got this tech demo – which by the way, isn’t the actual game, so don’t get your hopes too high. Still, they’ve tossed in some flair with Ciri, who’s up against some nasty beastie in the tech preview. Oh, and we’re off to Kovir – a place I assume is as charming as its name.

So, right, the tech demo. Not gonna lie, it’s all about the tech. They showcased this demo live (gulp) at 60 fps on the PS5. Why live? No idea. Brave souls, I guess. The cool tech isn’t just for The Witcher. Nope, they’re sharing the love with all the Unreal Engine 5 folks out there. Generous, isn’t it?

Now, meet Kelpie. Ciri’s new horse buddy. Sorry Roach, but Kelpie’s got all the moves. Thanks to what they call the ML Deformer – I think this makes muscles move in ways I probably shouldn’t be thinking too hard about. Smooth and efficient – kinda like how I imagine myself dancing, but probably not.

But there’s more! Hang on, switching gears – quite literally. Fast Geometry Streaming (no relation to Netflix streaming) is their magic spell making this world load fast. Like, super fast, so you don’t notice it’s loading. Imagine catching up with Ciri before she hits Valdrest, zooming around like a caffeinated squirrel with no glitches. Impressive.

Oh, forests! There’s this Nanite Foliage thing because hey, who doesn’t want detailed trees? The woods of Kovir use this tech to look all lush and leafy. Trees waving in the breeze without dropping frame rates like they’re out for a Sunday stroll.

Swinging back to animation – Unreal Animation Framework. Drama, right? Villages feel alive, NPCs dancing, mingling, and not just standing around like cutouts. They even plopped a band in Valdrest using this tech. Random, but real. NPCs react, not just stare. Nice touch.

Lastly, Mass Framework. This thing manages crowd chaos without crashing your console. Picture Valdrest’s bustling market. Ciri bumps into a dude with apples – they roll (obviously) starting a whole chain of tiny incidents. Kids chasing apples, pigs getting lunchy – it’s like a medieval slapstick routine. Fun times.

And there you have it. The techiest of demos promising big for The Witcher 4. Or so they say. Time will tell, eh?