CD PROJEKT RED has revealed the main changes in *The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered*. The game will be available on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 starting at 7:00 PM on September 29.
Wide-ranging Improvements Implemented
This remastered version features a wide range of improvements.
Visually, performance has been improved through native DirectX 12 rendering and multithreading support, and ray-traced HairWorks and IBL (Image-Based Lighting) have been implemented.The PC version supports ray tracing, NVIDIA DLSS 4.5, AMD FSR 4, and Intel XeSS 2.0, and features updated textures and models based on assets from “The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project.”
In terms of gameplay, the skill system has been revamped into a tree structure, and three rank levels have been added to each skill. A “Reforging” feature that allows players to change the appearance of equipment has been added, and monster combat behavior has been comprehensively improved, along with enhancements to Geralt and Roach’s movement, animations, and controls.
Regarding UI/UX, a time-lapse effect now plays during meditation, enhancing immersion. Switching between quest tracks has been made easier, and a screen for collecting multiple items at once, as well as a feed displaying recently acquired items, have been added.
Photo Mode has been significantly expanded, offering a wide variety of options such as character placement, poses, facial expressions, and lighting adjustments.
In terms of accessibility, Ukrainian localization has been added, and a new “Ballad of the Bard” preset has been introduced, offering options such as automatic health regeneration, infinite breath holding, and infinite stamina.
Additionally, cross-platform mod support (via mod.io integration) has been added, along with support for PS5 Pro and Xbox Play Anywhere. The Nintendo Switch 2 version supports four play styles, motion controls, gyro sensor, and HD Vibration 2.
PC System Requirements Updated
The system requirements for the PC version have also been updated. In addition to the minimum requirements announced in May, new specifications for Recommended, Ultra, RT Minimum, RT Recommended, and Ray Tracing have been released.
In this update, an SSD has become a mandatory requirement to support the latest technologies. The use of an SSD is expected to reduce load times, stabilize asset streaming, and improve overall performance, enabling a more seamless gaming experience.
Additionally, due to the end of support by Microsoft and NVIDIA, Windows 10 is no longer officially supported. While the game will still run on Windows 10 after the next update, the developers will no longer conduct development or testing on Windows 10, so future compatibility and performance cannot be guaranteed.
According to the official performance chart, measurements for the “RT Minimum,” “RT Recommended,” and “Ray Tracing” settings were taken with DLSS, FSR, and XeSS set to “Auto.”The figures for the “Ray Tracing” setting reflect performance with upscaling and frame generation enabled; it is noted that frame rates may vary depending on the scene and gameplay conditions.
Depending on the platform, it is possible to revert the game to a previous version (version 1.32, labeled “Classic”), and after the remastered version is released, it will also be possible to revert to the current version 4.04.
Major Changes
Visuals & Rendering
Improved Shading Model
Updated multiple textures and models based on assets from “The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project”
Improved lighting and shading for foliage and vegetation
Updated visual effects for Signs and their upgraded versions
Added new visual effects to skills
Added support for native DirectX 12 rendering and multithreading to improve performance and visuals
Updated tone mapping to improve color, lighting, contrast, and detail
Added GTAO (Ground Truth Ambient Occlusion) as a new option for screen-space ambient occlusion
Introduced various improvements, including new options in the HDR Calibration panel
Added ray-traced HairWorks to improve hair lighting and shading
Improved motion blur for higher-quality, more cinematic results
Updated subsurface scattering to achieve more natural-looking skin
Improved terrain and material rendering to achieve more natural lighting, shadows, reflections, and highlights
Implemented new image-based lighting (IBL) to improve ambient light and reflections in various environments
Reworked bloom to improve lighting effects in various environments
Gameplay
Improved the skill system. Skills are now organized in a tree structure, and three rank levels have been added to each skill. To unlock new skills, players must master prerequisite skills rather than spending a set number of skill points. Important: Due to this change, previously earned skill points will be reset.
Adjusted skill bonus values, effects, and synergies to improve the overall balance of the skill tree
Renamed some skills to better reflect their actual effects
Added a “Reforging” feature that allows you to change an item’s appearance while maintaining its stats. Reforging can only be performed by Master Craftsmen (Joanna and Hattori).Adding new equipment or blueprints to your inventory unlocks available appearances. If the “Blood-Stained Fine Wine” dye is applied to an item, it will carry over to the re-forged item.
Improved combat behavior for all monsters (excluding bosses), including attack patterns, counterattacks, movement, reactions, flight, and the application of various effects
Changed the horse’s full gallop and trot so they can be performed by pressing a button rather than holding it down.
Added a “Horse Control Sensitivity” slider under “Settings” → “Controls”
Improved movement, controls, and animations for Roach and Geralt:
Adjusted Geralt’s jump animation to make his movements more natural and refined. Note: There are no changes to jump distance or height.
Added new finishing move animations for Geralt
Added new idle animations for Geralt
Improved Geralt’s animations and speed when scrambling up ledges, climbing up and down ladders, and jumping over obstacles to achieve smoother movement with better responsiveness
Improved Geralt’s animations when closing the distance to enemies during combat, resulting in smoother gameplay
Improved the behavior of switching lock-on targets when moving the camera during combat
Improved animations for getting on and off the Roach, as well as for sprinting and jogging
UI/UX
During meditation, a time-lapse sequence now plays instead of the UI screen, enhancing immersion
The Skills screen has been redesigned as a skill tree for more intuitive navigation
The map screen has been updated to make it easier to switch between tracked quests. Quests that are not currently tracked are marked with a special icon, and you can track them by selecting them
Added an option to hide herbs, ships, and corpses on the minimap (“Settings” → “Video” → “Interface”)
Quest updates have been consolidated into a single HUD, improving quest notifications
Added a feature to display multiple nearby items in a single collection screen (enable in “Settings” → “Gameplay”)
Added a feed feature that displays recently acquired items on the left side of the screen (can be disabled in “Settings” → “Gameplay”)
Added description text to the item pickup screen, allowing you to check item details before picking them up
Renamed “HUD Settings” in “Settings” to “Interface”
Updated the menus related to CD PROJEKT RED Account linking, My Rewards, and consent to telemetry
Photo Mode
Updated the Photo Mode UI and significantly expanded its features and options:
Improved the system to allow players to select from multiple characters and place them in scenes
Added various poses and facial expressions for Geralt and other placeable characters
Added options to adjust the line of sight for Geralt and placeable characters
Improved the ability to place lights and adjust brightness, color, angle, and more
Added a confirmation screen when exiting Photo Mode to prevent accidental exits
Improved so that the camera position can be locked in Photo Mode, allowing you to take photos while maintaining your intended composition
Added an option to apply various environment presets to scenes
Added an option to save camera presets. You can now save and reuse camera positions and angles
Improved to allow changing the aspect ratio of screenshots
Added an option to toggle the first-person camera on and off. You can now view the world from Geralt’s perspective
Added an option to enable or disable camera collision detection with objects and walls
Improved the system to allow you to change the weather and time of day to create your ideal scene
Improved the system to allow adjustment of the intensity of weather effects, such as rain and storms
Added an option to show or hide the rule-of-thirds guidelines for various aspect ratios. You can also display cinematic black bars
Improved the UI to display the camera’s coordinates.
Added an option to hide surrounding NPCs
Added placeable props to make it easier to create your ideal scene. As for where they came from… that’s a secret
Improved so that the cursor is displayed in Photo Mode when using a mouse on the PC version
Accessibility
Added a new “Accessibility” section to the “Settings” menu and moved existing accessibility-related options there
Added Ukrainian localization (text only)
Added the “Ballad of the Minstrel” preset. This can be enabled when starting a New Game on “Story” difficulty or from the “Accessibility” section during gameplay.This preset is designed to reduce strain for players who tire easily or have difficulty maintaining concentration. By simplifying certain game systems and disabling specific features, it allows you to focus more smoothly on the game and enjoy your adventure. Please check here for more details.In addition to enabling the preset from the “Accessibility” tab, you can also customize it by individually turning the following options on or off:
Stamina Regeneration Boost – Adjust the stamina threshold at which the effect triggers (x% or less of maximum stamina) and the stamina regeneration rate (regeneration multiplier)
Infinite Breath Hold – Geralt will never run out of oxygen while swimming or diving
Infinite Item Durability – Equipment no longer degrades, so you won’t need to visit craftsmen for repairs
Infinite Rowboat Durability – The rowboat will never break, allowing you to sail without worrying about sharp reefs or sirens
Ignore Item Weight – You can carry as much gear as you like on your adventures without worrying about weight
Increased Small Boat Speed – The small boat’s movement speed is increased. The seas around Skellige might feel just a little bit smaller?
Toggle the Witcher’s Senses - You can now turn the Witcher’s Senses on and off with a simple toggle, rather than holding down a button
Convenience Improvements
The tutorial has been revamped to focus on teaching the game’s core systems. Vesemir would surely approve.
Improved the ability to quickly disengage from combat. Hold down the dodge button (Alt/○/B) to cancel target lock-on, then press the sprint button (Left Shift/X/A) to run away from the spot
Improved so you can collect items without dismounting from Roach
MOD-Related
Added cross-platform MOD support. Using the in-game tool powered by mod.io, players can search for and install user-created MODs to customize the game to their liking. To access this feature, log in with your CD PROJEKT RED Account via the “MOD” option in the game’s main menu and link it to mod.io. Please check here for more details on the MOD Manager
Various improvements have been made to the REDkit engine and UI, allowing MOD creators to more easily create, manage, and customize content
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where the right stick sensitivity could not be adjusted when opening the settings menu directly from the main menu
Fixed an issue so that the stick sensitivity can now be set to “0.69.”
Fixed an issue where HDR settings might not appear on console versions
"In the Shadow of the
" – Fixed an issue where the "Ancient Wolf School Equipment" blueprints did not appear in the UI after being obtained as a reward "Wine Is Sacred" - Fixed an issue where the quest would become unplayable if you fast-traveled outside of Toussaint while on the objective “Investigate the Wine Cellar with Anna Henrietta.” Since this fix does not apply to existing save files, if you have already encountered this issue, you will need to load a save file from before the problem occurred
PC-Specific
Important: Please ensure you have the latest graphics drivers installed: NVIDIA,AMD,Intel
Ray Tracing Support
Supports NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 and Ray Reconstruction
Supports AMD FSR 4, including Frame Generation and Anti-Lag 2. FSR 4 requires an AMD Radeon RX 7000 series or later graphics card; FSR 2 will be used instead on unsupported GPUs
Supports Intel XeSS 2.0, including Frame Generation and Low Latency
Supports haptic feedback on the DualSense wireless controller
Important: Due to various improvements introduced in *The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered*, the game’s system requirements have changed. Please check the images to be released in the future for the latest system requirements.
Console-Specific
Compatible with PlayStation 5 Pro
Supports Xbox Play Anywhere
Multithreaded rendering has been implemented on PlayStation 5 to improve performance
Nintendo Switch-Specific
Compatible with Nintendo Switch 2, adding the following features specific to Nintendo Switch 2:
Four play styles: Handheld Mode, Pro Controller, Dual-Wield (including motion pattern controls), and Mouse/Sensor
Added two modes to motion patterns (Always On / On Horseback Only). Supports actions such as using consumables, summoning a horse, using markers, using a crossbow, throwing explosives, and making a horse gallop or stop
Two modes (Always On / Dynamic) are available for the mouse sensor. Supports three control schemes (Comfort / Dynamic / Default)
Gyro sensor aiming supports Handheld Mode, Pro Controller, and dual-hold playstyles. Two modes are available: Always On and Ranged Weapons
Supports touchscreen controls (menus, conversations, world map, Gwent, and Photo Mode)
Supports HD Vibration 2 on Joy-Con 2, delivering more varied and immersive vibration feedback
Supports VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and HDR (High Dynamic Range)
Added a dedicated tutorial for motion patterns. You can replay it at any time from the main menu or the pause menu
*The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered* is scheduled for release on September 29, 2026, for PC (Steam/ Epic Games Store /GOG),PS5,XBOX Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. Users who have previously purchased any version of this title—whether physical or digital—are eligible for a free upgrade on the same platform.PS4/For the Nintendo Switch versions, upgrades to the current-generation versions will be available for 100 yen each.
￥55,000
(価格・在庫状況は記事公開時点のものです)
