How To Download The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Update

The long wait is over and fans can finally play an enhanced version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles. The Witcher 3 next-gen update arrives on 14th December, and if you’re wondering how to download it, thankfully it’s pretty easy.

In case you’ve been living under a rock since 2015, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the acclaimed action role-playing game from Polish developer CD Projekt Red.

It made CD Projekt Red arguably the most lauded video game developer in the industry. Unfortunately, all of this goodwill vanished following the calamitous release of Cyberpunk 2077.

But there’s no doubt the company has been working hard to resurrect its reputation. Following numerous updates, Cyberpunk 2077 is finally in a satisfactory state. CD Projekt even announced a new expansion – Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty – at The Game Awards.

And those who have already played The Witcher 3‘s next-gen update are calling it a worthy re-release with lots of improvements over the original version.

In the years since the remaster’s announcement, its release date has shifted a number of times. CD Projekt finally confirmed in November 2022 that players would be able to get their hands on it right before the festive period. And it’s sure to be an awesome early Christmas present for fans.

But what exactly can fans expect from The Witcher 3 next-gen update?

The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Update Features and Changes

In an official blog post, CD Projekt Red confirmed the update will feature “various visual, performance, and technical enhancements, as well as fixes and additional content.”

PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC players can expect the following specific changes and improvements in the upgrade for their platform of choice:

PC and Next-Gen Exclusives

• Added ray traced global illumination and ambient occlusion.
• Additionally, PC players with compatible hardware have an additional option to turn on ray traced reflections and shadows.
• Added various mods and mod-inspired content to the game to improve visuals and overall game quality. We’ve included some community-made favorites in addition to our own modifications in areas such as environment and cutscene improvements, realistic pavements, and many decoration upgrades.
• Community-made and community-inspired mods include:

– The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project by HalkHogan

– HD Monsters Reworked by Denroth 

– Immersive Real-time Cutscenes by teiji25 

– Nitpicker’s Patch by chuckcash

– World Map Fixes by Terg500

• Upscaled texture to 4K for various characters, including Geralt, Yennefer, Triss, Ciri, Eredin and more.
• All main characters, including Geralt, now cast high-resolution self-shadowing even outside cutscenes. Additionally, hair clipping through armor as well as some other armor-clipping issues have been fixed.
• Environmental improvements:

– Added a new weather type – “Gray Sky”

– Updated sky textures

– Vegetation and water improvements

– Various mesh improvements

– Improved some select VFX

– Updated global environmental lighting

• Added AMD FidelityFX™ Super Resolution (FSR) 2.1
• Added photo mode, allowing players to take stunning pictures within the world of The Witcher 3.
• Added the option to pause the game during cutscenes.
• Added an alternative camera option that’s closer to the player’s character and that reacts more dynamically to combat and movement. You can find this new setting in Options → Gameplay under Exploration, Combat, and Horseback Camera Distance.

CD Projekt official blog post

PC-Specific

• Added “ULTRA+” graphical settings on PC, which significantly increases the visual fidelity of the game. The graphical settings available on ULTRA+ affect:

– Number of background characters

– Shadow quality

– Grass density

– Texture quality

– Foliage visibility range

– Terrain quality

– Water quality

– Detail level

• Added DLSS 3 support. Available only on compatible hardware.

CD Projekt official blog post

Next-Gen Specific

• Improved the overall quality of graphics on next-gen consoles. Including enhanced textures, improved fidelity, shadow quality, greater draw distances and crowd density. 
• Ray Tracing Mode — provides ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion with dynamic resolution scaling targeting 30 FPS for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
• Performance Mode — ensures smoother gameplay targeting 60 FPS with dynamic resolution scaling for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X.
• The Xbox Series S version has no ray-tracing features. Quality Mode provides increased resolution and better image fidelity targeting 30 FPS, whereas Performance Mode targets 60 FPS and prioritizes smoother gameplay over visual quality.
• Implemented the use of adaptive triggers and haptic feedback on PS5 DualSense controllers.
• Added Activity Cards for PS5.

CD Projekt official blog post

How To Download The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Update

So, now you know what the long-awaited update will include, how can you get your hands on it come 14th December 2022?

Handily, the whole process should be straightforward for anyone with a last-gen copy of the game.

This is how to download The Witcher 3 next-gen update: PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC players who already have The Witcher 3 will be able to get The Witcher 3 next-gen update for free. It can be downloaded from your platform’s respective digital store.

You will need to re-install the last-gen version of the game to access the free next-gen update.

The update will go live at 1am CET on PC and Xbox Series X|S and at midnight local time on PS5.

Follow the steps below to find The Witcher 3 next-gen update for free on PS5:

From the PS5 Home Screen, locate the installed PS4 version of the game. Select the three dots, then select ‘View Product’.

You will be taken to The Witcher 3‘s PlayStation Store product page. Select the three dots again, then select ‘The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition’.

You will be taken to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition product page. You will see the free PS5 upgrade on this screen – ensure your disk for the PS4 version of the game is inserted. Select the ‘Free’ option to begin the download process.

Players on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC who don’t already own The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt can purchase it from their platform’s respective digital store to gain access to the next-gen update.

Will you be playing The Witcher 3 on your next-gen console? Let us know in the comment section below and don’t forget to check out our other gaming articles…