Cyberpunk 2077 stumbles at last hurdle with PS5 and Xbox Series X upgrade delay

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(Image credit: CDPR)

Cyberpunk 2077 – a game synonymous with delays – has been hit with yet another that will see its next-gen upgrade release in early 2022 instead of later this year as was originally planned.

That, unfortunately, means players on Xbox Series X and PS5 consoles will have to wait a few more months before they can enjoy the full next-gen experience. The announcement comes via a CD Projekt investor update warning that the Cyberpunk 2077 upgrade will now launch in Q1 2022 (that’s January, February or March) at the recommendation of those supervising the project.

The next-gen upgrade of CD Projekt’s hugely popular The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is also getting hit with a delay, now being pushed back to Q2 2022 (April, May, June). Given that Cyberpunk 2077 was hit with multiple delays – and still came out in a disappointing state – we wouldn’t be shocked if the next-gen upgrade was pushed back even further to avoid any more fan backlash.

Delays are nothing new in gaming and by now Cyberpunk 2077 fans will be more than used to seeing that iconic yellow background explaining that the game they long to play has been pushed back yet again.

For the most part, delays aren't really an issue, as the famous Shigeru Miyamoto quote goes “A delayed game is eventually good, a bad game is bad forever.” Generally, the Mario creator is correct. When given more time to get the game in order, developers are able to deliver the best possible experience to fans.

However, what added insult to injury in the case of CD Projekt Red’s sci-fi RPG was that the delays didn’t result in a good game; Cyberpunk 2077 still launched as a glitchy mess that was barely playable on the PS4 or Xbox One. The situation was so bad that it was even booted off the PlayStation platform at one point.

Can we trust CD Projekt Red again?

Now that delays are once again hitting the game, we can’t help but be worried that we’ll be burned again; that when March 2022 rolls around CD Projekt Red will panic and release Cyberpunk’s next-gen upgrade half-baked rather than risk further delay.

Its efforts to patch Cyberpunk 2077 and the wording of its update have us hopeful that this won’t be the case, but even nearly a year after Cyberpunk was released it’s hard to trust the once-beloved studio again.

We'll have to wait and see what the next-gen upgrade holds, but if CD Projekt Red makes a misstep yet again it might be game over for Cyberpunk 2077.

Hamish Hector
Senior Staff Writer, News

Hamish is a Senior Staff Writer for TechRadar and you’ll see his name appearing on articles across nearly every topic on the site from smart home deals to speaker reviews to graphics card news and everything in between. He uses his broad range of knowledge to help explain the latest gadgets and if they’re a must-buy or a fad fueled by hype. Though his specialty is writing about everything going on in the world of virtual reality and augmented reality.