The next-gen update for The Witcher 3 has finally been revealed, and a comparison with the original shows several visual upgrades and hidden changes.
During a special stream, developer CD Projekt revealed a trailer and gameplay footage from the next-gen update for The Witcher 3, giving fans the opportunity to do a comprehensive comparison with the original.
The Witcher 3 Next-Gen Update vs Original Screenshot Comparison
Below you’ll find several screenshots comparing the original version of The Witcher 3 with the next-gen update.
Original
Next-Gen
Original
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Next-Gen
The last pair of screenshots can also be compared via the slider tool available here.
New Armor
Footage from the next-gen update for The Witcher 3 shows Geralt wearing never before seen armor sets, one of which is based on the armor the character wears in the Netflix series. In addition, an enemy is seen wearing what is referred to as the “ballsack” armor. The screenshots cane be seen below.
New Weather Condition
The footage shown also appears to reveal a new foggy weather condition, which wasn’t available in the original without PC mods.
Gameplay Tweaks
Several quality of life improvements have been made to the gameplay, including reduced damage from falls. Some of the popular gameplay-related mods have also been added to the game in official capacity, both on PC and consoles. There’s a new optional camera that is positioned closer and to the side, and it can be toggled and set for different states, including exploration, combat, and horse riding.
Players will also be able to use shortcuts to perform quick casting of signs by holding the shoulder button on the controller and pressing assigned buttons. This will reduce the reliance on the radial menu for signs. Other improvements include a less cluttered map, new control options, and the addition of cross saves between platforms.
New Quest
The next-gen version of The Witcher 3 also features a brand new quest featuring returning voice actors that is based on Netflix content. Through this quest, players will be able to unlock Geralt’s armour and swords from Season 1 and Season 2 of the TV series.
Full Real-Time Cut Scenes
The original game had some low quality cut scenes that were pre-rendered instead of being rendered in real-time due to technical limitations. These cut scenes will now be rendered in real-time in the next-gen update.
Tech Enhancements
The most prominent visual enhancement comes via ray traced features, including ray traced global illumination and ray traced ambient occlusion (on consoles, this is only available in Quality mode). In addition, support has been added for FSR 2 on all platforms and DLSS 3 on PC. Screen space reflections still used for water, though they have been improved and expanded to other materials, as seen in the screenshot comparison above.
Other graphical improvements include higher quality textures, higher foliage density and rendering distance, higher level of detail scaling, higher quality environmental meshes (for example, the cobblestone in Novigrad is now 3D, and not a normal map), improved asset streaming, improved distance rendering and volumetric effects, new weather conditions, and the addition of an Ultra+ setting tools in the PC version.
