In the ever-evolving landscape of gaming hardware, the PlayStation 5 Pro stands as a monolith of raw visual potential. Yet, as of 2026, a towering pillar of the modern RPG genre remains conspicuously absent from its list of enhanced titles. CD Projekt Red has officially confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077, the sprawling dystopian epic set in Night City, has no plans for a PS5 Pro-specific upgrade. This decision, delivered succinctly via the game's official social channels, has left many fans and tech enthusiasts puzzled. Given the game's remarkable journey from a turbulent launch to a visual and narrative powerhouse—bolstered by its 2.0 overhaul and the Phantom Liberty expansion—its exclusion from the Pro's showcase roster feels like a master painter refusing a finer brush. The developers provided no reasoning for this strategic omission, leaving the community to speculate whether this is a calculated resource allocation or a surprising missed opportunity to let Night City's neon heart beat with unprecedented fidelity.
The Visual Powerhouse Left in Standard Definition
Since its phoenix-like rise from the ashes of its initial release, Cyberpunk 2077's identity has become intrinsically tied to its breathtaking visuals. Night City is not merely a setting; it is a pulsating, chaotic organism, a neural lattice of light and despair where every rain-slicked alley and towering megabuilding is crafted to immerse. The game was a flagship title for demonstrating the capabilities of powerful hardware, making the lack of a PS5 Pro patch seem counterintuitive. The Pro's feature set reads like a wishlist for a Night City architect:
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PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) for sharper, cleaner images.
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Advanced Ray Tracing to make every puddle and neon sign a mirror of the city's soul.
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Support for 4K and 8K resolutions, allowing the city's immense scale to be rendered in minute detail.
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High frame rate support for 120Hz displays, making combat and exploration fluid.
For a studio that once marketed the game heavily on its graphical prowess, bypassing this hardware feels akin to a symphony conductor choosing to perform in a padded room. While not every PS5 Pro upgrade has been flawless, Cyberpunk 2077 seemed a quintessential candidate to demonstrate the console's muscle, making its absence all the more conspicuous.
The Studio's Horizon: A Dual Focus on the Future
The most plausible explanation for this omission lies not in the past of Cyberpunk 2077, but in the future of CD Projekt Red. The studio is currently deep in the development trenches of two colossal projects, which are undoubtedly consuming the vast majority of its creative and technical resources:
| Project | Codename / Title | Status | Expected Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Witcher Saga Continuation | The Witcher 4 | Active Development | New saga, likely leveraging Unreal Engine 5 |
| Cyberpunk Sequel | Project Orion | Early Development | Building on 2077's foundations, aiming for a stable launch |
A PS5 Pro enhancement for a game that has already received its major post-launch support is simply not a priority when measured against the weight of these upcoming titles. The decision, while disappointing for some, can be seen as a deliberate pruning of branches to strengthen the roots of the studio's next-generation titles. Particularly for Project Orion, CD Projekt Red is likely determined to be meticulous, striving to avoid the launch controversies that plagued its predecessor. Allocating engineers and artists to a Pro patch could be viewed as a diversion from that critical path.
The Lingering Question of Legacy
Despite the logical reasons, the question remains: is this a wise long-term strategy? Cyberpunk 2077 remains a popular and frequently played title, a testament to its enduring world and gameplay. Denying it a visual shot in the arm on the PS5 Pro could be seen as leaving its legacy potential partially untapped. The city, which already feels like a gigantic, breathing circuit board, could have reached new heights of immersion with enhanced ray-traced reflections and PSSR-clarity. This decision may preserve it as a benchmark for the base PS5 era but prevents it from becoming a flagship for the Pro generation.
Ultimately, CD Projekt Red's choice underscores a shift in focus. The studio is looking forward, betting that the success of The Witcher 4 and a flawlessly executed Project Orion will far outweigh the benefits of a retroactive enhancement. For now, Night City will shine as brilliantly as it ever has on PlayStation—a stunning, fixed monument to a specific moment in gaming technology, rather than one continually remastered for each new dawn. The hope within the community is that this sacrifice of present polish is indeed the fuel for future masterpieces, ensuring that the lessons of Night City's own turbulent birth lead to smoother entries for the franchises yet to come. \ud83c\udf10