The Witcher 4 is officially confirmed to be getting a physical release. The catch, however, is that there are no guarantees an actual disc will be included in any boxed edition when it arrives.
CD Projekt Red recently confirmed that The Witcher 4 is targeting a 2028 release window, with an exact date yet to be announced. The current target puts the open-world RPG on track to arrive after Sony stops manufacturing discs for new PlayStation games on December 31, 2027. As such, CDPR could find itself unable to offer a conventional physical version of its next AAA release on at least one major console platform.
The Witcher 4’s Physical Edition May Not Include a Disc
Speaking to The Game Business, CD Projekt co-CEO Michał Nowakowski said the developer has no control over first-party manufacturing policies and acknowledged that Sony’s decision could prevent it from putting The Witcher 4 on a PlayStation disc. Nevertheless, the executive promised that CD Projekt is “for sure having a box,” with the company intending to fill it with tangible extras even if PlayStation’s move away from physical game discs makes including the game itself impossible.
“We don’t know what’s going to be the case. 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].” — Michał Nowakowski, CD Projekt co-CEO
What Will the Box Contain?
Exactly how the software would be delivered in such a scenario remains unclear. A download code is one obvious possibility for a disc-less boxed release, much like Rockstar is doing with the GTA 6 physical version. One potential difference is that Nowakowski’s comments may not refer to selling a standard edition of The Witcher 4 as a code in a box. Instead, they could point to a higher-tier boxed version that includes a download code alongside additional “tangible collectible things,” or “feelies,” both terms he used in the interview.
“But we’re big fans of people having access to tangible collectible things. 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.” — Michał Nowakowski
The studio is known for packing its physical releases full of goodies for fans. Both standard editions for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077 came with bonuses including stickers, a map, a letter from the developers, postcards, and more.
Physical Games Face an Uncertain Future
Sony announced in July 2026 that it will end physical disc production for all new games released on PlayStation consoles starting in January 2028. Titles released before the cutoff will be unaffected, but games launching afterward will be distributed digitally, although some may still be sold at retail as boxed download codes. Because Sony controls PlayStation disc production, CDPR would be unable to release a physical PS5 version of The Witcher 4 if the policy remains in place.
Also, Read
- The Next Witcher Game in Trouble as CD Projekt Red Announces Layoffs
- The Witcher Season 5 Reportedly Delayed to 2027 – But There’s a Silver Lining
- The Witcher 3 Confirms Songs of the Past DLC Will Be Locked for Millions of Users
Although Microsoft has so far stopped short of announcing a comparable policy, the future of physical Xbox games is hardly settled. Reports earlier in 2026 had already suggested that Xbox’s Project Helix console could launch without a disc drive, and Xbox CEO Asha Sharma declined to clarify the matter when asked during Gamescom. Sharma instead emphasized the need for Microsoft to consider “efficiency and affordability” when designing its next generation of hardware. Nintendo is currently the only major platform that hasn’t confirmed or signaled that killing physical games is on its next-gen to-do list.