The Witcher 3 is getting killer upgrades for PS5 and Xbox Series X — and it's free

(Image credit: CD Projekt Red)

Update: The Witcher 3 next-gen update has arrived, and it's even better than we were expecting!

Fans of The Witcher rejoice! CD Projekt Red is working on a next-generation version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for the PS5, Xbox Series X and the PC. Even better, the game will be free for anyone who owns it for the PC, Xbox One and PS4.

The Polish game developer, which is currently working on Cyberpunk 2077, announced that a next-gen version of its hit open-world medieval-fantasy role-playing game will come with ray-tracing and improved loading times. That means it will tap into the powerful hardware of the next-generation games consoles and powerful PCs, likely equipped with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 3080.

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The Witcher 3 was a stunning-looking game when it came out in 2015. It still looks good today, although games like Red Dead Redemption 2 have outclassed it in more recent years.

The Witcher 3 is coming to the next generation!A visually and technically enhanced version of the game will be available for purchase for PC and next-gen consoles & as a free update for owners of the game on PC, @Xbox One and @PlayStation 4. More: https://t.co/JclubxpJim pic.twitter.com/gWCJzST3vrSeptember 4, 2020

But when The Witcher 3 was shown off in a "vertical slice" demo a year earlier at E3 2014, it looked even better. However, such demos are separate from the main game and often used to show off an idealized version of the game.

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With enhanced graphics and ray tracing, a next-gen version of The Witcher 3 could give it the visual splendor of the vertical-slice demo. As a free upgrade to people who already own the game, it’s a tantalizing prospect.

CD Projekt Red plans to do the same with Cyberpunk 2077 for the PS5 and Xbox Series X: People who buy the game this fall for the current-gen consoles will also get a free upgrade.

There’s no world on when this new version of The Witcher 3 will arrive. But it’s likely to launch after Cyberpunk 2077, which is slated for a Nov. 19 launch. So we’d expect to see The Witcher 3 upgrade to come in the first half of 2021.

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Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face.