How Cyberpunk 2077's smart weapons work

Cyberpunk 2077's smart weapons look like guns from the far-future, but the technology behind those guns has a real-life explanation.

The world of Cyberpunk 2077 is filled with impressive technologies, the most fascinating of which are smart weapons. These guns ensure that players never miss a shot, as their homing rounds automatically fly towards enemies and damage them without even having to aim at them. Smart weapons are so easy to acquire and use that they are a popular choice for many who take to the streets of Night City, but not many really understand the logic behind this interesting technology.

In order to use these advanced guns, players must first go to their local Ripperdoc and install the Smart Link networking software in Cyberpunk 2077. There are several variants of this upgrade that can be installed in the hands of the V, but they all share a common function: gaining "smart positioning" technology. This is what allows players to connect to their smart weapons, but it doesn't explain how the guns themselves can target enemies so cleanly and effectively.

Cyberpunk 2077's Smart Weapons Are Inspired By Real-Life Technology

Surprisingly, Cyberpunk 2077's smart weapons are actually based on an existing technology: the rotorcraft gun. According to Modern Firearms, the technology - which replaces conventional bullets with small ballistic rockets - was first invented in the early 1960s, Attempts to "revolutionize the world of small arms". The engineers behind the first gyro-jet pistols wanted them to be versatile weapons that could fire silently underwater. However, this turned out to be far from the truth in the end, as the gun was quickly found to be wildly inaccurate. That's not the case with CDPR's headline, as the smart weapon is one of the best in Cyberpunk 2077. Going into the 70s, rotorjet technology was largely abandoned, and it hasn't made a comeback since.

Gyrojet Technology Has Been Perfected In Cyberpunk 2077

On the other hand, in Cyberpunk 2077, gyroscope technology has been vastly improved, to the point of being perfectly consistent and accurate. Bullets in Smart Weapons are replaced by tiny projectile rockets that sync with the V's network software to track targets. The aforementioned Smart Link networking software acts as a teleporter between the character's body and the gun itself. It syncs with the player's optical implant -- which Victor provides for free during the prologue, but can be upgraded like any electronic software -- to receive visual information and cues.

Using cybersoft implants in Cyberpunk 2077 certainly makes sense for a chrome-filled Night City - but real life implementations Gyroscopic technology adds an unexpected touch of realism. Still, this was a welcome surprise, since not all video game weapons strive to explain themselves using real-life physics and science. Knowing the logistics behind Smart Weapons can make using these guns feel more satisfying, and it's another example of how Cyberpunk 2077 immerses players in small but meaningful details.

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