The Witcher 4 may launch on PlayStation without a physical game disc, according to CD Projekt joint CEO Michał Nowakowski. Speaking about the studio’s plans for physical releases, Nowakowski said Sony’s decision to discontinue disc production for new PlayStation games from January 2028 could prevent CD Projekt from producing a traditional disc edition. The Witcher 4 currently has a planned 2028 release window.
Sony announced in July that physical disc production for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will end starting in January 2028. Games released before that date will not be affected, but new titles launching afterward will instead be distributed digitally through PlayStation Store and digital products sold by retailers. Since The Witcher 4 is currently planned for 2028, its release falls directly into the period affected by Sony’s new policy.
Nowakowski discussed the situation in an interview with The Game Business, explaining that CD Projekt does not control PlayStation’s manufacturing policies. He said discs for platform holders such as PlayStation have to be produced through their own manufacturing infrastructure, meaning CD Projekt cannot simply decide to press PS5 discs independently. If Sony follows through with ending production before The Witcher 4 arrives, Nowakowski acknowledged that a PlayStation disc would therefore not be possible.
That does not mean CD Projekt intends to abandon boxed releases entirely. Nowakowski said the company remains enthusiastic about physical collectibles and plans to offer a box containing tangible extras regardless of whether a PlayStation disc can be included. He described the studio as being made up of people who enjoy collectible physical items themselves, suggesting The Witcher 4 could still receive a collector-oriented retail edition even if the actual game is delivered digitally.
The distinction is important because a boxed product and a physical game disc will no longer necessarily mean the same thing on PlayStation after Sony’s manufacturing change. A retail Witcher 4 package could contain collectible items alongside a digital entitlement rather than playable physical media. CD Projekt has not announced exactly what such an edition would include, and Nowakowski’s comments should not be treated as confirmation that the final PS5 package has already been decided.
CD Projekt’s newly confirmed 2028 window also provides firmer context for the issue. The company announced on September 2 that The Witcher 4 is planned for 2028 as part of a run of major Witcher releases, following The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered in 2026 and Songs of the Past in 2027. That follows the studio’s earlier confirmation that The Witcher 4 would not launch in 2026, narrowing expectations for when the next mainline entry would arrive.
The game is currently in development at CD Projekt Red with Ciri replacing Geralt as the protagonist of the new saga. It is being built in Unreal Engine 5, and the studio describes it as a single-player open-world RPG intended to become its most ambitious Witcher game to date. CD Projekt has also recently confirmed that development builds are already running across PC and consoles as part of an effort to avoid the platform-specific technical problems that affected Cyberpunk 2077 at launch.
For players who prefer physical ownership, the potential absence of a PS5 disc is therefore primarily a consequence of Sony’s broader manufacturing decision rather than a CD Projekt-specific move toward digital distribution. Nothing has been finalized regarding The Witcher 4’s eventual PlayStation retail package, and the game remains roughly two years away under its current release plan. Unless Sony changes its policy, however, a traditional PS5 disc version now appears increasingly unlikely.
