Cyberpunk 2077 received its latest update today via patch 1.5, coming to next-gen consoles and PC, as well as PS4 and Xbox One. The patch (originally planned to release last year), addresses various technical issues while also adding in new weapons, apartments, and balancing improvements to the game.
Cyberpunk 2077 had a pretty rough time over the last year or so, but CD Projekt Red has at last managed to add in more features that were promised before the game’s launch. So far, the developer has stuck to the roadmap that was established back in January 2021, but delays did occur along the way. Furthermore, there are still a lot of improvements and free DLC’s that have yet to come, as well as larger and more substantial updates to introduce new features and storylines to the game. While Cyberpunk 2077‘s 1.5 patch doesn’t quite offer anything substantial in those regards, it does feature a few welcome changes, particularly for PC players.
Night City has a few more tricks
Patch 1.5 brings some new features to the game that should make your return to Night City more enticing. Additional weapons have now been added, and the loot system has been rebalanced. There’s also an updated skill tree that has rebalanced various perks and shifted a few existing perks around. It’s important to note that you’ll need to redistribute all of your perk points the next time you load into your character. CD Projekt Red has also rebalanced the driving system in the game. This makes cars and motorcycles feel more realistic by simulating things like ABS, as well as engine and clutch simulation.
A more substantial feature that’s part of patch 1.5 is the ability to purchase different apartments. In total, there are four other apartments up for grabs. These options range from fairly cheap flats to pretty expensive spots, depending on where you’re looking. Players can now customize V’s starting apartment as well. CD Projekt Red has also introduced a way of altering V’s appearance. By going to a mirror in V’s apartment, the player can now change their hairstyle, hair color, and makeup for free.
Cyberpunk 2077‘s newest patch fixes things and adds more
On the technical side of things, there are a few additions that should make PC players a bit happier. First up, there’s finally a benchmark mode that can be found in the settings menu. This should be a big help for those that want to squeeze as much performance out of the game as they can. There’s also the addition of a “Toggle walking” option for those playing on a keyboard. This was a feature that was previously only available through a mod. Variable Rate Shading has also been added to the game which can increase performance and visual quality on some PCs.
AMD’s new FSR tech has also replaced the Contrast Adaptive Sharpening feature that was previously in the game, which will allow players to experience sharper looking images. Cyberpunk 2077‘s HDD mode also has an auto-detection option now, which can boost the game’s performance for those with mechanical hard drives at the expense of “crowd variety, extra loading screens, and less detail in the streets when driving fast.”
Besides that, there are a few technical improvements regarding ray-traced reflections on glossy cars. CD Projekt Red will also no longer be supporting Nvidia’s 700 Series graphics cards. This is because Nvidia ceased support for these graphics cards back in October 2021. Support will also stop for Windows 7 users after June 15, 2022. An extensive list of patch notes is available on Cyberpunk 2077‘s official website that goes into more detail about what has been added.
Maybe it’s time to head back to Night City
Cyberpunk 2077 still has a long way to go, but the 1.5 patch is another good step forward for the game. Features like extra apartments and more customization options for V are rather small in the grand scheme. Generally speaking though, the game is improving with each patch. As of now though there’s no telling when the next patch could be on the way. It’s clear that development has been on the rocks for a while now, so the next update could be a ways off yet. Keep an eye out for more news from CD Projekt Red, as we could see some more substantial updates for the game later this year.
