Cyberpunk 2077 has finally launched worldwide with players starting to share their first impressions of the highly anticipated open-world RPG - and they aren’t all glowing. Many have taken to social media exposing the myriad of performance issues and graphical bugs on base models of the PS4 and Xbox One.
As complaints soar and the vast majority of console players continue to trudge through sluggish framerates and a miasma of glitches, Sony – and even developer CD Projekt Red itself – are now offering refunds.
Update: We have some bad news for Cyberpunk 2077 console players! It looks like PSN and Xbox refund requests for digital copies of the game are being refused by Microsoft and Sony. Some gamers are managing to get a refund, but lots are sharing their frustrations on social media, uploading screenshots of customer service chats denying the requests.
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Anyone playing the PS4 version of Cyberpunk 2077 might be in luck as Sony is selectively granting refund requests through its support bot. As a Reddit post reveals, one user was able to get a full refund even after 10 hours of playtime.
Sony’s refund policy for digital titles typically allows 14 days for the user to cancel their purchase, albeit with the caveat that any attempt to download or stream purchased content voids the right for your money back unless it’s faulty. In the case of Cyberpunk 2077, several players would argue it unquestionably falls into that category, after suffering a multitude of crashes and game-breaking bugs that hinder progress.
Whilst CD Projekt Red had been keeping quiet about the state of the console versions, it has finally offered a solution for dismayed fans. The studio issued a statement Twitter, which you can read above, apologising for “not showing the game on base last-gen consoles before it premiered” and allowing refunds for both digital, and physical versions of the game.
For the digital versions, it recommends contacting either Sony or Microsoft. If you have a physical copy, try the retailer you bought the game from first, and failing that, reach out to the devs directly.
A number of players may find themselves in this scenario, as UK retailer GAME is reportedly refusing to honor any refund requests tied to bugs, as of the time of writing.
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CD Projekt Red has a dedicated support email for refunds, running for a week until the December 21 – four days before Christmas where a multitude of gamers will be receiving their copies.
Furthermore, the developer has committed to two substantial patches to be delivered in January, and February respectively, targeted on fixing a substantial number of these issues.
In its official comparison, Digital Foundry lambasted the base console versions of Cyberpunk as “unplayable”, displaying frame rates as low as 15fps in combat and driving sequences. A later video comparing the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions – without no next-gen patch as of yet – did show improvements, with the Series X’s quality mode coming out on top.
This won’t be an option for all Cyberpunk fans however, as demand for next-gen consoles continues to spike. Xbox chief Phil Spencer has warned of months of shortages for Microsoft's console, while Sony promised a December restock that's already rolling out.
As the promised next-gen patch and bug fixes still lie ahead however, it might not be the worst idea to have some patience if you’re looking to play Cyberpunk on a console. You can check out our where to buy PS5 and where to buy Xbox Series X guides in the meantime.
Source: VGC