Phantom Liberty: The Performance Journey of Cyberpunk 2077 on Gaming Consoles

Phantom Liberty: The Performance Journey of Cyberpunk 2077 on Gaming Consoles

A Rocky Start

Since its launch, the video game Cyberpunk 2077 has been under scrutiny, with CD Projekt’s ambitious project initially facing widespread criticism. The game was plagued by numerous bugs and performance issues, which were especially evident on last-generation gaming consoles such as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In fact, the situation was so dire that Sony decided to temporarily remove the game from the PlayStation Store, while CD Projekt offered refunds to unsatisfied customers.

Phantom Liberty: A Hope for Better Performance

Despite these initial setbacks, the developers have been committed to improving the game’s performance and have released several patches since its launch. The latest of these, Phantom Liberty, has sparked interest as it was tested on various consoles to evaluate its performance.

The test results revealed that while the game runs smoothly on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, with fewer bugs and improved graphics compared to previous versions, it still struggles on last-generation consoles. While the game’s performance has noticeably improved on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, it still does not meet expected standards. As for PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X, the game’s performance falls somewhere in the middle.

Frame Rate: The Persistent Challenge

One of the significant issues that emerged from the testing was the game’s inconsistent frame rate. Despite marked improvements, the game still occasionally drops to 30 frames per second, particularly during visually intensive scenes or during combat. The desired standard for modern gaming is 60 frames per second, making this inconsistency a significant drawback.

On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, the game can run at 60 frames per second, but maintaining this rate during demanding scenes is a struggle. For lower-end consoles like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the game often runs at 30 frames per second or less. This discrepancy suggests that the game’s performance is limited by the hardware of the consoles, and further improvements by the developers may be challenging without compromising the game’s visual quality.

Improvements and Limitations

It’s essential to acknowledge the significant improvements in Cyberpunk 2077’s performance since its initial release. However, it’s equally important to recognize that despite these improvements, the game fails to consistently deliver 60 frames per second, which is a standard for modern gaming.

The game’s performance heavily depends on the console’s capabilities. It runs better on newer consoles, but it still struggles on older ones. Consequently, to get the best experience, players are advised to play the game on a higher-end console or a PC.

In conclusion, while the Phantom Liberty patch has brought substantial improvements to Cyberpunk 2077, the game’s performance still falls short of expectations on certain platforms. The journey to smooth performance continues, but the progress made so far is undeniably significant.