The Witcher 3 PS5: Everything New and All Improvements in the Next-Gen Upgrade

On Nov 30, 2022

What’s new in The Witcher 3 PS5? The ‘next-gen update’ for CD Projekt Red’s open world RPG boasts a range of improvements and additions, over five whole years after the original game’s release. The developer has brought some highly requested features to the upgrade, which boasts graphical boosts, gameplay modifications, and more.

In this guide, we’ve listed everything new and all of the improvements that we currently know about when it comes to The Witcher 3 PS5.

This guide is currently a work in progress. We’ll continue to update it as we receive new information from CD Projekt Red, leading up to the game’s release on the 14th December.

The Witcher 3 PS5: Everything New and All Improvements

Below is a list of everything new and all improvements in The Witcher 3 PS5. We’ve broken this list down into categories for better readability.

New Content

This is entirely new content that has been added in The Witcher 3 PS5.

A new quest based on The Witcher Netflix show
A new (optional) appearance for Dandelion, based on The Witcher Netflix show
A new armour set for Geralt based on The Witcher Netflix show
New (optional) armour design for Nilfgaardian soliders based on The Witcher Netflix show
New weapons, armour, and items
A fully integrated photo mode, complete with editing tools and filters

Graphics

These are the ways in which The Witcher 3 PS5 has improved the game’s visuals.

Higher resolution textures throughout the game
Improved character models
Improved environmental assets
More varied NPC (non-playable character) models, especially in cutscenes
30fps ‘Quality’ mode which has ray tracing support (resolution currently unconfirmed, 4K is expected)
60fps ‘Performance’ mode (resolution currently unconfirmed, although The Witcher 3 on PS4 Pro ran at a checkerboard 4K, so we’re expecting similar here)
Better draw distance
More foliage, denser grasses
Improved lighting effects and illumination
Additional and more varied weather conditions, like fog

Technical

These are the ways in which The Witcher 3 PS5 is improved on a technical level.

Much improved load times, both when fast travelling and loading / reloading a save
Improved sound effect audio quality
Improved voiceover audio quality
3D audio support on PS5

Gameplay Additions

These are the gameplay additions featured in The Witcher PS5.

New ‘Quickcast’ system allows players to cast signs without having to open the radial menu — instead, you simply hold down a trigger and press the corresponding face button
New (optional) camera setting places the camera much closer to Geralt, over his right shoulder, which applies both in and out of combat
New (optional) movement settings for Geralt, where slow walking / sprinting is mapped to how far you’re pushing the left stick
A ‘hybrid’ minimap option has been added, making the minimap and user interface fade away during gameplay until you press the focus button
Map filters let you customise how much information you can see on the map screen
You can now pause the game during cutscenes

Gameplay Adjustments

These are the adjustments to gameplay in The Witcher 3 PS5.

Numerous gameplay adjustments (to be detailed in full patch notes ahead of the game’s release)
Rebalanced enemy scaling (when enemy scaling is turned on in the options)
Fall damage has been reduced
Rats are no longer ridiculously deadly when level scaling is enabled

Other

These are other additions and enhancements that don’t necessarily fit into previous categories.

Full cross-save and cross-progression support for all platforms
Full DualSense controller support, with haptic feedback and adaptive triggers
Subtitles can now scaled
Simplified Chinese voice acting and localisation added
Korean voice acting added
Improved localisation for other languages

The Witcher 3 PS5 FAQ

Below, we’ve gathered together the most frequently asked questions about The Witcher 3 PS5.

Does The Witcher 3 PS5 include all DLC and expansions?

Yes, The Witcher 3 PS5 features all of the original game’s free DLC packs, along with its two expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. However, it’s unclear whether you’ll be able to access the expansions if you’re upgrading from PS4, and you don’t own them on that console. We’ve reached out to CDPR for clarification on this point.

Is The Witcher 3 PS5 a free upgrade?

Yes, The Witcher 3 PS5 is a free upgrade if you already own the game on PS4. This counts for both the original release and the Game of the Year Edition.

Will The Witcher 3 PS5 get a physical release?

Yes, CD Projekt Red has confirmed that The Witcher 3 PS5 will receive a physical release. However, the release date for the physical edition is currently unknown. It’s expected to release after the upgrade launches digitally, on the 14th December, 2022. We’ll update this part of the guide once we know more.

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