Some Cyberpunk 2077 players are furious after discovering serious technical problems with the version of the game played on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles.
The long-awaited sci-fi RPG, developed by Polish studio CD Projekt Red, faced delays and periods of crunch as it worked to get the game ready for launch.
With early reviews of the game, including a four-star write-up in The Independent, focusing exclusively on the PC version of Cyberpunk, it had been unknown until launch how well the game would hold up, especially on older consoles.
While there have still been reports of glitches across all versions of the game – including bizarre technical malfunctions wherein vehicles disappear, characters walk through walls and lewd body parts protrude through clothing – videos shared on social media have suggested that the last-generation versions of the game are faring worst.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available on PS4, Xbox One, PC and Stadia, though the “base” consoles appear to be less capable of handling the game than the enhanced versions (the PS4 Pro and the Xbox One X) or the next-generation PS5 and Xbox Series X, on which the game can also be played.
Properly optimised PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of Cyberpunk 2077 are expected to be released next year.
People voiced their disatisfaction with the game on Reddit and elsewhere. One player described the game on Twitter as “shockingly disappointing”.
“Hey @CyberpunkGame / @CDPROJEKTRED,” wrote another. “Think you could actually release the game in a playable state before charging us? Totally broken on PS4, screen tearing constantly, muddy graphics and frame rates dropping to a crawl and juddering during combat.”
“This is unacceptable,” they added.
It’s worth noting that some of the issues reported on social media are exacerbated by players bypassing the Day One patch, which remedied some of the most egregious glitches.
Players on any format are advised to make sure they are playing the most recently updated version of the game to obtain the smoothest experience possible.
Back in September, it was reported that CD Projekt Red, the studio behind Cyberpunk 2077, was mandating that employees “crunch” – work heavy hours of overtime, for at least six days a week – in order to make sure the game was in a fit state for launch.
Earlier this week, it was reported that several sequences in the game could potentially trigger seizures in players with photosensitive epilepsy, a revelation which drew criticism from epilepsy charities.
CD Projekt Red have said that they are working to introduce a separate warning splash screen in the game, in addition to the existing warning in their Licence Agreement.
The company is also working on a “more permanent solution” which developers are looking to deploy as soon as possible.
