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To use The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered graphics modes, install the dedicated next-generation build on PS5 or update the Xbox Series X|S version to patch 4.0 or later. Then launch that build, open the game’s display or graphics settings, and select the available mode. The old PS4 or Xbox One build does not expose the current console mode set.
On PS5 and Xbox Series X, the main choice is between Ray Tracing, which prioritizes enhanced lighting, and Performance, which prioritizes higher resolution and smoother output. Both current Remastered modes target 60 frames per second; Performance can reach up to 90 frames per second on a compatible variable-refresh-rate (VRR) display. Xbox Series S has no ray-tracing feature in the documented next-generation specification.
Before you change the setting
Check these requirements first. Most missing-mode problems happen because the console is running the last-generation edition rather than because a setting is hidden.
- PS5: You need the dedicated PS5 version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered. Existing owners are entitled to the PS5 upgrade, but the next-generation version may need to be downloaded manually from the PlayStation Store or your game library.
- PS5 disc owners: A PS5 with a disc drive is required. Keep the PS4 game disc inserted when launching the upgraded version; a disc cannot validate ownership on a digital-only PS5.
- Xbox Series X|S: Update the game to patch 4.0 or later. CD PROJEKT RED’s support information says the update supplies the dedicated next-generation features.
- Display: Any television or monitor can show the available modes, but VRR features require a VRR-compatible display and a compatible console/display connection. The higher Performance-mode ceiling applies only when the display chain supports it.
- Game edition: Do not use the PS4 or Xbox One build on backward compatibility if you are looking for the new console graphics options.
Install the correct next-generation version
PS5: download the dedicated PS5 edition
- Open your game library or the PlayStation Store on the PS5.
- Find The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered and select the PS5 edition rather than the PS4 edition.
- Start the download and allow it to finish before launching the game.
- If you own the game on disc, insert that disc into the console and leave it inserted whenever the PS5 checks your licence.
- Launch the PS5 build. The title or version information on the game tile should identify the PS5 edition; if the console keeps starting the PS4 version, return to the game tile and use its version-selection option to choose PS5.
The Remastered PS5 edition is described by PlayStation as a free upgrade for existing owners. “Free” applies to the upgrade entitlement; you still need a valid digital licence or the qualifying disc and, for disc ownership, a disc-drive PS5.
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Xbox Series X|S: install patch 4.0 or newer
- Highlight The Witcher 3 in My games & apps.
- Open the game’s management or update screen and check for updates.
- Install patch 4.0 or any later update, then wait for the console to complete installation.
- Launch the updated game from the Series X|S console. The next-generation options are supplied through the updated build rather than through a separate mode download.
If the game is on an external drive, let the console finish any required transfer to an appropriate storage location before troubleshooting the graphics menu. Do not assume that the presence of the game tile alone proves that the current patch is installed; check the update status shown by the console.
Where to find the graphics-mode setting
After the correct build has launched, open the game’s display or graphics settings from the main menu or pause menu. Select the graphics-mode control and choose the mode offered for your console. The exact button labels and menu wording are not reproduced in the official support material, so the wording may differ slightly by platform, language, or patch.
- Launch the PS5 or Xbox Series X|S build.
- Open the game’s settings.
- Enter the display, video, or graphics section.
- Locate the graphics-mode selector.
- Choose Ray Tracing or Performance on PS5 and Xbox Series X. Series S presents the modes supported by its specification, without ray tracing.
- Apply the selection if the game asks for confirmation, then return to gameplay and check that the selected mode remains shown in the settings.
If you see only the old display options, stop changing television settings and verify the installed game edition and update first. The mode selector belongs to the Remastered/next-generation build.
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What each mode does
| Console | Mode | Lighting and rendering priority | Resolution priority | Frame-rate target or ceiling | VRR detail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS5 | Ray Tracing | Improved lighting; the next-generation feature set includes ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion. | Not stated for the current Remastered description. | Targets 60 FPS in the Remastered announcement. | Not separately stated for this mode. |
| PS5 | Performance | Less lighting emphasis than Ray Tracing. | Higher resolution than the competing Remastered mode is the stated priority. | Targets 60 FPS; can reach up to 90 FPS on a VRR-compatible display. | Up to 90 FPS with VRR. |
| Xbox Series X | Ray Tracing | Improved lighting; the next-generation feature set includes ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion. | Not stated for the current Remastered description. | Targets 60 FPS in the Remastered announcement. | Not separately stated for this mode. |
| Xbox Series X | Performance | Less lighting emphasis than Ray Tracing. | Higher resolution than the competing Remastered mode is the stated priority. | Targets 60 FPS; can reach up to 90 FPS on a VRR-compatible display. | Up to 90 FPS with VRR. |
| Xbox Series S | Quality | The earlier official specification lists no ray-tracing features for Series S. | Higher resolution was the priority in that specification. | Targeted 30 FPS in the earlier specification. | Not stated. |
| Xbox Series S | Performance | The earlier official specification lists no ray-tracing features for Series S. | Resolution is traded for smoother output. | Targeted 60 FPS in the earlier specification. | Not stated. |
The Series S rows reflect the earlier official next-generation specification. The retrieved material does not establish whether a later Remastered patch changed those Series-S-specific targets, so check the latest patch notes shown for your installed version before treating the older 30-FPS and 60-FPS figures as current guarantees.
Choosing between Ray Tracing and Performance
Choose Ray Tracing when lighting is your priority
Ray Tracing is the choice for players who want the Remastered lighting treatment. The documented next-generation features include ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion, which affect how light fills environments, how indirect light appears, and how contact areas are shaded. The current Remastered announcement describes the mode as targeting 60 FPS on PS5 and Xbox Series X, rather than repeating the older 30-FPS target from the 2022 specification.
This mode makes the most sense when you sit close enough to notice lighting differences, use a large high-quality display, or value scene illumination more than the highest possible resolution. The exact resolution delivered by the current Remastered Ray Tracing mode is not stated in the available official description, so do not treat it as a fixed native-resolution mode.
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Choose Performance when smoothness and resolution are your priority
Performance mode is designed around higher resolution and smoother output. On PS5 and Xbox Series X it targets 60 FPS, and CD PROJEKT RED’s current press information says a VRR-compatible display can allow output of up to 90 FPS. The actual frame rate you see depends on the display’s VRR range and the complete console-to-display connection; “up to 90” is a ceiling, not a promise that every scene or every screen will run at 90 FPS.
Use Performance if you notice judder more readily than lighting changes, play on a high-refresh display, or prefer the sharper presentation associated with its higher-resolution priority. If your screen has no VRR support, you can still use Performance’s 60-FPS target, but the documented 90-FPS benefit does not apply.
Series S requires a different expectation
Do not look for a Ray Tracing option on Xbox Series S based on the Series X menu. The earlier official specification explicitly lists no ray-tracing features for Series S and instead describes Quality and Performance choices targeting 30 FPS and 60 FPS respectively. Because the retrieved material does not confirm later Series-S-specific Remastered changes, use the modes and targets shown by your installed patch as the final authority for that console.
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Why a graphics mode may be missing
The PS5 is running the PS4 edition
This is the most common PS5 cause. A PS4 copy can launch on PS5 through backward compatibility without exposing the dedicated PS5 graphics options. Return to the game tile, select the PS5 version, and download it. Disc owners must insert the disc and use a disc-drive PS5; the digital-only model cannot read a PS4 disc for licence verification.
The PS5 upgrade was not claimed or downloaded
Having purchased the game previously does not always mean the dedicated build is already installed. Open the PlayStation Store or your library, locate the Remastered PS5 edition, and start the upgrade download. Once installed, launch that edition rather than the older entry that may remain on the home screen.
The Xbox update is below patch 4.0
On Xbox Series X|S, the next-generation features arrive through patch 4.0 or later. Check the game’s update information, install the pending patch, and relaunch. If the console reports that the game is current but the options are still absent, confirm that you are launching the Series X|S installation and not an older Xbox One package.
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You are checking the wrong menu
The mode is a game display or graphics option, not a console-wide Xbox or PlayStation video-output toggle. Open the game’s own settings after the next-generation build has loaded. Because labels vary, look for the section that controls display, video, or graphics rather than searching for a console dashboard setting named “ray tracing.”
Your display does not support VRR
Lack of VRR does not remove the normal graphics modes. It only means the documented Performance-mode ceiling of up to 90 FPS is unavailable. Keep Performance selected for its 60-FPS target and higher-resolution priority, or choose Ray Tracing for its lighting changes.
Understanding the older 2022 specification
Some guides still quote the original 2022 next-generation notes, which described Ray Tracing mode as providing ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion with dynamic resolution scaling while targeting 30 FPS on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. That description is useful for identifying the rendering features, but it should not be presented as the current Remastered target. The later Remastered announcement describes Ray Tracing as targeting 60 FPS, and the current Performance information adds support for up to 90 FPS with VRR.
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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →This distinction explains why two apparently authoritative guides can show different frame-rate numbers. One may be describing the earlier next-generation specification, while the other is describing the current Remastered presentation. Match any number to the build and date it describes.
Quick setup checklist
- Install the dedicated PS5 Remastered edition, or update the Xbox Series X|S installation to patch 4.0 or later.
- If using a PS4 disc on PS5, use a disc-drive console and keep the disc inserted.
- Launch the next-generation build, not the PS4 or Xbox One version.
- Open the game’s display, video, or graphics settings.
- Pick Ray Tracing or Performance on PS5 and Series X.
- On Series S, use the modes the installed version provides; the documented specification has no ray tracing.
- Use a VRR-compatible display if you want Performance mode’s documented ceiling of up to 90 FPS.
- When a mode is missing, verify the edition and patch before changing television or console-wide settings.
The Bottom Line
Install the correct Remastered/next-generation build first, then select the mode in the game’s display or graphics settings. PS5 and Xbox Series X offer Ray Tracing and Performance, both targeting 60 FPS in the current Remastered description; Performance can reach up to 90 FPS with VRR. Xbox Series S has no ray tracing in the documented specification.
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