Has Cyberpunk 2077 Finally Been Fixed for PS4 in 2024?

The short answer is yes, Cyberpunk 2077 is now reasonably fixed and enjoyable on PlayStation 4 through over a dozen major patches released since its disastrous launch state. But some performance limitations still remain compared to newer hardware.

As a passionate gamer and tech specialist who has played hundreds of hours across multiple platforms, I‘ve witnessed firsthand the dramatic improvements to Cyberpunk 2077 on PS4. While a few bugs still occasionally crop up, it now provides a solid experience that I can recommend to most players.

But those still on base PS4 hardware won‘t see the game fully shine like on PS5 or high-end PCs. So let‘s dive deeper into the rocky launch, ongoing support, remaining flaws, and performance comparisons across platforms.

Night City‘s Infamously Buggy Launch

After multiple delays stoking anticipation, Cyberpunk 2077 shockingly released in an extremely broken state on PS4 in December 2020. I still vividly remember my game crashing over 20 times just trying to complete the initial story missions.

And I was one of the lucky ones. Across the internet, players highlighted game-breaking bugs like:

• Constant crashing making progression impossible
• NPCs and vehicles visibly "popping in"
• Texture issues leading to character freakouts
• Major frame rate drops below 20 FPS in action

As both a gamer and tech specialist, I was stunned by the wide scope of blatant issues and sorry state of optimization. It was painfully clear the game was not remotely ready for PS4, a platforms with over 100 million units sold at that point.

The situation was so bad that Sony took the dramatic step to pull Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store shortly after launch. And they began offering no-questions-asked refunds to dissatisfied customers.

This reaction underscored the shocking scale of problems and perceived deception of presenting unplayable builds before release. Developer CD Projekt Red‘s reputation took a major hit seemingly overnight.

Extensive Support Leads to Current Improved State

With their flagship franchise in crisis, CD Projekt Red pledged continued support and have since provided a major overhaul. They released over a dozen substantial patches incrementally squashing bugs while improving optimization and adding new content.

Here is a summary timeline of notable PS4 support updates:

As highlighted above, Patch 1.3 delivered much needed boosts to stability and playability across platforms in August 2021. This came shortly before Cyberpunk 2077 was finally reinstated on the PlayStation Store in June 2021, suggesting Sony felt it hit minimum playability thresholds by then.

But the colossal Patch 1.5 released in February 2022 marked the real turning point where the PS4 version went from tolerable to reasonably solid. This "next gen update" added new weapons, customizations, missions, quality of life enhancements while optimizing countless assets.

And Patch 1.6 in September 2022 served as the final major update for PS4 and Xbox One, squashing more bugs and optimizing memory usage. It also added features like vehicle combat and clothing transmog that fans requested.

So while not perfect, the PS4 version‘s current state after all these updates is night and day better stability and optimization-wise compared to the nearly unplayable launch.

I can now generally go hours without crashing, visuals and frame rates are reasonably stable in most areas, and I‘m experiencing intended quest lines. Recent updates also boosted crowd density and driving AI to better show off Night City‘s scale. Enhancements will remain limited compared to other hardware, but PS4 Cyberpunk has gone from a 4/10 experience to around a 7/10 now.

Lingering Flaws on Base PS4 Hardware

However, the sheer dated technical specifications of base PlayStation 4 hardware poses innate constraints on how much Cyberpunk 2077 can be enhanced there.

The CPU can‘t handle complex driving AI or dense crowds you see on PC. The paltry 8GB of RAM means visual cutbacks like lower resolution textures. Long load times from 5400 RPM hard drives dampen immersion. These technical limits introduce flaws like:

• Framerate drops: Explosive action scenes often dip below 30 FPS as the CPU hits limits
• Lower crowd density: Night City feels less alive than the bustling PC streets
• Long load times: Over 45 seconds when moving across the city
• Occasional crashes: Still the occasional full crash, maybe one per long gaming session
• Reduced draw distance: Distant textures take seconds to fully pop-in

And while the PS4 Pro boosts resolution to a sharper 1080p vs base PS4‘s 900p, it still encounters all other listed issues.

This explains why CD Projekt recently confirmed no more major updates are planned for PS4 or Xbox One. The team is shifting to focus on leveraging power from newer console hardware and PCs.

So in summary, Cyberpunk 2077 is reasonably fixed on PS4 but suffers lingering performance flaws inherent to that 7 year old tech. Players need proper expectations going in around the hardware‘s constraints.

PS5 and PC Allow Cyberpunk to Fully Shine

In contrast, playing Cyberpunk 2077 on PS5 or higher powered gaming PCs allows the game to properly spread its wings like developers originally intended.

On PlayStation 5, the native next-gen version offers a night and day boost over PS4:

• Sharp 4K resolution with vibrant HDR colors
• Ray tracing for realistic reflections
• Rock solid 60 FPS performance
• Faster loading from the SSD
• Higher crowd density filling streets

And when played on a decent gaming PC, Cyberpunk 2077 transforms into an incredible sight to behold with the right specs:

• Visuals maxed at 4K or ultrawide 1440p resolutions
• Next level ray traced lighting effects
• Up to 100+ FPS performance for unparalleled smoothness
• No texture pop-in with assets set to max
• Richly dense, vibrant city brimming with life

So players on last-gen console hardware unfortunately need to temper expectations around flaws that simply can‘t be fully patched out on dated specs.

But next-gen console and PC owners can experience Night City as CD Projekt Red originally intended – an utterly jaw dropping, visually lush, smoothly immersive dystopian mega-city brimming with intricate detail and lifelike inhabitants around every corner.

Verdict – PlayStation 4 Now Reasonably Enjoyable

So in closing, yes – through extensive post-launch support, Cyberpunk 2077 is now reasonably fixed and enjoyable on PlayStation 4 in 2024 despite some lingering flaws inherent to aging hardware limitations.

The game saw such fundamental improvements from its disastrous launch state that Sony actually reinstated in back onto the PlayStation Store in June 2021. And overall user rating dramatically shifted from "Overwhelmingly Negative" to now just "Mixed" on Steam.

While the PS4 version won‘t blow you away like higher end platforms can, it now generally provides stable 30 FPS gameplay with passable visuals for those without next-gen console access.

So PS4 owners no longer need avoid Cyberpunk 2077 in its current state. Just temper expectations around hardware constraints that persist despite developers best optimization efforts within those limitations.

I personally suggest playing with future upgrade options in mind. The free PS4 to PS5 next-gen upgrade massively unlocks Night City‘s potential while retaining your save progress.

But with over 30 million PS4s estimated to still be in use based on Sony‘s reports, Cyberpunk 2077 marks a rare redemption case study of an infamous launch disaster transformed into reasonable last-gen experience through extensive post-release overhaul and support.

So I can now recommend PS4 users comfortably explore Night City, just don‘t expect to see its most stunning sights perfectly rendered without upgrading. The game‘s core story, quests, and playability now generally shine through despite some persistent blemishes from aged hardware. But man, you should see how incredible it looks on my PS5!