The Witcher PS5 update is 'hugely impressive', according to reviews

Who’s counting down the days until The Witcher 3’s new-gen patch releases? Well, you don’t have long to wait as the update is set to launch on 14 December. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S patch will bring new quest content, visual and performance upgrades, a boosted frame rate and resolution, plus ray tracing which will certainly enhance the new photo mode.

The update is also set to fix fall damage, and players will be able to transfer their saves between consoles. What you won’t be able to do though is transfer your trophies and achievements between consoles and console generations. Got a platinum on the PlayStation 4? Sorry, you’re going to have to do it again on the PS5. Early impressions are now appearing online, and it’s good news as the update is being hailed as ‘hugely impressive.’

Check out The Witcher 3’s new-gen update in action below.

The folks over at Digital Foundry have managed to get their hands on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Complete Edition on PS5 and were left “impressed hugely” by the game, which is exactly what we wanted to hear. Digital Foundry’s Thomas Morgan wrote, “The Witcher 3 on PS5 and Series X impressed hugely in the four hours we played it - and not just in the visual upgrades, which include reworked foliage, 4K textures and higher-quality models throughout. There are also significant quality of life improvements, like a revised camera and faster controls for using signs, the magic spells of the Witcher universe. All told, the game truly looks and plays better than ever before.”

Morgan went on to call the game’s ray tracing “transformative,” and noted that the upgrade also introduces “new weather states, higher detail self-shadows in gameplay, a new camera, a new system for casting signs, map filters, faster herb looting and content related to the Witcher TV show.”

To conclude, Morgan said, “The next-gen update is certainly shaping up to be one of the most comprehensive free game upgrades in recent memory. It's also the last time that CDPR are expecting to use the Witcher engine [...] so it's a historic release in many respects - and a fitting wrap-up to a game that arguably remains CDPR's best work.” Well, my excitement just grew tenfold.