CD Projekt Red details Witcher 3 Remastered updates ahead of September 29 release

CD Projekt Red has revealed the full Witcher 3 Remastered patch notes ahead of the game’s September 29 release. The free upgrade brings more than improved graphics: it overhauls the skill system, adds a way to change your gear’s appearance, expands Photo Mode, and introduces new accessibility options. Biggest Changes in The Witcher 3 Remastered […] The post The Witcher 3 Remastered Patch Notes: All New Features Revealed appeared first on VICE.

With the release of The Witcher 3 Remastered, we wanted to take a look at the visual differences using various settings on PC. We compared the game, known as Version 5.00, to the most recent version of The Witcher 3, Version 4.04. All versions were run on 4k, Ultra settings with everything turned on. In 4.04 we had ray tracing turned on, and in 5.00 we had ray tracing and path tracing examples. Path tracing is a new feature exclusive to The Witcher 3 Remastered, which is why we couldn't have it turned on in Version 4.04. We tested the graphics in a pre-release version of the game, and because of that there may be some minor graphical issues. This is something that CD Projekt Red let us know about ahead of time, and something the developer let us know it would be working on up until launch. Keep in mind that anything you see in the video or screenshots embedded in this article may change when the game releases. Remember that it might cost you nothing to upgrade to The Witcher 3 Remastered if you like the look of these comparisons and want to experience it for yourself. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered launches on September 29 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. In other The Witcher news, The Witcher 3 is getting a new expansion in 2027. Songs of the Past is the first DLC for The Witcher 3 in over a decade, and is a mystery centered around Dandelion, Geralt's lute-wielding friend.

When you boot up The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered for the first time, you’ll see a few new items on the menu: Combat Training, Mods, Patch Highlights, and–depending on the platform–Console Features. Patch Highlights is exactly that. Judging by the trailer developer CD Projekt Red released last month, there are dozens of new additions and changes, but here are the highlights as listed in the menu: Upgraded visuals and performance: Everything from NPCs you'll meet on your journey to the bushes along the side of the road has received a facelift. Additionally, the lighting has been reworked to be more realistic, and path tracing has been added to the PC version. If you want to see how the visuals stack up to the 2022 update, we have a graphics comparison you can watch.  Reimagined skill system: CD Projekt Red has taken a pass at the skill system in order to bring more refined progression with greater flexibility. Expanded photo mode: Photo mode has been overhauled to include more settings, poses, frames, and filters. You can also place other character models in the frame. Improved combat: CD Projekt Red has touched up the combat by adding more finishers and tweaking the dynamic camera. Transmog: Now you can wear whatever you want and retain the stats from your best equipment. Finally, Geralt’s iconic fit can be used for the entire game without penalty. In addition to the changes highlighted, other standout features include expanded mod support (even on Nintendo Switch 2) and a revamped meditation mechanic that shows time passing in real time instead of fading to black. From the main menu, you can now replay the combat tutorial. This skips the opening cutscenes and puts you right in front of Vesemir to begin practicing. Since The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt already allowed for cross-saving and old saves transfer, this will undoubtedly be handy for those looking to pick up where they left off. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered also defaults to a new camera while exploring. It’s a bit wider than the previous camera angle, but if you prefer the original camera from the 2015 version or the closer camera from the 2022 next-gen update, you can change it in the menu. If you’re playing on the Nintendo Switch 2, the remastered version introduces mouse and motion controls. Motion controls can be used to adjust the camera and perform specific actions. Meanwhile, mouse controls can be used to navigate the map and your inventory. Here’s a list of new features that were pulled directly from CD Projekt Red’s trailer: Upgraded visuals Enhanced combat Improved traversal and movement Revamped mount handling Improved monster behaviors Revamped skill tree Transmogrification Expanded photo mode New combat finishers Cross-platform mods Immersive meditation Refined animations New quest tracking UI improvements Looting rework Refreshed motion blur New accessibility features Updated textures Foliage shading rework Tutorial modernization HDR improvements GTAO (ground truth ambient occlusion, not Grand Theft Auto Online) Improved menu navigation Ray tracing improvements Global lighting rework New shading model Subsurface scattering New tone mapper PlayStation 5 Pro support Xbox Play Anywhere support Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive features Nvidia DLSS 4.5 AMD FSR 4 Intel XESS 2.0 Path tracing on PC Ray reconstruction on PC Ray traced hair Native DX12 Rendering parallelization The remaster is free for all owners of The Witcher 3, regardless of platform, and packs in both expansions at no cost. If, somehow, you don’t own The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, it’s 50% on Steam and the PlayStation Store. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt received a coveted 10/10 from GameSpot's Kevin VanOrd in 2015, and is still widely considered one of the best RPGs of all time.