Cyberpunk 2077 falls into a strange release timeframe, debuting on current generation consoles right around the release of Sony and Microsoft's next-gen game consoles, the PS5 and Xbox Series X. Yet, for all its buzz and graphical beauty, Cyberpunk 2077 is coveted and very much treated as if it is a next-generation title, and one look at its vivid graphical and lighting on display proves why.

Cyberpunk 2077 will likely optimize and squeeze every last bit of resource out of current generation consoles, and that may leave PC fans wondering whether they should upgrade their hardware or not. Given that the official PC requirements, and especially the recommended requirements have not been officially released yet, this is not so simple to gauge, but there may be some obvious hardware perimeters.

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Current or Next-Gen Cards

nvidia rtx logo

If a player uses anything less powerful than a 1080 Ti video card, there is a likely chance they will need to upgrade if playing Cyberpunk 2077 in 4K is desired. Even a 1080 Ti video card may not be quite optimal for 4K, given as Cyberpunk 2077 wishes to set out to make a new benchmark in gaming.

However, those with the now 4 year old GTX 1080 Ti video card, or earlier, may see reason to upgrade to the RTX 30 series which will likely be releasing in September. This is because Cyberpunk 2077 will take advantage of ray tracing graphical abilities, which were only recently introduced recently in nVidia's RTX 20 series.

Cyberpunk 2077's ray tracing provides a more natural look to the game's lighting effects, and according to Nvidia, it will come in four forms known as Illumination, Shadows, Reflection and Ambient Occlusion. Overall, the RTX 3080 is expected to be 20% more powerful than the RTX 2080 Ti card. Keep in mind this is the regular RTX 3080, and the presumed RTX 3080 Ti should be even more powerful than 20% boost.

Cyberpunk 2077's ray tracing abilities for PC users will all have effects on the ways in which light illuminates on people and objects in the game, which will be heavily important under the the neon bright lights of Cyberpunk 2077's Night City. Ambient Occlusion is likely the most important feature, showcasing the ways in which figures illuminate light on or cast shadows on the environment. Illumination and Shadows tend to influence how the sun and moon casts light on the environment, changing shadows and brightening colors in different areas.

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Due to the demand for video card usage for mining crypto currency in contemporary times, there is unlikely to be any major or ground breaking sales for gamers to nab the RTX 20 series at low prices in wake of the RTX 30 series' release. Therefore, waiting a few more months for the RTX 30 series would be the more wise choice currently. Given that next-generation consoles are right around the corner, future proofing PC hardware with next generation PC hardware is a good choice as well.

4K or 1080P?

cyberpunk new character mr goldhand

Most likely, to run Cyberpunk 2077 graphics smoothly in regular 1080P graphical settings, or 1080 x 1920, somewhere in the ballpark of a GTX 960 should suffice. But to take full advantage of Cyberpunk 2077's graphical abilities and ensure 4K resolution, then RTX 2080 or better would probably be a good figure at this point.

One matter to consider is that the RTX 2080 Ti is about 20% faster than the regular RTX 2080, but costs significantly more for only a little more gain. Therefore, paying the extra money for the Ti version of a video card does little to future proof the machine, but could certainly make a difference in being able to smoothly play the latest games on 4K, as opposed to a lower resolution. Unfortunately, because of the huge graphical leap in power being utilized by hardware, it is difficult to determine exactly where the perimeters will be drawn in terms of what constitutes recommended hardware for playing Cyberpunk 2077 in 4K.

Because of this stipulation, it would probably be a wise choice to wait for the RTX 3080 to release if one is torn between paying for the regular or Ti version of a card, since that one will be more powerful than the RTX 2080 Ti anyway. This should ensure that the game runs sufficiently in 4K, while also spending slightly less money by avoiding the heavily priced RTX 3080 Ti.

While the video card will definitely be the most demanding piece of hardware for Cyberpunk 2077, players should not overlook the importance of a decent CPU as well. For an extra hundred dollars or so over an i5-9600K, an i7-9700K should suffice just fine, especially in keeping up with a more powerful RTX 2070 video card or better. But both should be fine.

Stadia as an Alternative?

Google Stadia controller art

If playing Cyberpunk 2077 in high resolution is a must, but paying money for expensive hardware is not an option, one alternative option may be waiting for Google Stadia's version of Cyberpunk 2077. Stadia recently drew criticism when it was revealed that its version of Doom: Eternal did not run in 4K resolution, but it still ran 1800P, which was higher than the recommended hardware specs for the regular PC version of the game, as well as all the consoles except the Xbox One X, which it tied with.

Unfortunately, fans will have to wait a little longer if they wish to consider the Google Stadia version of Cyberpunk 2077, as it will no longer release along with the rest of its iterations on other consoles and regular PC.

Given that Cyberpunk 2077 is confirmed for next-generation consoles and will likely take advantage of its hardware, and with ray-tracing being such a heavily implemented graphical component promised in the game, upgrading to an RTX 30 series when it potentially releases later this year is strongly recommended. What becomes more complicated is the nuance in terms of which model to get, and whether paying plenty of extra for the Ti model is worth it. This will all become apparent as fans approach Cyberpunk 2077's release date more closely, and luckily, next-generation will keep fans waiting as well.

Cyberpunk 2077 comes out on November 19 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with Stadia, PS5 and Xbox Series X versions to follow.

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