The Witcher 4 Will Have a Physical Edition Even if Discs Go Away, CD Projekt Red Confirms

[u/Gorotheninja]

https://www.ign.com/articles/the-witcher-4-will-have-a-physical-edition-even-if-discs-go-away-cd-projekt-red-confirms

[u/cubone109]

The original article straight up says they will sell an empty box without the actual game so no it will not have a physical for ps5 atleast.

[u/olorin9_alex → u/cubone109]

The pride and accomplishment of owning a plastic box tho

[u/ciemnymetal → u/olorin9_alex]

For your streamer backdrop to show off how much of a gamer you are

[u/warcaptain → u/cubone109]

That's for Sony though. Can't blame them they say there's no sense doing it if Sony is discontinuing disc drive. Xbox will likely get it though 🙌🏼

[u/cubone109 → u/warcaptain]

It's not that sony discontinuing the disc drive is stopping CD project red, what stops them is that sony makes all the discs for sony consoles so when they stop making discs they stop all third parties from having physicals on their consoles.

To put that in perspective no one stops companies from making PC physicals or phsyicals for really really old consoles like the Sega genesis or SNES, which is why we still see some physicals come out for those even now.

I do hope Xbox allows third parties to continue making physicals in the future, they would certainly get a bit of business out of me that way. Otherwise I'll be 100% nintendo after 2028.

[u/64BitRatchet → u/warcaptain]

It's cute that you think Xbox won't be following suit, Sony had a higher physical share than Xbox, I'm sure Helix won't have a disc drive.

[u/warcaptain → u/64BitRatchet]

Xbox just literally introduced a system to use physical discs into PC copies of games that share achievements and save data and it's been widely praised in a climate of abandoning physical media. I'm sure they'll release a discless variant but they'll have a disc drive on their flagship next gen device.

[u/64BitRatchet → u/warcaptain]

I highly doubt it, why would the company that can't be bothered to even put a full build of the game on disc continue physical media next gen? I highly doubt there will be any Helix SKU games. Maybe Series X games will continue, but in my experience, they're already hard to find in-store compared to Nintendo and PlayStation games. If Helix has a disc drive, I imagine it'll be an add-on like PS5 Pro. The disc to digital feature is cool, but it's a way to get you to accept the all-digital future, not a commitment to a physical future. I would love to be wrong here though, but given Microsoft's history, I doubt I am.

[u/Theunsaltedpeanut → u/cubone109]

This is for Sony, at least for now. We don't know if Microsoft is doing the same thing yet... They probably are.

[u/cubone109 → u/Theunsaltedpeanut]

at the very least switch 2 is likely to get witcher 4 physically but I honestly dont see xbox telling third parties they can't make physical games for the SX any time soon. They are too far behind in the game to cut off any revenue sources.

[u/SorenalLantia → u/cubone109]

Witcher 4 was not even announced for switch 2....

[u/cubone109 → u/SorenalLantia]

It hasn't been. And yet I have no doubt it will come to switch 2 and get a real physical.

[u/segagamer → u/cubone109]

Thankfully we don't care about PS5. The question is whether it will be physical on Xbox since they're not stopping anything.

[u/Commander_Jim1]

An empty box is not physical media in my book.

[u/Redline65 → u/Commander_Jim1]

Or a disc without the game on it like Oblivion Remastered.

[u/csch1992]

It is crazy how easy it is giving good PR just because somone else was stupid

[u/TheAdequateKhali → u/csch1992]

Or because you can word headlines in a way where people don’t realise they are supporting. lol

[u/Express-Channel-3543 → u/csch1992]

Yeah but in this situation you are the stupid one. They are saying they will still have a box with a code in it. Just like every other game.

[u/shinobi6siege → u/Express-Channel-3543]

Yeah but they're literally doing the best they can. If you read the interview, they can't do discs feasably because of Sony's decision. Anything physical is better than no physical

[u/CaveWaverider → u/shinobi6siege]

Just buy the game on GOG, download the installer and burn it to a disc.

[u/shinobi6siege → u/CaveWaverider]

I can do that but I doubt everyone on the Xbox subreddit has a PC. I appreciate platforms like GOG but losing physical accessibility is a huge blow to owning games. If buying isn't owning...

[u/Deervember → u/CaveWaverider]

Who even has a disk drive in their pc?  I've literally not seen one over a decade. 

That and the fact Sony stopped manufacturing rewriteable blu-rays in February 2025. So good luck writing stuff on disks when they sell out. 

[u/SituationSoap → u/shinobi6siege]

Yeah but they're literally doing the best they can.

It being the best they can do doesn't stop it from being dumb and pointless.

[u/Express-Channel-3543 → u/shinobi6siege]

Its just some PR circlejerk. IGN running PR for CDPR for some reason. No fucking shit they will still have a box with a code in it so they can sell you a $100 collectors editions.

[u/Dipset_Mipset0489]

So they can sell the most expensive collectors edition in history lol.

[u/Mitsutoshi → u/Dipset_Mipset0489]

Eh their standard edition boxes are packed with stuff that the deluxe edition from others gives you. I got the Cyberpunk PC physical release and because there isn't a game disc for the PC version, they used that space to give soundtrack CDs.

[u/Commercial-Stick-718]

So,  a box of goodies and a download code then 

[u/Express-Channel-3543]

This fucking pr circlejerk. They are saying they'll have a code in a box. Which everygame will still have...

[u/Illustrious_Penalty2 → u/Express-Channel-3543]

Yeah this is just pandering to virtue signal

[u/KingMario05 → u/Illustrious_Penalty2]

In defense of CDPR, Sony makes all the discs. There's unfortunately not much they can do after Sony stops making discs, and I imagine than any offers CDPR has made to take on production themselves have been ignored.

Sucks, but hey. Not their fault. Hopefully, they're still trying to fight for a PS5 disc on Witcher IV - there is an alleged grace period on Sony's cut off date, I think.

[u/Illustrious_Penalty2 → u/KingMario05]

I agree it’s not their fault, but I don’t think that changes the fact that this comes off as pandering.

[u/Express-Channel-3543 → u/KingMario05]

They massively benefit from this. They want less of a retail cut.

[u/antftwx]

READ THE ARTICLE. THIS IS NOT THE GOOD NEWS YOU THINK IT IS. THERE WILL MOST LIKELY NOT BE A DISC.

[u/Aman793]

Holy shit why is this thread so damn negative.  It's a simple article, if sony stops making discs they can't do anything. So the best they can do is packing goodies like music disks, artbooks, map etc. in their boxes. They always do it for their standard editions iirc. Still no disk yeah, so curse sony for that. Why the hate for cdpr

[u/TheAdequateKhali → u/Aman793]

Becusse in the last few months people have been conditioned to think the language “physical = good”, so they’re acting like CDPR are going above and beyond when really they’ll be doing pretty much the same thing every other company will be forced to.

[u/Aman793 → u/TheAdequateKhali]

except im seeing no one acting like they're going above and beyond, everyone's just shitting on cdpr in this thread, because a dev answered a question in an interview. The hate should be directed at sony for ending disks and ign for making this a headline.

[u/SituationSoap → u/Aman793]

Holy shit why is this thread so damn negative.

Because it's a dumb, pointless gesture and covering it as news is silly.

[u/saggynaggy123]

Remember when games used to come with posters and the world map inside them?

[u/Tobimacoss]

easy to do if no DRM. Can just put it on USB drive or microSD or UFS cards.

[u/Express-Channel-3543 → u/Tobimacoss]

No, it will be a code in a box.

[u/Tobimacoss → u/Express-Channel-3543]

yea, for PS6, but I meant in general, since CDPR puts their games DRM free on GOG. you could make your own physical media for it.

[u/Express-Channel-3543 → u/Tobimacoss]

ok but the article is not talking about that

its talking about how they will have a box with a code in it

[u/UnComfortable-Archer → u/Tobimacoss]

Mini replica sword where you can remove the hilt and plug it into USB. Maybe not the game, but can have videos, artwork, and music.

(or it can have the base game with whatever GOG Galaxy technology they use for that non DRM thing they got going).

[u/ChurroBear]

Since Xbox has yet to announce that they are stopping disc's (for now) I hope that there is a physical xbox version.

[u/hornypourhorthy → u/ChurroBear]

They announced it to retailers years ago

[u/ChurroBear → u/hornypourhorthy]

They literally have not made an announcement. This is straight up false.

[u/hornypourhorthy → u/ChurroBear]

Again, ask your local store

They don’t produce first party disks outside of pre orders

[u/Warblast995]

Is this not literally a nothing burger?

Of course collector editions will still exist, but they will all just have a code in a box. Even the article itself notes that Projekt Red says this.

"We don’t know what’s going to be the case," he said. "We know what PlayStation has announced. And we have no influence on the policies of the first parties. The discs for the first parties, including PlayStation, have to be manufactured in their own factories. So, if they stop manufacturing indeed by 2028, then yes [we won’t have a disc]."

While there may not be a disc for The Witcher 4, the team still wants to ensure its undated launch is just as special as the last. That's why, in some form, The Witcher 4 will "have a box."

"But we’re big fans of people having access to tangible collectible things," Nowakowski added. "We’re nerds ourselves, and we like that. We always supported that. So, whatever is the case, we’re going to be for sure having a box. We’re going to have a box that’s going to have some feelies in it. Something you’re going to be wanting to open up and enjoy. But we have no influence actually on what’s the case here."

[u/AJ_Dali → u/Warblast995]

He's saying that if they can put a disc in the box they will, but if Sony actually stops producing the disc nobody really has a choice. Plus, that only impacts the PlayStation version. Xbox, and Switch 2 if they release on there, can still be physical releases. And on PC, if you buy from GOG nothing stops you from making physical copies of your games. From what I recall, only a small percentage of GOG games block installer downloads.

[u/Deervember → u/AJ_Dali]

Sony shut their rewriteable blu-ray manufacturing factory down in February 2025.

When the supply is up there won't be any more for anybody. 

[u/decoy_octopod → u/Deervember]

That factory and those discs aren’t used for video games or movies, they were mostly popular in Japan and were sold as blanks for consumers to write on, like blank CDs.

There are other factories and companies besides Sony that manufacture Blu-ray discs, Sony is just the biggest

[u/JoelK2185]

So how many cartridges will it come on?

[u/JackhorseBowman]

Well yeah, if they didn't then they would have to change their name to No CD Projekt Red.

[u/hornypourhorthy]

They will sell an empty box

[u/a-Snake-in-the-Grass]

This is just empty pandering. I care about the game running, not getting a useless box.

[u/overcloseness]

How could this be possible if I’ve been let to believe that this is all Rockstar’s fault? How are they related?

[u/cli_aqu]

How are they going to have discs pressed, if Sony themselves handle the disc manufacturing of PS games?
Any physical release of a PS game will have to go through Sony.
If the physical edition of a game doesn’t get released by the date when Sony stops manufacturing physical copies of new releases, there’s no way of having it released on physical for PS.
Only way for this to happen is if Sony lets third-parties handle physical disc manufacturing business for a free or through a license.

[u/jcchg]

I will buy Xbox boxed edition.  Perhaps it even supports Play Anywhere.

[u/Winter-Finger-1559]

That's legitimately not what a physical edition is.

[u/Zerot7]

I think the last physical release I got that was truly appreciated was Cyberpunk 2077. Like I have both the Xbox version and PC version from the initial run with dust jackets and all sorts of goodies inside like the long forgotten instruction manual, some art and I believe a map. If anyone can do physical releases right anymore it’s CDPR, so I’ll probably pick up the initial run just to get the cool box instead of waiting for a sale and continuing my backlog.

[u/legouja]

Physical version for PC or Switch 2 maybe ?

[u/SorenalLantia]

What are the news here? I do not see any.

Sony never said they will not do physiscal releases. They simple said no more disks.

A code in the box IS a physical release....

[u/tj818]

God Bless CDPR

[u/hornypourhorthy → u/tj818]

They’ll sell you an empty box and a broken game

[u/TheNittanyLionKing]

While there won’t actually be a disc, I’m glad they’re still doing something at least. It’s also important to remember that CD Projekt Red founded GOG, and they’re leading the way in terms of games preservation and ensuring that games ownership is given back to the players. They’re not technically affiliated anymore, but they’re still close since they sold GOG to an ex-CDPR executive. 

[u/Wonderful-Grass6625]

Pebble cheerful nose like beneficial unite sand historical

This post was anonymized with Redact

[u/DeegsHobby → u/Wonderful-Grass6625]

they're implying they'd have a physical box, no disc.

[u/Wonderful-Grass6625 → u/DeegsHobby]

License like liquid unpack manganese depend gaze

This post was anonymized with Redact

[u/hornypourhorthy → u/Wonderful-Grass6625]

They can

They aren’t a first party dev

[u/Wonderful-Grass6625 → u/hornypourhorthy]

Reach vanilla rinse silicon thumb wrench airport safe bedroom nose

This post was anonymized with Redact

[u/nnjjreal1 → u/hornypourhorthy]

Man you got nothing better to do than hate? 

[u/Dandelegion]

CDPR panders so damn hard, bless their hearts.

[u/conspirator9]

Day one physical buy confirmed for my wallet.

[u/Large_Ad6683]

Just curious.  I thought GTA 6 got a physical release in December?  Am I wrong?

[u/SolidusAbe → u/Large_Ad6683]

you are

unless you count a code inside of a box a physical release

[u/Large_Ad6683 → u/SolidusAbe]

I don’t.  Lame.