The Witcher 3 is getting a next-gen upgrade, but does it need one?

^Stay tuned after the announcements for our recap of the CD Projekt RED live stream, and our take on why The Witcher 3 deserves a next-gen update.

The legendary next-gen upgrade to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt it’s been announced since we first got our hands on the new consoles, so it’s been a long time coming. It’s no surprise that it took so long, though, given that the company was embroiled in controversy after the release of Cyberpunk 2077, which arrived in such poor condition on consoles that Sony pulled it from sale on PS4.

Well, months of regular updates and a DLC announcement later, Cyberpunk 2077’s redemption arc is in full swing, and it looks like CD Projekt RED is determined to win back all the goodwill it originally garnered with its inarguably most famous game. better.

The free update will arrive on December 14, and in addition to visual improvements like ray tracing and high-resolution textures, it will include a suite of QoL improvements, including the ability to cast different signs on the fly without having to use the radial menu, missions and items associated with the Netflix series, haptic feedback for PS5 users, full localization for the Chinese market, and 60fps support for Xbox Series S. Oh, there are even some mission fixes on the way.

CD Projekt RED could have issued a basic performance unlock for the new machines – plenty of other studios have taken that approach, and it’s significantly better than nothing. After all, even minor updates take time and resources to implement, requiring testing and certification that many developers simply can’t justify the outlay for, especially if they’re in the thick of development on their next big title. The fact that we are getting a substantial update with new content, deep gameplay tweaks, and legacy bug fixes is pretty amazing.

Other studios have charged real money for less substantial updates, and have been within their rights to do so. What a lovely Christmas gift for Witcher fans.