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 The Witcher 4 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
But it is going to happen regardless, CDPR says.
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Image via CD Projekt Red -
Image via CD Projekt Red -
Speaking to The Game Business, CD Projekt co-CEO Michal 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.
The Witcher 4 Standard Edition May Not Get a Boxed Version
CDPR’s wording is vague enough to leave that possibility open.
Exactly how the software would be delivered in such a scenario remains unclear. Although CD Projekt has not announced The Witcher 4’s launch platforms, the 2028 launch window makes a PlayStation 5 version of the game seem plausible, if not probable. 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.
Physical Games Face an Uncertain Future
Nintendo is the only major platform that hasn’t confirmed or signaled killing physical games is on its next-gen to-do list.
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. Sony has so far given no indication that it plans to reconsider the decision despite significant online pressure from fans.
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, hinting that a Helix could indeed forgo direct support for physical games. Separately, Xbox announced a game digitalization program in late August 2026.
