Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty tech check: Here’s how the big expansion runs on PC.

We’ve performed the Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty growth and are optimistic on a technical stage.

Hey Chooms, welcome again to Night time Metropolis, the gorgeous wanting dystopia. With Phantom Liberty, developer CD Projekt RED takes you to a brand new space: Dogtown.

The sport may also obtain a significant replace. Not like the Phantom Liberty growth, you received’t need to shell out any eddies for model 2.0 of Cyberpunk 

However to the elephant within the room: The discharge of Cyberpunk 2077 in 2020 went something however easily. Along with small and huge bugs, there have been additionally efficiency issues, particularly on the consoles

The excellent news is that you simply don’t need to concern an identical fiasco with Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, despite the fact that there are some minor issues. You’ll find out precisely how the growth performs on a technical stage right here.

That is what makes Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty stand out on the PC

Let’s work our approach by way of the tech thicket, beginning with eulogies.

And we write them with a transparent conscience, as a result of: Phantom Liberty doesn’t repeat the errors from 2020 and, along with the two.0 replace, additionally is aware of tips on how to persuade visually.

We notably like these factors:

• Recreation stream: Nasty bugs or different main issues that tear you out of the immersive world in Night time Metropolis are hardly current – that’s our impression after numerous hours of play. Now we have been in a position to stroll by way of Dogtown nearly undisturbed up to now and discover the brand new space extensively, (predominant) missions largely went off and not using a hitch. Largely as a result of a smaller facet mission simply wouldn’t begin. V merely didn’t wish to get into the automotive, regardless of the snug backrest! At a later level, nonetheless, V determined to simply accept the mission in spite of everything.
• Efficiency: The sport’s efficiency was convincing on our take a look at methods. There have been no surprising crashes or annoying FPS drops throughout longer periods. It will probably keep like this!
• DLSS 3.5: With Cyberpunk 2.0, help for the most recent DLSS model additionally comes into play. This offers RTX playing cards with “Ray Reconstruction”, which, together with pathtracing, ensures delicate reflections and lighting in addition to shadows with as few picture errors as attainable. All of those options mixed make for an incredible visible showcase of simply how properly this know-how can work.
• HDR: We turned on HDR for Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty and are thrilled with the icing on the cake. The contrasts are properly labored out due to HDR10. Sunbeams by way of small gaps and cracks within the ceiling or the lights at evening look much more highly effective. Not occasionally, we stopped and let the scenes take impact on us.
• The Dogtown location: Dogtown presents all the pieces to take a better take a look at the technical intricacies from Cyberpunk 2077. From brighter metropolis corners to darker alleys with flashy, ostentatious lighting, it’s all right here.

The adjusting screws nonetheless have to be pulled right here

Sure, our reward may hardly be extra resounding, had been it not for the well-known “however”. As a result of not all the pieces in Night time Metropolis, and particularly in Dogtown, is ideal, because the facade initially tries to disguise.

Right here the builders need to work once more:

• Bugs: Waaaas?! Sure, the growth additionally struggles with occasional bugs. Moreover the aforementioned facet mission the place V didn’t wish to get into the automotive, there are minor bugs within the recreation. For instance, recreation editor Valentin quietly eliminates his opponents, whose our bodies are nonetheless struggling after they die, whereas V desires to maneuver them apart. And his colleague Alex most likely jetted by way of the town so quick that he fell by way of the world – simply to call just a few examples.
• Graphics bugs: Ties in with the earlier level. Even with extremely settings and buttery easy 100 FPS, visible artifacts pop up every so often.
• Face particulars: Particular person faces and facial expressions (nonetheless) look loveless and don’t match into the in any other case stunning recreation. But this isn’t the rule. Many NPCs are finely fleshed out and look very coherent and becoming to the ambiance.
• Texture particulars: Nearly all of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is a visible deal with. Interval. That’s already the case with the principle recreation. Nonetheless, the growth additionally takes over the small weaknesses and a few corners and objects may have the next decision of the textures or a bit extra element. However right here we’re complaining on a excessive stage.
• The AI in fight: Even on excessive problem ranges, smaller enemies stand in entrance of our shotgun every so often and look silly till they catch a bullet – with none resistance. Good, from time to time they prance to the best and left to confuse us.
• VRAM–Requirement: 12.0 GBytes of VRAM are a minimal for extremely settings together with ray tracing. The video reminiscence didn’t run full in our test, however the reminiscence starvation was on the restrict.

We’re fully impartial – not less than on a technical stage – concerning the new police system. By chance working over Night time Metropolis residents and taking off as if nothing ever occurred is nothing greater than a lame excuse with the replace to Cyberpunk 2.0. The police are focusing on you.

Total, although, we’re neither thrilled nor disillusioned concerning the AI.

Checking the system necessities of Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty

With the replace to Cyberpunk 2.0 and the Phantom Liberty growth, the system necessities have modified. Based on the datasheet, the sport now calls for much more out of your PC, which we are able to additionally partially affirm with regard to ray tracing.

Nonetheless, the rise in necessities will also be defined by the truth that the builders now not wish to take a look at the sport on older {hardware}. This implies: If in case you have been in a position to play Cyberpunk 2077 up to now, your system also needs to be capable of deal with the growth – so long as an SSD laborious drive is used.

As a result of the SSD laborious drive might be obligatory based on the builders. Not less than if you wish to expertise the sport with out critical bugs.

If you wish to take pleasure in ray tracing on “Extremely”, 12 GBytes of VRAM are required, whereas the principle recreation will get by with 8.0 GBytes. In our test, we are able to positively affirm the bigger reminiscence starvation.

With extremely particulars, together with the preset “Raytracing-Extremely”, the sport took up simply over 11.0 GBytes of VRAM. Dogtown seems all of the extra stunning for that:

The state of affairs is completely different for the working reminiscence and the CPU The producer specifies 20 GB of working reminiscence as a prerequisite to take pleasure in ray tracing with extremely settings to the fullest. Nonetheless, based on our measurements, 16 GB RAM is totally adequate

A twelfth technology Intel i9 processor can be really helpful because the CPU Nonetheless, we didn’t expertise any noteworthy issues with the put in Intel Core i7 9700KF in our take a look at

It must be famous that we allow DLSS 3.5 in addition to Body Era in these settings to realize the very best attainable FPS numbers. If we take away the checkmark for Nvidia Body Era, the body charge drops considerably.

The brand new know-how comes with a giant catch although:

You’ll want an RTX 4000 card and loads of steam within the boiler for top resolutions in Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty. Nonetheless, an RTX 4080 is really helpful, which is because of the VRAM – not less than if you wish to push the sport to the restrict.

AMD graphics playing cards, alternatively, have the issue of sweating extra with ray tracing and pathtracing respectively in Cyberpunk than the Nvidia fashions, they usually don’t help body technology for a giant FPS enhance.

In the meantime, AMD has certainly launched a counterpart to Body Era, extra exactly FSR 3 with Fluid Movement Frames (FMF). And FSR 3 can be supposed to return for Cyberpunk 2077. When precisely it’s so far, nonetheless, is just not but sure.

Pathtracing with Ray Reconstruction

One of many greatest new tech options from Cyberpunk 2077 options DLSS 3.5 with Pathtracing together with Ray Reconstruction.

What does the brand new characteristic do? In very simplified phrases, Ray Reconstruction offers much more delicate lighting and shadow particulars of NPCs, objects, constructions and the complete surroundings. As well as, picture errors that typically happen, corresponding to flickering, are higher prevented.

In a direct comparability between ray tracing and pathtracing with ray reconstruction, the satan is hiding within the particulars. Shadows look extra practical and “softer”. The textures have the next decision and the lighting additionally makes a extra practical impression.

It’s price mentioning that these options, together with the title Raytracing Overdrive within the graphics menu, are supposed to be a know-how preview. A preview of what we may anticipate in future recreation titles and what’s partly attainable now.

Frametimes and benchmarks

Excellent news first: We had been in a position to obtain good charges far past 60 FPS with our take a look at system due to DLSS and Body Era. We didn’t encounter any FPS drops or different annoying issues after greater than 20 hours of gaming with the take a look at system. Enter lags and streaks had been very restricted.

We primarily performed with a decision of 3440 x 1440 (UWQHD), each with ray tracing and pathtracing. If we activate pathtracing with body technology, greater than 60 FPS are attainable relying on the world:

With out body technology it seems fairly completely different The FPS drop from triple digits to double digits, principally beneath 60 FPS. Nonetheless, Cyberpunk 2077 stays playable with the {hardware} we used.

If it must be over 60 FPS even with ray tracing, with out utilizing the body technology, switching to the graphics preset Raytracing Low helps in our case, as the next measurements present:

We think about the setting with Raytracing Extremely + Body Era to be optimum for our take a look at system. Right here we obtain spectacular outcomes with as much as 100 FPS, relying on the world. Even with out the enhance from Body Era, we obtain values between 40 and 60 FPS.

We actually favored ray tracing. Nonetheless, if you happen to don’t want this characteristic, you’ll be able to anticipate considerably greater body charges together with DLSS, each with and with out Body.

A well-intentioned recommendation: Activate HDR

We performed Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty with a QD OLED monitor that’s DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400 licensed and helps the HDR 10+ format.

Because of this the excessive contrasts and particulars in Cyberpunk are displayed very properly in each the brightest and darkest areas of a picture.

Since Cyberpunk 2077 thrives on these nuances and exhibits off deep shadow particulars in addition to very brilliant and lightweight results, the image seems notably spectacular and luxurious together with HDR.

That is solely actually seen with an acceptable show, however the next screenshots can not less than provide you with an thought of what we imply:

Nonetheless, there may be as soon as once more a possible catch: Numerous boards and reviews level to issues with enabling HDR within the at the moment accessible model. There may be usually speak of drastic FPS drops in menus, typically down to 10 frames per second.

In our assessment of Phantom Liberty, we couldn’t decide such difficulties in relation to the activation of HDR. If in case you have issues taking part in with HDR, flip the characteristic off within the settings of Cyberpunk 2077, perhaps it can assist.

For everybody else: Activate the characteristic, it’s price it – offered you will have an acceptable monitor. In our expertise, TFTs with the (Vesa certifications) DisplayHDR 1000 and 1400 in addition to TrueBlack 400, TruebBlack 500 and TrueBlack 600 primarily ship actually convincing outcomes right here.

Abstract: Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty within the first tech test

We’re delighted that CD Undertaking Purple doesn’t repeat the errors from Cyberpunk 2077, quite the opposite: The open, spectacular world convinces us and the sport stream is just not marred by unexpected crashes or nasty bugs.

Additionally apart from the above-mentioned take a look at system, there have been no reviews of gross blunders throughout the editorial workforce. Nonetheless, some minor bugs nonetheless have to be mounted earlier than the launch on September 26.

Throughout our take a look at, the developer already pushed an enormous replace with quite a few fixes. A whopping 47 GBytes needed to be transferred over the community within the meantime. We’re subsequently assured that on this respect minor illnesses might be mounted at launch, even when more than likely not all of them.

In its entirety, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty delivers an incredible visible fireworks show that acts as a showcase of types to indicate us what the long run can ship by way of stunning graphic particulars.

Should you activate HDR on prime of that (if convincingly supported by the monitor), you have to be equally thrilled by the graphic splendor.

Sadly, nonetheless, the sport doesn’t supply its coolest showcase chrome for each punk on the market. Primarily homeowners of an RTX-4000 graphics card will be capable of dive into the sport with most particulars at sufficiently excessive FPS, as Nvidia’s Body Era is partly indispensable for this.

The excellent news: Cyperpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty makes an excellent impression even with out graphics bells and whistles and is a superb pleasure to play. As well as, AMD’s new FSR 3 is meant to search out its approach into the sport in the end.

Total, you’ll be able to look ahead to a pleasant growth for one of the profitable story video games of the previous few years, not less than after all of the bug fixes. With the Cyberpunk 2.0 replace, there’s hardly a greater alternative to lastly give the sport an opportunity anyway.