The Witcher 3 Remastered Faces Backlash Over Performance Issues
CD Projekt Red is patching The Witcher 3 Remastered after its launch, addressing performance and visual bugs while facing criticism for prioritizing features like Twitch Drops over game-breaking problems.
The Witcher 3 Remastered launched last week on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. This 3.0 release, arriving 11 years after the original, brings a significant visual and technical overhaul to modernise the game ahead of the upcoming expansion 'Songs of the Past'.
Technical issues and platform limitations persist
After release, the community surfaced numerous technical issues. Players reported performance inconsistencies, with the Remastered edition not running as smoothly as the previous next-gen update on both PC and consoles. Stylistic concerns were also raised, with complaints that the game is now too bright. CD Projekt Red acknowledged this by releasing two minor, lighting-related hotfixes.
The Remastered overhaul significantly updates textures, environments, animations, and skills. This raises the minimum system requirements, putting more strain on older PC machines. A key limitation is mod support. On PC, users can employ mods to optimize path tracing or even revert to the next-gen release version, and they can roll back the game version without much trouble. On console, that rollback option is not available.
CDPR addresses key community concerns in ongoing updates
CD Projekt Red has confirmed via social media what it is currently working on for the next patch. The studio stated it is "aiming to address many of these in the next update." The outlined work includes further performance improvements, particularly on PS5, and further visual adjustments. The team is also working on My Rewards and Twitch Drops fixes, making Ukrainian localization available in other regions on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and voiceover audio fixes on consoles.
This focus has aggravated parts of the audience. One much-liked comment on X read: "Well I'm glad you're focused on Twitch drops and Ukrainian localisation while there are game breaking bugs everywhere." Other players pleaded, Please bring back the next-gen version to PS5 and expressed concern about the preservation of previously owned versions. CDPR has not responded to these specific comments beyond issuing the initial hotfixes. The release date for the next patch is not yet known.
Mod support remains uneven across platforms
Mod support is a confirmed area of ongoing development. CDPR is working with mod.io to bring more mods across all platforms together. Cross-platform mod support was a new addition in this Remastered edition. This effort aims to bridge the gap between PC, where mods can be used to fine-tune performance, and consoles, where options remain more restricted.
CD Projekt Red's upcoming patch will include performance improvements for PS5, visual adjustments, and fixes for Twitch Drops and Ukrainian localization.
