Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 1.5 notes feature 50GBs worth of improvements

Published February 15, 2022 9:10 AM, by TJ Denzer

Cyberpunk 2077 has been wobbling along ever since it was first released in late 2020, but that hasn’t kept CD Projekt RED from tirelessly working to make it the game it was promised to be. The devs have put out a major new patch for the game today. Patch 1.5 finally brings the next-gen updates to Cyberpunk 2077 meant to draw the most out of the technology of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. It’s also around 50GBs across all platforms, so you’d better make some space.

Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 1.5 notes

CD Projekt RED released the latest update for Cyberpunk 2077 right after a livestream detailing its improvements on February 15, 2022. The patch notes for Cyberpunk Patch 1.5 are out now and the headliner is easily the arrival of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game, which host features such as improved crowd dynamics and behavior, ray-traced shadows, and various visual improvements. The patch is around a hefty 50GBs across all platforms, but other universal improvements feature driving and loot rebalancing as well. Check it out below:

NEXT-GEN EXCLUSIVES

• Added ray-traced local light shadows.
• Implemented native achievement support on next-gen consoles. Note that as the next-gen version has a different SKU, PlayStation trophies obtained in backward compatibility will not be transferred. Xbox achievements will automatically appear on the new version using the Smart Delivery feature.
• Introduced two graphics modes on PlayStation®5 and Xbox Series X:
  • Performance Mode: Ensures smooth gameplay at 60fps with dynamic 4K scaling.
  • Ray Tracing Mode: Provides photorealistic shadow and reflection rendering as well as gameplay at 30fps with dynamic 4K scaling.
• The Xbox Series S version has no graphics mode selection and is by default presented at 30 FPS in 1440p with dynamic resolution scaling.
• Added performance improvements which significantly decrease the number of FPS drops and improve rendering quality.
• Balanced HDR to achieve parity across all platforms.
• Various visual quality improvements.
• Added Activity Cards for PS5.
• Added Spanish voiceover support in the Americas (PlayStation codes: CUSA-16596 and CUSA-16597). Due to technical constraints, it is available only on next-gen consoles. For further details on language support see: Xbox, PlayStation.
• Implemented support for spatial audio on PlayStation 5 for 3D-audio-enabled headphones and built-in TV speakers via PS5 's Tempest 3D AudioTech solution.

ADDITIONAL CONTENT

Apartments

• Apartments can be rented (with a one-time fee) when encountered in Night City or through the EZEstates website when accessed through the computer in V's Megabuilding H10 apartment. They become available after completing the Playing for Time quest. It’s possible to rent all apartments at the same time. All apartments share the same stash.

Available apartments

• Northside, Watson (€$5,000)
• Japantown, Westbrook (€$15,000)
• The Glen, Heywood (€$40,000)
• Corpo Plaza, City Center (€$55,000)
• Additionally, you can now customize V’s starting apartment in Megabuilding H10 using the EZEstates website for €$10,000.

Appearance Customization

• You can now tweak certain features of your appearance (such as hair, makeup, piercing, etc.) when using the mirror in any of your apartments and safehouses. It’s free and you can do it as often as you like. Character customization also includes more makeup and hair color options. Who's the fairest of them all, now?

What's New at Wilson’s?

• You can check out new items in Wilson’s 2nd Amendment store in Megabuilding H10 or look for them while exploring Night City.
• 2 new weapons: Darra Polytechnic Umbra (Power Assault Rifle), Budget Arms Guillotine (Power Submachine Gun)
• 4 new weapon scopes: Kang Tao Jue long scope, Tsunami Gaki sniper scope, Arasaka Kanetsugu short scope, Handyman short scope
• New type of weapon attachments - muzzle brakes: 10 new muzzle brakes: 5 for handguns (RC-7 Ifrit, RC-7 Liger, RC-7 Dybbuk, RC-7 Kutrub, RC-7 Babaroga); 5 for assault rifles & submachine guns (RC-7 Aswang, RC-7 Varkolak, RC-7 Zaar, RC-7 Yokai, RC-7 Strigoi).

New Poses in Photo Mode

• We added a number of new poses in Photo Mode, including poses for Johnny Silverhand (only available in flashback scenes when playing as Johnny).

LIVING CITY

Combat AI

• Multiple fixes and improvements to NPC melee and ranged combat AI and reactions, including taking cover, positioning, reloading, equipping weapons, dodging, blocking and many others.
• Multiple improvements to dismemberment triggers, hit reactions and death animations, adding greater impact to ranged and melee combat.
• Enemies are now much better at blocking and evading (Kerenzikov) attacks. The heavier the weapon, the easier it is to hit. The opposite is true for evading.
• Further diversification of melee and ranged combat behaviors for different factions: reckless, aggressive, balanced, defensive and cautious.
• Followers now contribute more in combat but can be defeated and temporarily disabled if they receive enough punishment.
• Numerous fixes and balance changes to netrunner combat.

Crowd Improvements

• Aggressive crowd behavior: certain NPC archetypes can and will enter combat with the player when provoked by aiming, shooting or fighting. Due to some technical challenges, this change is not available on the previous generation of consoles.
• Time skips affect the state of NPCs, as well as reset the state of the devices, environments and certain scenes.
• Improved crowd reactions, pathfinding and despawning.

Drive Model

• Introducing our all new Burn Out Mode! Hold Gas + Brake to engage, steer to rotate. The old system only allowed rotating on the spot, now try modulating the inputs to see what you can do! Try brake stands, donuts, drifts or heat up the tires to do a drag-race style launch with a High Grip boost. The system now works at higher speeds, so you can hit the brake with gas applied on corner entry to cause oversteer on most cars. Keyboard users can optionally use new Secondary bindings on arrow keys (some keyboards ignore the third key press when just using WASD), but gamepads allow the most control of the system (as gamepads in general provide the driving experience preferred by a vast majority of players).
• New Braking system produces consistent performance, front to rear, across all speeds. ABS simulation added. All vehicles brakes have been tuned to the new model.
• Engine simulation improved. Clutch simulation added. These changes improve resistance forces from the engine when shifting, helping to remove unwanted wheel spin events.
• Gearbox simulation improved. Much improved downshifting behavior. Transmission now realistically downshifts and has smarter shift logic to keep the engine in its sweet spot. Forward Reverse shifting has been totally redone, allowing for J-Turns / Rockfords.
• Motorcycles improved. All of the above improvements help to make them more stable. Additionally, steering model improvements have been added, and they have been retuned.
• Tune improvements to various cars. Quadra Type-66 (all models, especially Avenger), Mizutani Shion (especially MZ2), Herrera Outlaw (major pass) & base MaiMai all had steering improvements implemented and more.
• Added adjustments to first-person perspective to all vehicles that needed it. In addition, Nomad vehicles with CrystalDome technology now digitally omit objects obscuring view.

Vehicle Traffic

• Visual improvement to traffic movement: turning and suspension.
• Panic reaction to danger: traffic now has the ability to drive away in panic from danger. NPC passengers can now die from car crashes.
• Reactions to fender benders: vehicles now have a wider range of reactions to being bumped into, and will recover and return to traffic more smoothly.

GAMEPLAY

Balance

• Various changes related to the economy, including increased rewards from jobs and Open World activities and decreased prices for vehicles and cyberware.
• Rebalanced and improved functionality of clothing mods. Adjusted the amount of modification slots available on clothing items. Categorized the mods to fit only specific clothing items. As a result, all equipped mods were moved back to your inventory. Go to the Inventory screen to re-equip them in accordance with the new rules.
• The "Easy" game difficulty is now moderately more challenging.
• Introduced 2 new stats replacing Evasion: Mitigation Chance and Mitigation Strength. Mitigation Chance determines how often the player has a chance to reduce incoming damage. Mitigation Strength determines the percentage by which damage is reduced (50% by default).
• Components that used to increase Evasion now affect Mitigation. For example: the Reflexes attribute, perks such as Mongoose, Vanishing Point, Human Shield, some clothing mods and cyberware, and more.
• Rebalanced Damage Over Time effects, generally reducing primary damage effects such as Burning, Bleeding and Poison.
• Reduced chance to disrupt trajectory of smart bullets by Tyger Claws' Glowing Tattoos ability.
• Added a quieter way to escape the NCPD when the heat is on. Instead of fleeing a certain distance from the most recent crime scene, V can opt to hide within the search area, although it will take longer for the police to stop looking.

Cyberware

• It's now possible to sell unused cyberware at a Ripperdoc.
• Cooldown duration is now properly described in the tooltip of Blood Pump cyberware.
• Made it possible to interrupt the Revealing Position hack by damaging the netrunner or by having immunity from Self-ICE cyberware.
• Activating Berserk will now double Stamina instead of granting an infinite amount.
• Tranquilizer Rounds in the Projectile Launch System no longer affect non-human NPCs.
• Reduced the ricochet number of the Legendary Ballistic Coprocessor to 1, but grants a 50% bonus to ricochet damage.
• Trajectory Generator (Kiroshi Optics mod) has been changed to Threat Analysis and now grants a 2% Mitigation Chance. Mitigation grants a chance to reduce incoming damage by the percentage indicated by Mitigation Strength (50% by default).
• Increased duration of Optical Camo cyberware for V from 5/10/15 to 10/15/15 per rarity level.
• Added the Optical Camo ability for some NPCs.
• Even with Optical Camo active, the player will now be visible while grappling an enemy.
• Fixed an issue where it wasn't possible to equip some cyberware mods simultaneously.

Combat

• Numerous optimizations to combat AI resulting in an overall improved combat experience.
• Numerous fixes and improvements were made to reduce interruptions and smoothen NPC animations in combat, including attack, death, equip weapon, cover, hit reaction, reload, block and dodge animations. You can expect more consistent feeling of impact and crowd control from weapons as well as more spectacular visuals.
• Enemies will now correctly reposition to more tactically advantageous positions.
• Increased followers' shooting accuracy.
• Reduced explosion damage dealt to the player.
• Fixed cases where NPCs from the same group or faction didn't join combat when they witnessed their comrades fighting.
• Fixed an issue whereby NPCs didn't display a proper hit reaction when hit with a grenade upon entering combat.
• Enemy shotgunners will now attempt to keep a closer distance to the player during combat.
• Added some visual effects to the combat stims used by enemies.
• Enemies equipped with combat stims will use them only when their health is below 30%, reducing their overall stimulant usage.
• Increased visual complexity of enemy combat behavior in low-framerate mode.
• Fixed an issue when combat mode was triggered while roaming.
• Fixed an issue where the player could be knocked down by a hammer attack despite the weapon not reaching them.
• Significantly sped up switching between melee and ranged weapons for NPCs that can use both.

Quickhacking

• It's no longer possible to apply the Cyberpsychosis quickhack on cyberpsychos.
• Fixed an issue where deactivating a camera with a quickhack wouldn't interrupt enemy quickhack upload when the camera in question was used as a connection proxy.
• Fixed cases where a "hacked" status effect could remain on V permanently, preventing netrunners from hacking V again.
• Fixed an issue where, in some cases, the Whistle quickhack didn't cause NPCs to approach V's position.

Items & Devices

• It's now possible to turn devices on and off while carrying a body.
• Fixed an issue where elevator door animations did sometimes not display properly, causing the player to see beyond world boundaries.

NPCs

• Lowered the health of the opponents in Beat on the Brat, except for the Twins - they can now block and/or evade attacks, so their difficulty is based more on skill.
• Woodman now prefers using the same Ajax rifle that he drops as loot. He was also demoted from a boss to a standard enemy.
• Fixed NPC behavior during Sasquatch, Oda, Adam Smasher, Royce and Beat on the Brat boss fights.
• Fixed an issue where enemy NPCs couldn't break V's guard in melee fights.
• Fixed clipping in V's and NPCs' aerial takedowns.
• Spin and kick melee attacks are now allowed only on fast, agile enemy archetypes.
• Cold Blood experience will no longer be awarded when dispatching enemies while having no Cold Blood effect active. The amount of Cold Blood experience granted for dispatching enemies increases with the amount of active Cold Blood stacks.
• Fixed clipping when grappling enemies from the crouched position.
• Enemy shotgunners now deal more damage.
• Enemies are less likely to attack V while V is performing a finisher.
• Increased damage dealt by sniper NPCs.
• Snipers will now be able to shoot when backing away from their target.
• Disabled tripping over bodies for V's companions.
• Rebalanced NPC Stamina.
• NPCs crushed by a vehicle that are unable to recover will die after some time.
• Fixed V's death animations that play while grappling an NPC.
• Fixed an issue where security, bouncers and police NPCs could have a bounty on them.
• Fixed some instances of NPCs T-posing.
• Fixed an issue where NPCs with the ability to apply status effects weren't able to do so.
• Added a 15% health debuff for enemies that have the Kerenzikov ability to compensate for more successful dodging.

Perks

• Rebalanced various perks and moved some of them in the skill tree. As a result, all the Perk points you spent were reset. Go to the Perks screen to reassign your Perk points for free.
• Redesigned the following perks:
  • Bloodswell
  • Human Shield
  • Epimorphosis
  • Cold Blood
  • Coldest Blood
  • Cutthroat
• Due to the above-mentioned changes in perks, we renamed the Stealth skill tree to Ninjutsu in order to better reflect the perks it contains.
• Made the bonuses dynamic for 200% Efficiency, Field Technician and Cutting Edge. They are now applied to already crafted weapons and clothes. Respecing perks removes the bonuses correctly.

Player Mechanics

• V is now able to vault/climb/jump/sprint through glass that has been fractured.
• Fixed an issue where disposing a body into a crate could move V into walls or out of bounds.

Vehicles

• Fixed an issue when summoned vehicles could spawn within each other, resulting in either shattering to pieces or being launched in the air.
• Fixed an issue where hijacking a car with a hostile NPC inside caused them to clip through the roof and remain inside the vehicle.
• Fixed an issue where vehicles could be frozen in the air after loading a save file. Now they are just regular boring cars that fall down.

Weapons

• Reworked throwing knives - knives are not lost after each throw, but automatically return to V's hands after a set cooldown time (dependent of knife rarity). It's also possible to pick up thrown knives, resetting the cooldown.
• The Stinger Iconic knife now scales properly to V's level when obtained.
• Sped up Smart Gun projectiles on different weapons to the same value as in the Kang Tao G-58 Dian for a better feeling of impact and speed.
• Increased silenced gunshot sound range from 3m to 8m.
• The "Stamina Cost Reduction While Attacking" stat on melee weapons works correctly now.
• Crunch, Cold Shoulder and Pax weapon mods will increase weapon damage by a percentage value.
• The level requirement of melee weapons will now increase with each upgrade. Note: the level of upgraded melee weapons will be adjusted as a result of this change. The equipped items which exceed the level requirement can continue being used but, if unequipped, will have to wait until the required level is reached to be used again.
• The DR5 Nova obtained during the Stadium Love quest has stats properly balanced to V's level.
• The Crusher is no longer a viable weapon to use during the shooting competition in the Shoot to Thrill quest.
• Added aim assist to the bottles in Cassidy's challenge in We Gotta Live Together to make it easier to beat with a gamepad.

UI

• Various map usability improvements related to resizing icons, adding new tooltips and filters. This includes a dynamic filter based on zoom level as well as a custom filter which can be configured by the player.
• Redesigned the "Skip Time" interface. It makes switching between different parts of a day easier and shows predicted time.
• Updated graphics for various scopes, as well as increased clarity and new animations.
• Improved readability, consistency and visuals in UI panels, notifications and popups.
• Added a new notification with the song's name when it starts playing on the radio.
• The name of the vehicle will now be shown on the HUD when getting in.
• Items placed in your stash will now have stats properly displayed in their tooltips.
• Adjusted the crosshair for knife-throwing.
• Added a buff stack counter next to the health bar to show how many stacks of a certain status effect are active.
• Improved D-pad navigation on various screens and panels.
• Added missing description for Wakako's Database entry.
• I Fought The Law - Improved the interface of the electrical box to give more feedback when interacting with it.
• Fixed an issue when the mouse cursor didn't scale properly in different resolutions.
• Fixed an issue where the Fast Travel destination area appeared before the loading screen. No more spoilers, Choomba!
• Fixed an issue where brackets of tutorial windows could be visible in menus.
• Fixed an issue where the game could freeze if a shard was read directly from the loot container and immediately closed afterwards.
• Fixed an issue where the loading indicator could get stuck on the screen.

QUESTS

• Added a few secrets in Night City to be discovered by players. Due to some technical challenges, this change is not available on the previous generation of consoles.
• Extended romances with Panam, Kerry, River and Judy by adding new messages and interactions.
• Added interactions in the homes of love interests, including sleeping in bed with a given partner.
• It's now possible to mute the NCPD dispatcher and fixer brief/debrief holocalls. This automatically skips the call and sends you text messages instead. You can customize this feature in Settings > Gameplay > Holocalls. By default, the NCPD dispatcher is muted and fixers are unmuted.
• Players are now able to reject non-essential holocalls. There will be a prompt on the screen allowing them to accept or reject a holocall. If they reject the call, they will receive a text message instead.
• Improved the holocall system to prevent multiple holocalls from stacking if the first call loads too slowly.
• Enhanced Night City nightlife by making music in clubs a bit louder.
• Fixed an issue where the distorted visual effect could persist after coming back from Cyberspace.
• Fixed an issue where River would instantly hang up after calling him. How rude!
• Automatic Love - Fixed cases where Lizzie's Bar was closed during the hours it should be open.
• Beat on the Brat - Separate journal entries for each fight will now appear only after finding them.
• Beat on the Brat - V will no longer be able to equip previously dropped weapons during fistfights
• Beat on the Brat: The Glen - Fixed an issue where, despite letting El Cesar keep his car, he was messaging V asking if they took care of it.
• Coin Operated Boy - Theo will no longer be despawned during the "Talk to Theo" objective.
• Disasterpiece - Fixed an issue where V was unable to get in the van to talk to Judy after obtaining the XBD.
• Dressed to Kill - Fixed an issue where the Thorton Colby car was missing.
• Epistrophy - Separate journal entries for different Delamains will now appear only after finding them.
• Epistrophy - Added new comments for the Delamain cab after finishing the quest and selecting the "liberate" or "merge" option.
• Ex-Factor - Fixed a case of Judy never calling to start the quest.
• Ex-Factor - Fixed an issue where Judy didn't spawn at the Clouds' balcony, blocking quest progression.
• Ex-Factor - If the player didn't loot Maiko's Death and Taxes pistol during the quest, it can now be found somewhere else.
• I Fought The Law - V can no longer wait inside River's car while an important scene with Detective Han plays.
• Killing in the Name - When hacking the router, the minigame will be displayed properly even in cases where V doesn't have a Cyberdeck equipped.
• Life During Wartime - Fixed an issue where the "Scan the tracks" objective could change location.
• M'ap Tann Pèlen - Fixed an issue where the NPCs in the butcher shop didn't spawn, blocking further progression.
• M'ap Tann Pelèn - Fixed a rare case of Placide being even more grumpy than usual and refusing to talk to V at Rolland's.
• Off the Leash - Some fans at the Kerry & Us Cracks concert weren't happy to see other people copying their outfits, so they got changed.
• Pisces - Fixed an issue that could prevent V from leaving Hiromi's apartment if they called someone during the elevator ride to the maintenance floor.
• Riders on the Storm - Fixed an issue where, under specific circumstances, it wasn't possible to talk to Panam and Mitch.
• Search and Destroy - Fixed an issue where further main quests didn't appear after completing this quest.
• Sweet Dreams - Quest will no longer reappear in the journal with the "Talk to Stefan" objective if Stefan's braindance was refunded after V initially rejected the offer.
• The Information - Added a choice to skip the braindance tutorial sequence.
• These Boots Are Made for Walkin' - V's old car will no longer be missing.
• With a Little Help from My Friends - Fixed an issue where Panam wouldn't call to start the quest after Riders on the Storm.

OPEN WORLD

• V now has standing with fixers throughout Night City. New fixer gigs will appear gradually in sets as your standing increases, and a fixer will offer you another set of gigs only after the previous set is completed in a given district. Completing all the gigs for a fixer will earn you a special reward (excluding Mr. Hands - sorry, he just doesn't like you, choom.) To see the progress of your standing with a fixer, hover over their icon on the map screen and check the completed gigs.
• Crowds and communities of Night City are now more diverse during the day and at night. Increased occurrences and added more variety of conversations in all districts.
• Assault in Progress in Charter Hill - Fixed an issue where it wasn't possible to pick up evidence.
• Assault in Progress in Corpo Plaza - Fixed an issue where the quest could be blocked if the player collected evidence before visiting Heywood.
• Assault in Progress in Kabuki - Fixed an issue when the activity would reappear on the map after completing The Prophet's Song.
• Gig: Breaking News - Fixed an issue where the truck would fall underground blocking further progression. Note: the vehicle will now spawn after getting close to the garage, despite the marker pointing below the ground.
• Gig: Family Heirloom - Fixed an issue where the gig didn't trigger when approaching the marker and was stuck on "Undiscovered".
• Gig: Freedom of the Press - Quest will no longer fail upon entering the TV studio building.
• Gig: Going-Away Party - Fixed an issue where the car spawned underground. If you encountered this issue, you may need to start escorting Flavio in order for the car to spawn.
• Gig: Guinea Pigs - Fixed an issue where the elevator inside the hotel was closed, blocking further progression.
• Gig: Life's Work - Fixed an issue where the car didn't spawn or spawned incorrectly.
• Gig: The Lord Giveth and Taketh Away - The SUV will now spawn properly.
• Reported Crime: Paranoia - It's now easier to climb the building and reach the stash.
• Cyberpsycho Sighting: Smoke on the Water - Fixed an issue where "Search the van [Optional]" was the only objective left and couldn't be completed.

GRAPHICS, AUDIO, ANIMATION, CINEMATIC DESIGN

• Improved water appearance and added water interactions. Ripples and splash effects will be produced during various events, like object collisions and from gunfire.
• Improved rain visual effects on vehicle windows. Raindrops are no longer afraid of falling.
• Added neon rims for bikes. You can switch them on and off with the E key (or by pressing Left Stick on a gamepad).
• Improved visuals of the Optical Camo cyberware. If Johnny had this cyberware in 2023, he could've just quietly dropped the mini nuke.
• Fixed an issue where various subtitles with Johnny's lines could get stuck on the screen.
• Fixed a number of AVs flying through buildings.

ENVIRONMENT AND LEVELS

• Improved the weather system so that its states change in a more logical order and when certain conditions are met.
• Drastically reduced the amount of loot lying around as a part of an effort to allow players more breathing room to experience quest scenes and the world itself.

STABILITY AND PERFORMANCE

• HDD Mode has now an auto-detection option. When enabled, it automatically detects which drive the game is installed on, and, if neccessary, boosts data loading and crowd activity at the expense of crowd variety, extra loading screens, and less detail in the streets when driving fast.
• Added AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution (FSR) 1.0 algorithm, replacing Contrast Adaptive Sharpening (CAS). On PC it can be enabled in Settings > Graphics > Resolution Scaling. The option is not configurable on consoles.
• Multiple fixes and improvements related to stability and optimization.

PC-SPECIFIC

• Added a benchmark mode. You can find it in Settings > Run Benchmark.
• Added a "Toggle walking" option when playing with keyboard. It is activated by pressing G during exploration. The key can be rebinded in Settings.
• Enabled transparent ray-traced reflections on glossy coating of some cars.
• Enabled Variable Rate Shading (VRS). This feature boosts rendering performance and visual quality by varying the shading rate for different regions of the frame. Available only on compatible hardware.
• Fixed an issue which blocked Resolution Scaling on AMD graphics cards when Ray Tracing was enabled.

CONSOLE-SPECIFIC

• Added Brazilian Portuguese support for digital copies in Portugal (PlayStation codes: CUSA-18278 and CUSA-18279). For further details on language support see: Xbox, PlayStation.
• Implemented transferring saves from PS4 to PS5. Instructions can be found here.
• Fixed an issue where V's mouth and hair could be visible in first-person perspective.

STADIA-SPECIFIC

• Increased the scale of Field of View to match other platforms.

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That covers the entirety of the Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 1.5 notes. The patch is out on all platforms today so make sure you have the GBs for it and download at your leisure.