CD Projekt Red has announced a significant free update for Cyberpunk 2077 on the PlayStation 5 Pro, scheduled for release on April 8, 2026. The update aims to leverage the console’s advanced hardware to bring the experience closer to the high-end PC version, introducing 4K visuals and sophisticated lighting enhancements.
Advanced AI Upscaling and Ray Tracing
Central to the upgrade is the integration of PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR), Sony’s AI-driven upscaling technology. According to Kuba Knapik, Vice President and Global Art Director at CD Projekt Red, PSSR analyzes pixels individually to upscale the image, enhancing the detail of everything from vehicles to character models across Night City.
The update also introduces BVH8 (8-way Bounding Volume Hierarchy) support. This technical implementation allows for more realistic ray-traced lighting, shadows, and reflections. This move highlights the industry’s continued push to bridge the visual gap between consoles and enthusiast-grade PCs through specialized hardware acceleration.
“We wanted to make the most of the PS5 Pro’s cutting-edge technology by bringing 4K visuals, powered-up performance, advanced ray tracing, and more to the Cyberpunk 2077 experience,” stated Knapik. “The goal was to bring the very best out of both the hardware and our game to make Night City shine as brightly as possible.”
Three New Performance Profiles
To accommodate different player preferences, CD Projekt Red is introducing three distinct graphics modes:
- Ray Tracing Pro: Designed as the most visually advanced version, this mode enables all available enhancements, including emissive lighting, skylight, ambient occlusion, shadows, and ray-traced reflections. It targets 40 frames per second (fps) on displays with variable refresh rate (VRR) enabled, or 30 fps on other displays.
- Ray Tracing: Positioned as a balance between fidelity and fluidity, this mode offers select ray tracing enhancements while targeting a consistent 60 fps.
- Performance: This profile prioritizes speed and responsiveness, targeting the highest possible frame rates, reaching up to 90 fps on VRR-enabled displays.
The arrival of these modes signals a strategic shift toward offering high-fidelity “Ultra” style presets on console hardware, previously reserved for high-end GPUs.
The update will be available for free on April 8, 2026. Players who have access to the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog can experience the enhanced version of the action role-playing game on their PS5 Pro hardware.
