{"id":207871,"date":"2022-12-14T15:49:44","date_gmt":"2022-12-14T14:49:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sftarticles.wpenginepowered.com\/en\/?p=207871"},"modified":"2025-07-01T20:15:42","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T03:15:42","slug":"the-witcher-3-next-gen-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/the-witcher-3-next-gen-update\/","title":{"rendered":"The Witcher 3 gets a next-gen update that transforms the visuals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Witcher from CD Projekt Red has always been a <strong>beautiful game<\/strong> with depth and fantastic storytelling. However, for a game that\u2019s seven years old, the visuals and graphics were <strong>due for a facelift<\/strong>. <a href=\"https:\/\/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt.en.softonic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt<\/a> was given just that in a recent next-gen update. But how will that affect the game?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <strong>next-gen patch is being released<\/strong> today and will be available <strong>for free<\/strong>. This patch boosts the game if you\u2019re playing on Xbox Series S\/X, Playstation 5 or a high-end PC.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once the update has been installed, it\u2019ll offer the player <strong>two different graphics options<\/strong>. The first focuses on <strong>high-end visual effects<\/strong>. This includes ray tracing that drastically improves the lighting in The Witcher 3. This has an amazing effect on the already beautiful open-world landscape in the game. The second option <strong>emphasizes performance<\/strong> at 60fps.&nbsp;<br><br>Either of these options makes a <strong>big difference to the visuals and graphics<\/strong> of the game. The difference is immediately apparent. The game is beautifully detailed, and the lighting makes it possible to ride on horseback to enjoy the views. If only there was a camera mode so you could take full advantage of the beautiful views. Now, you can, as the update includes a photo mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/The-Witcher-3-Next-Gen-Update-02-1024x473.jpg\" alt=\"The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Update\" class=\"wp-image-207870\" srcset=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/The-Witcher-3-Next-Gen-Update-02-1024x473.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/The-Witcher-3-Next-Gen-Update-02-300x139.jpg 300w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/The-Witcher-3-Next-Gen-Update-02-768x355.jpg 768w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/The-Witcher-3-Next-Gen-Update-02-18x8.jpg 18w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/The-Witcher-3-Next-Gen-Update-02-150x69.jpg 150w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/The-Witcher-3-Next-Gen-Update-02.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite its beautiful landscapes, The Witcher 3 has always been a bit buggy, although nowhere near as rough as <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberpunk-2077.en.softonic.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cyberpunk 2077<\/a>. Most of the<strong> issues have been addressed<\/strong>. However, some of these bugs are still present, even after the update. Players mentioned that they still experience gravity-defying hair movements and bouncing bodies of slain monsters. Despite these minor issues, the game<strong> runs smoothly<\/strong> with the new update.&nbsp;<br><br>It should be noted that this is not a full overhaul like The Last of Us. Instead, this is <strong>just a next-gen patch<\/strong>. This means that there are a few things that still make the game feel like it was launched a while ago. The wonky character graphics and gravity effects (or lack of) on certain objects can still make the game feel dated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"472\" src=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/sft\/articles\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/The-Witcher-3-Next-Gen-Update-1024x472.jpg\" alt=\"The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Update\" class=\"wp-image-207869\" srcset=\"https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/The-Witcher-3-Next-Gen-Update-1024x472.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/The-Witcher-3-Next-Gen-Update-300x138.jpg 300w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/The-Witcher-3-Next-Gen-Update-768x354.jpg 768w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/The-Witcher-3-Next-Gen-Update-18x8.jpg 18w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/The-Witcher-3-Next-Gen-Update-150x69.jpg 150w, https:\/\/articles-img.sftcdn.net\/auto-mapping-folder\/sites\/3\/2022\/12\/The-Witcher-3-Next-Gen-Update.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, The Witcher 3 is beloved because of its <strong>dynamic storytelling and role-playing elements<\/strong>. These are still present and, when combined with the improvements to the graphics, make a big difference. The <strong>improved frame rate, smoother controls and fewer technical issues<\/strong> make for a much better gaming experience.<br><br>So, if you love The Witcher and want to replay the game, or if you want to try it out for the first time, this next-gen update for The Witcher 3 will leave you wanting more! Luckily <a href=\"https:\/\/netflix.en.softonic.com\/articles\/netflix-getting-serious-with-venture-into-video-games\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Netflix has you covered<\/a> with more plans for the Witcher franchise and other loved video games, albeit without Henry Cavill. We wonder how that\u2019ll work out for fans that loved the actor\u2019s portrayal of Geralt. CD Projekt Red is also working on new <a href=\"https:\/\/the-witcher-4.en.softonic.com\/articles\/cd-projekt-red-new-witcher-trilogy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Witcher games among others<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Witcher from CD Projekt Red has always been a beautiful game with depth and fantastic storytelling. However, for a game that\u2019s seven years old, the visuals and graphics were due for a facelift. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was given just that in a recent next-gen update. But how will that affect the game? &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/the-witcher-3-next-gen-update\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;The Witcher 3 gets a next-gen update that transforms the visuals&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9221,"featured_media":207868,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wpcf-pageviews":0},"categories":[1015],"tags":[1617,3758],"usertag":[],"vertical":[],"content-category":[],"class_list":["post-207871","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-gaming","tag-the-witcher"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207871","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9221"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207871"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207871\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":322754,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207871\/revisions\/322754"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/207868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207871"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=207871"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=207871"},{"taxonomy":"usertag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/usertag?post=207871"},{"taxonomy":"vertical","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/vertical?post=207871"},{"taxonomy":"content-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cms-articles.softonic.io\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-category?post=207871"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}