Almost six years after its launch in December 2020, a new mod for Cyberpunk 2077 is bringing a VHS vibe to Night City. The community is raving about it, calling it one of the most immersive visual upgrades the game has ever seen. Since CD Projekt Red has ruled out any more official content, modding has become the driving force behind the game’s ongoing evolution.
This mod introduces classic analog video effects — like scan lines, color bleeding, tape noise, and soft chromatic aberration — into Cyberpunk 2077’s already rich visual world. The aesthetics pay homage to the game’s 1980s corporate-dystopia influences, reminiscent of films such as Blade Runner and RoboCop. Instead of clashing with the game’s ray-traced graphics, the VHS filter makes Night City feel more authentic. It softens the ultra-clean edges of its 4K visuals, giving them a lived-in, analog charm.
The timing is impressive for a game that still attracts over 33,000 concurrent players on Steam, nearly five years after its release. Cyberpunk 2077 boasts an 88% positive rating from 397,005 Steam reviews. This marks a significant turnaround from its rocky launch in December 2020, where it faced major criticism for being broken on last-gen consoles. The 2.0 patch released in September 2023, along with the Phantom Liberty expansion, played a key role in restoring its reputation.
This VHS mod comes at a time when ambitious community projects are keeping the game alive. Another mod, Fresh Start, recently updated to include a fourth lifepath option, a feature CD Projekt Red never added despite community requests. Meanwhile, the wider Cyberpunk franchise remains active: a Cyberpunk trading card game on Kickstarter is raising funds rapidly, showing that interest in the franchise goes well beyond the original game.
The positive reception of the VHS mod highlights a trend in long-standing open-world games with vibrant modding communities. Players often fill the void left when developers shift their focus. CD Projekt Red is currently busy working on The Witcher 4 and a Cyberpunk sequel known as Project Orion, leaving the future of Cyberpunk 2077 mostly in the hands of its community.
| Release Date | December 10, 2020 |
| Steam Review Score | 88% positive |
| Total Steam Reviews | 397,005 |
| Current Steam Players | 33,245 |
| Current Steam Price | $59.99 |
| Metacritic Score | 73 |
Community feelings about the base game stay strong years after its launch. One Steam reviewer summed it up well: “Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t about chrome, guns, or Night City. It’s about what’s left of you when everything else gets stripped away. The city is loud. Violent. Relentless. But what stays with you is the quiet.” This emotional connection is why a visual mod, which doesn’t change gameplay or story, can spark such enthusiasm among players who have already invested countless hours.
What To Watch
- Mod adoption and compatibility: How well the VHS mod works across different hardware setups, especially in conjunction with existing graphics overhaul mods like ReShade presets, will influence how widely it’s adopted by players.
- CD Projekt Red’s stance on modding: As the developer focuses on upcoming projects, it’ll be interesting to see if they release more modding tools or API updates that allow the community to enhance these visual experiments.
- The broader Cyberpunk IP momentum: The quick fundraising of the Kickstarter TCG and ongoing mod activity suggest the franchise has real cultural staying power as Project Orion develops.
