The Witcher 3 next-gen finally received its first patch yesterday, promising to bring performance improvements on all platforms, but it definitely seems like it fails to do so, at least on PC, as performance is, at times, even worse than in the game's 4.00 version.
Comparison videos shared by Lootward and MxBenchmarkPC highlight how the patch doesn't bring any major improvement on vastly different system configurations. In most cases, performance seems to be worse at the same settings, and turning off the now-functional screenspace reflections doesn't improve the situation much. On my system (i7-10700 CPU, RTX 3070 GPU, and 16 GB RAM), the game ran at 4K resolution between 60 and 90 FPS with the DLSS quality preset and no ray tracing in Toussaint, but following the update, I was unable to get it to run at higher than 50 FPS, forcing me to continue the playthrough with the DirectX11 version.
In case you missed The Witcher 3 4.01 patch notes, you can find some of the fixes it introduces on PC and consoles right below. Other generic fixes include some gameplay and quest fixes that aim to improve the game's general stability.
PC-SPECIFIC
- Fixed an issue where the Screen Space Reflections setting wasn't working on PC despite being turned on. Players who had previously set their SSR setting to high may notice a performance impact.
- Added a new performance mode for ray-traced global illumination, which can be toggled by players with compatible hardware. It improves frame rate by prioritizing performance over range and precision.
CONSOLE-SPECIFIC
- Fixed an issue where consoles could create a higher amount of saves than their set limit, resulting in various issues with saving the game or user settings being reset.
- Improved Screen Space Reflections quality on next-gen consoles.
- Optimized ray-traced global illumination on next-gen consoles to improve the performance of Ray Tracing Mode.
The Witcher 3 is now available on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch worldwide. You can learn more about the next-gen update and its performance woes with Alessio's piece.
You are Geralt of Rivia, mercenary monster slayer. Before you stands a war-torn, monster-infested continent you can explore at will. Your current contract? Tracking down Ciri — the Child of Prophecy, a living weapon that can alter the shape of the world.
Updated to the latest version, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt comes with new features and items, including a built-in Photo Mode, swords, armor, and alternate outfits inspired by The Witcher Netflix series — and more!
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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