The Witcher 3 next-gen update is going live in a few hours, and it looks like fans of the third entry in the series by CD Projekt Red are in for a threat, especially if they will play the game on PC, judging from a few new comparison videos.
The first new comparison video, shared by ElAnalistaDeBits, compares all versions of the next-gen update, highlighting the excellent implementation of ray tracing on PC, better screenspace reflections in performance mode on PlayStation 5, and better performance on Xbox Series X with ray tracing.
- PS5 and Xbox Series S offer two modes: Ray-Tracing or Performance. Xbox Series S also offers two modes: Quality or Performance.
- Ray-Tracing mode on consoles only applies to global illumination of the sun, moon and fire. Xbox Series S does not have Ray-Tracing. This mode also improves the quality of SSR reflections.
- PS5 has better SSR reflections in performance mode compared to Xbox Series X in some areas.
- Xbox Series S has lower settings. Performance mode reduces draw distance, vegetation quality and shadows.
- The Witcher 3 next-gen PC Ray-Tracing shows a palpable difference. It is the only version with Ray-Tracing for global illumination, shadows and reflections.
- On PC, Ray-Tracing has some visual bugs in shadows and reflections. These are expected to be fixed with future patches.
- PS5 has a slightly more noticeable pop-in than the other versions.
- Series X performs better with Ray-Tracing, but PS5 offers better performance in Performance mode.
- PS5 has better loading times.
- In some areas,Series X resolution is higher than PS5 and vice versa, but overall both have a similar average resolution.
- On Xbox Series S I recommend Quality mode, while on PS5 and Xbox Series X I would choose Performance mode.
- Hairworks still marks an advantage on the PC version in terms of the fur on some models. However, this technique does not behave correctly with Ray-Tracing global illumination.
As already mentioned, the PC version of The Witcher 3 next-gen update features an excellent ray tracing implementation, which makes quite a difference, judging by the comparison video below shared by Cycu1.
The Witcher 3 next-gen update goes live tomorrow, December 14th, on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. You can learn more about everything the update brings to the game by reading the official update notes.
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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