The Witcher fans finally get what they hoped for. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition has received a free next generation update for owners of the Game of the Year Edition, bringing the adventure to modern PC hardware.
Fans can expect a richer experience with boosted visuals and smoother performance, new content, a dedicated photo mode, and a batch of other improvements brought to life by CD Projekt Red.
Videos circulating online already showcase how the update impacts frame rates across different PC builds.
One example demonstrates performance on a PC equipped with an Intel Core i5-10400F running at 2.9 GHz, 16 GB of DDR4 RAM at 3200 MHz, and a popular NVIDIA GTX 1650 graphics card with 4 GB of VRAM. Steam’s charts reflect this card as a common choice among gamers.
Here are the test results:
- 1080p with low settings yields roughly 60 to 80 frames per second;
- 1080p with medium settings yields roughly 50 to 70 frames per second;
- 1080p with high settings yields roughly 45 to 55 frames per second;
- 1080p with ultra settings yields roughly 40 to 50 frames per second;
- 1080p with the highest settings, referred to as Ultimate Plus, runs about 33 to 40 frames per second.
In addition, here are the graphical enhancements for the next generation version on PC:
- Global illumination and diffused shadows now benefit from ray tracing;
- Ray tracing is also applied to reflections and shadows;
- Various mods and related content refine the visuals and overall quality, including the HD Reworked Project, HD Monsters Reworked, Immersive Real-time Cutscenes, Nitpicker’s Patch, and World Map Fixes;
- Texture resolution for many characters, including Geralt, Yennefer, Triss, Ciri, and Eredin, now reaches 4K;
- All main characters, including Geralt, cast high-resolution self-shadowing not only in cutscenes but also during gameplay;
- Environmental improvements across levels and landscapes;
- Support for AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution version 2.1;
- Photo mode returns for capturing scenes in style;
- The ability to pause the action while watching videos is included;
- An alternative camera is available for different perspectives;
- DLSS 3 compatibility is included.
It should be noted that this list is not exhaustive. The developers also expanded network features and added other enhancements. A complete overview of all changes can be found in the official update notes.
Earlier glimpses showed how ray tracing transforms the next generation visuals, and new gameplay footage from a separate project surfaced during a major awards event, offering a quick two seconds of fresh action.
In summary, the update elevates The Witcher 3’s presentation on PC with modern lighting, shadows, and textures, while maintaining the core game that fans have loved for years.