Cyberpunk 2077: PS5 and Xbox next gen update patch 1.5 explained - is upgrade available on PS4 and Xbox One?

Here’s how to update your game to the latest next-gen version, and take advantage of a free Cyberpunk 2077 trial
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It was one of the most anticipated game launches of 2020, but Cyberpunk 2077’s initial release was mired in technical problems and bugs.

The ambitious sci-fi game ran poorly on older games consoles, and even on newer machines like the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, myriad issues meant the game failed to live up to high expectations set by impressive looking trailers.

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But now, the long-awaited ‘next gen’ upgrade to the game has been made available, hoping to bring the world of Cyberpunk more in line with the expectations of games.

But just how does the game run in its current state, and how do you go about actually updating it?

Here is everything you need to know.

What has changed?

Things were so bad with Cyberpunk 2077’s December 2020 release, Sony pulled the game from its digital store and offered customers a refund following reports of bugs and glitches throughout the title.

Players mostly complained of crashes on the older consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One, such as poor frame rates and screen tearing.

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Sony Interactive Entertainment said it “strives to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction” and has removed the game from the PlayStation Store “until further notice”.

Unfortunately for players who still game on those consoles, the next-gen upgrade will be of little use.

This inforgraphic breaks down the major changes players can expect to see on each platform (Image: CD Projekt Red)This inforgraphic breaks down the major changes players can expect to see on each platform (Image: CD Projekt Red)
This inforgraphic breaks down the major changes players can expect to see on each platform (Image: CD Projekt Red)

That’s because though the patch is still bringing an exciting amount of new content and fixes to those on older consoles (read on to find out more), it also makes use of the increased performance capabilities of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles.

With the new power available to the developers, they’ve been able to implement features like ray tracing, and visual quality improvements including improved resolutions and effects.

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A Performance Mode has been added that trims back some of these new graphical features to ensure smooth gameplay at 60fps if that’s more your style.

It’s worth noting that the Xbox Series S version has no graphics mode selection, and is by default presented at 30 FPS in 1440p with dynamic resolution scaling.

What else is new?

It’s not just the graphics that have seen a revamp, the next-gen update and Patch 1.5 also bring in a number of new features and content.

The highlights here include new apartments that can be rented, new character customisation options and new weapons.

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Then there are the tweaks made to the game itself, such as improvements to AI to give enemies more realistic behaviour, and to allow crowds and other in-game pedestrians to behave in a more lifelike way.

The driving systems have also been updated, allowing players to pull off impressive burnouts among other improvements.

Then there are the myriad smaller improvements, such as the "Easy" game difficulty now being moderately more challenging, improvements to combat, and all manner of big fixes.

For a full list of improvements and changes made, head to head to cyberpunk.net.

(Image: CD Projekt Red)(Image: CD Projekt Red)
(Image: CD Projekt Red)

How does the free trial work?

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Developers CD Projekt Red are also giving players on PS5 and Xbox Series consoles a chance to try the game out for free, as a way to see “how the game runs, what’s been added, and just get a feel for things without committing to a purchase.”

The trial will give you five free hours of playtime, and once you have downloaded and installed it, you’ll be able to start a new game of Cyberpunk 2077.

For the full five-hour duration of the trial, you’ll have total freedom to play the game from the beginning; once you hit five hours of playtime, the free trial will end and you can choose whether to purchase the full game or not.

If you do opt in for a purchase, your save progress will carry over, so you can pick up your adventure right where you left off.

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Be warned though, that the free trial is only being made available for 30 days, and will become unavailable to download from 15 March at 4pm UK time.

What about players on older consoles?

Unfortunately, the next-gen update is only available to players on PS5 or Xbox Series X/S machines, as is the free five-hour trial.

But, players on the older machines can still take advantage of new features and upgrades brought in by Patch 1.5.

These include new weapons and apartments for the player-character, and balance tweaks to the game’s gameplay, economy and loot systems.

For more information, head to cyberpunk.net.

How do I update the game?

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Players on Xbox Series consoles who already own Cyberpunk 2077 will either see their game update automatically in the background, or be prompted to update it when booting up the game.

It’s a simple process, thanks to Microsoft’s ‘Smart Deliver’ technology which allows seamless upgrades between versions of certain games.

On PS5, it’s a little trickier, and though the update is still free, you’ll need to manually navigate to the PS Store and find the PS5 versions (look for the logo) to download.

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