Image credit: CD Projekt Red
CD Projekt Red has launched The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered. The latest update brings major visual, gameplay and quality-of-life changes to the 2015 role-playing game. The remastered version is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2, with existing owners eligible for a free upgrade within the same platform ecosystem.
New Reforge system changes gear customisation
PC players also get technologies including Path Tracing, NVIDIA DLSS 4.5, AMD FSR 4 and Intel XeSS 2.0, while PS5 Pro and Nintendo Switch 2 receive platform-specific enhancements. Here are the biggest changes coming with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered. CD Projekt Red has introduced an improved shading model and updated multiple textures and models using assets from The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project. The game now features native DirectX 12 rendering with multithreading, updated tone mapping, improved Screen Space Reflections and Shadows, GTAO and Ray-Traced Local Shadows. On PC, the remaster adds Path Tracing, NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 with Ray Reconstruction, AMD FSR 4 with Frame Generation and Anti-Lag 2, and Intel XeSS 2.0 with Frame Generation and Low Latency. The graphics modes have also been updated, with Ray Tracing Mode targeting 60 FPS and Performance Mode offering higher resolution while targeting 60 FPS, with up to 90 FPS on VRR-compatible displays. Nintendo Switch 2 gets four playstyles, including handheld, Pro Controller, Dual Grip with motion controls and mouse-sensor controls. The game also supports gyroscope aiming, touchscreen input, Joy-Con 2 HD Rumble, VRR in handheld mode and HDR. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered is available on PC through Steam, GOG, the Epic Games Store, and Battle.net, as well as PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
As a result, existing skill points will reset when upgrading to the remastered version. The update goes beyond improved graphics, adding changes to the skill system, combat, movement, user interface, accessibility options, Photo Mode and mod support. The remaster brings several changes to the game’s rendering and visual presentation. Lighting and shading for grass and foliage have also been improved, along with terrain and material rendering. The update also adds improved lighting effects, Subsurface Scattering for more natural-looking skin, Image-Based Lighting and a reworked Bloom system. The skill system has been reorganised into a skill tree, with each skill now having three ranks. Players must unlock prerequisite skills to progress through the tree. Combat has also been refined, with changes to the behaviour of several non-boss monsters, including their attacks, counterattacks, movement and reactions. Geralt’s movement and animations have been polished, including jumping, climbing, vaulting and combat. New finisher and idle animations have also been added to the game The update introduces new exploration and combat cameras, improved target-lock switching and a new horse-control sensitivity setting. Roach also gets improved collision avoidance and more polished mounting, dismounting and riding animations. The remaster introduces a Reforge system that lets players change equipment appearance without changing its stats. Only master craftsmen Yoana and Hattori can provide the service. Players unlock additional appearances by adding equipment and crafting diagrams to their inventory. Dyes applied to equipment through Blood and Wine will also carry over to the reforged item. Meditation now uses a timelapse instead of a static UI screen, and the map has been redesigned to make quest tracking easier. Players can also increase the number of map markers and hide herbs, boats and corpses from the minimap. The loot system has been streamlined, with nearby items grouped into a single window and a new loot feed showing recently collected items. Photo Mode has received a major upgrade. Players can now place different characters in scenes, choose poses and expressions, change weather and time of day, adjust weather intensity and save camera presets. The mode also supports first-person camera views, different aspect ratios, camera locking, placeable props and options to hide surrounding NPCs. The remaster adds a dedicated Accessibility section to the settings menu, including the new Bard’s Ballad preset. The preset reduces cognitive load by letting players customise features such as vitality regeneration, infinite breath, unlimited item and boat durability, ignoring item weight, faster boats, and a Witcher Sense toggle. CD Projekt Red has also streamlined tutorials and added an option to quickly disengage from combat. Players can now collect loot without dismounting Roach. The remaster adds cross-platform mod support through mod.io. Players can browse and install player-created mods directly through a Mods section in the game’s main menu. The update also includes engine, UI, and other improvements to REDkit, giving creators more tools to develop and manage custom content. On PS5, CD Projekt Red has implemented multithreaded rendering, while PS5 Pro gets support for PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, VRR and uncapped frame rates.
Players who already own any version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt can upgrade to the remastered version for free within the same platform ecosystem. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.