CD Projekt RED has revealed a major update regarding the development of The Witcher 4, and it’s a move that could spell bad news for the PC gaming community. In a new interview with Digital Foundry, the studio’s VP of technology, Charles Tremblay, explained that the team is now prioritizing console-first development—a notable shift from CDPR’s historically PC-focused approach.
A Strategic Shift After Cyberpunk’s Fallout
In his interview with Digital Foundry’s Alex Battaglia, Tremblay stated:
“We have super-high ambition for this project, and we always do PC and we push and then we try to scale down. But then we had so many problems in the past that we tried to see, okay, this time around we really want to be more console-first [in] development.”
This change comes in the wake of the Cyberpunk 2077 launch debacle, where poor optimization on last-gen consoles led to major technical issues, negative press, and even refund offers. By shifting to a console-first model, CD Projekt RED seems determined to avoid a repeat of that chaos—but it may come at the cost of PC gamers’ expectations.
What This Means for PC Players
Traditionally, CD Projekt RED has been celebrated for pushing the envelope in terms of graphical fidelity and modding support on PC. Titles like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt became iconic partially due to their PC versions, which offered enhanced visuals and features.
Now, however, with console-first development as the new strategy, some fans are worried that:
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PC performance could be an afterthought, with optimization trailing behind console versions.
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Next-gen console constraints may limit PC potential, reducing scalability and flexibility.
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Modding support and PC-specific features might be deprioritized or excluded entirely.
Developers Still Promise Ambition
Despite the concerns, CD Projekt RED insists that its ambition for The Witcher 4 remains sky-high. The goal is still to push technical boundaries—but this time, they aim to do so while minimizing post-launch chaos by focusing on consoles first, then scaling up or down accordingly.
While many understand the logic after Cyberpunk 2077’s problematic release, it’s clear that the new approach is already sparking debate within the community. Some fans appreciate the transparency, while others fear that PC gaming—the studio’s original stronghold—might be left behind.
It’s too early to sound the alarm, but this latest development update suggests that PC players should temper expectations. As CD Projekt RED prioritizes consoles to avoid repeating past mistakes, PC gamers may face longer waits for optimal performance—or even features exclusive to console ecosystems.
The Witcher 4 is still in active development with no release window announced. But as the project moves forward, it will be worth watching how this console-first philosophy plays out—and whether CD Projekt RED can maintain its legacy of delivering top-tier experiences across platforms.