Cyberpunk 2077 had one of the most troubled launches in memory, and one of the best recoveries. Today it is a dense, stylish role-playing game with a city that feels alive. The first hour is a character creator, a lifepath prologue and your first jobs with a new friend, and it is all story. The only spending decision is whether to buy the Phantom Liberty expansion.
The first hour, minute by minute
- 00:00
Download
About 70 GB on PC, and an SSD is required. No extra account is needed to play.
- 00:20
Create V
A detailed character creator covering body, face, voice and cyberware. It is easy to spend fifteen minutes here.
- 00:35
Choose a lifepath
Nomad, Streetkid or Corpo. Each has its own opening mission and changes some dialogue choices later.
- 00:48
Meet Jackie
Every lifepath ends by introducing Jackie Welles, your partner for the early jobs, followed by a montage into Night City.
- 00:55
First job
Stealth, hacking and shooting are introduced on your first proper contract. You can approach it several ways.
- 01:00
Where you stand
Early in a prologue that runs for several hours before the title card. The city is only beginning to open.
What the first hour gets right
Night City is spectacular from the first street. The lifepath openings give each start a different flavour, and Jackie is one of the best-written companions in modern games. Combat is flexible: you can shoot, sneak or hack your way through the first job.
The game you are buying now is very different from the one that launched in 2020. Major updates reworked the skills, police and vehicles, and the result is polished and confident.
Where it asks a lot
The opening is long and cinematic. The prologue takes several hours before the title card appears, so the first hour is mostly setup and story. Players who want a sandbox straight away need a little patience.
Older consoles are left behind: the PS4 and Xbox One versions don't get the expansion or recent updates, although owners can upgrade to the PS5 and Series versions for free.
Money: editions and the expansion
The base game is £49.99 on Steam, GOG and Xbox, and was listed at £39.99 on the PlayStation Store when we checked. Phantom Liberty, the spy-thriller expansion, is £24.99 everywhere. The Ultimate Edition, with both, is £64.99 on GOG and Xbox, £57.99 on PlayStation and £59.99 on Switch 2.
Cyberpunk is single-player only, so you never need PlayStation Plus, Game Pass or Nintendo Switch Online to play. The Mac version is free for existing PC owners on Steam, GOG and Epic.
Who should play it
Anyone who likes story-rich RPGs, first-person action and a city with atmosphere to spare. PEGI rates it 18, and it earns that rating.
What we liked, what we didn't
Worth your hour
- Night City is a stunning, dense open world
- No shop, no currency, no online subscription
- Flexible combat: guns, stealth or hacking
- Phantom Liberty is an excellent expansion
Watch out for
- A long, story-heavy opening
- A 70 GB install that needs an SSD
- PS4 and Xbox One versions miss the expansion
- Prices vary more than usual between stores
What Cyberpunk 2077 really costs
Free, or included in the price
- The complete base game and all its updates
- The Mac version for existing Steam, GOG and Epic owners
- Free upgrade from PS4 and Xbox One to PS5 and Series versions
Price list (UK, VAT included)
| Item | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Base game, PlayStation Store | £39.99 | Lowest list price at the time of checking |
| Base game, Steam, GOG or Xbox | £49.99 | |
| Phantom Liberty expansion | £24.99 | Same on every store |
| Ultimate Edition, PlayStation | £57.99 | Game plus Phantom Liberty |
| Ultimate Edition, GOG or Xbox | £64.99 | |
| Ultimate Edition, Switch 2 | £59.99 | Nintendo eShop UK |
| Ultimate bundle, Steam | £68.98 | Priced as a bundle of both |
Our month-one advice
Buy the base game first; the prologue alone takes several hours. Add Phantom Liberty later, when the story sends you there. If you know you want both, the Ultimate Edition on PlayStation or Switch 2 is the cheapest route.
Prices checked 24 September 2026 on the official UK stores. They change with sales and currency updates, so the store checkout price is the one that counts.
How to pay for Cyberpunk 2077 in the UK · Set a spending limit first
Questions people ask
How much is Cyberpunk 2077 in the UK?
£49.99 on Steam, GOG and Xbox, and listed at £39.99 on the PlayStation Store when we checked. Phantom Liberty is £24.99, and the Ultimate Edition with both runs from £57.99.
Does Cyberpunk 2077 have microtransactions?
No. There is no in-game shop or currency. The only paid add-on is the Phantom Liberty expansion.
Do I need PlayStation Plus?
No. Cyberpunk 2077 is single-player only, so no console subscription is needed.
Is Cyberpunk 2077 still broken?
No. Years of updates have fixed the launch problems and reworked major systems. The PS4 and Xbox One versions are the exception: they stopped receiving updates and don't get the expansion.
