For smoother PC gameplay, first check which version of The Witcher 3 you have: the 2022 Next-Gen build or the Remastered build released September 29, 2026. They use different rendering systems and offer different graphics features, so a setting guide for one may not match the other. On either build, try turning off ray tracing if you are missing your smoothness target, then adjust individual graphics settings in small steps and compare results at your preferred resolution.
Check your game build before changing settings
“Next-Gen” often refers to the PC update released in 2022. CD PROJEKT RED announced The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered on September 28, 2026, and released it on September 29. The newer build changes the PC renderer and feature set, so identify your installed build before following version-specific advice. The 2022 Next-Gen update notes and its PC feature details describe that build; CD PROJEKT RED’s Remastered announcement describes the newer one.
Also note your graphics card and the resolution you play at. Upscaling support depends on the build and hardware, and a setting that is available on one PC may not appear on another.
What differs between the PC builds
| Build | Renderer and relevant features |
|---|---|
| 2022 Next-Gen | PC uses a hybrid DirectX 11/DirectX 12 renderer, according to NVIDIA’s technical overview. It adds Ultra+ graphics options, DLSS 3 on compatible hardware, and optional ray-traced reflections and shadows, as described in CD PROJEKT RED’s PC feature notes. |
| Remastered, released September 29, 2026 | CD PROJEKT RED describes native DirectX 12 rendering with multithreading, PC path tracing, NVIDIA DLSS 4.5 with Ray Reconstruction, AMD FSR 4 (with FSR 2 on unsupported GPUs), and Intel XeSS 2.0. Availability depends on hardware; see the Remastered announcement. |
The Next-Gen update notes also mention a 60 FPS Performance Mode, but that target and its dynamic resolution scaling refer to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X—not PC. Do not use that console feature as a PC performance promise. The update notes specify the platforms.
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Start with the settings most likely to affect your experience
Turn off ray tracing if you need more headroom
On the 2022 Next-Gen build, ray-traced reflections and shadows are optional features for compatible PCs. Remastered adds path tracing on PC. If your current settings do not meet your smoothness target, switch off the ray-traced or path-traced options first and compare how the game feels. These effects are fidelity features, not requirements for playing the game. The official feature notes do not establish a universal frame-rate gain from disabling them, so judge the result on your own system.
Try a supported upscaler and inspect the image
If your installed build offers an upscaler compatible with your graphics card, test it at your usual resolution. Compare image clarity and motion against your current settings rather than assuming one option is best for every PC.
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- Next-Gen: DLSS 3 is listed for compatible hardware in the 2022 PC feature notes.
- Remastered: the official announcement lists DLSS 4.5 with Ray Reconstruction, AMD FSR 4 for Radeon RX 7000 Series and newer (with FSR 2 on unsupported GPUs), and Intel XeSS 2.0. The available choice depends on your hardware.
Tune Next-Gen Ultra+ settings one at a time
If you use the 2022 PC build and want to keep some visual effects while improving smoothness, adjust one setting, play in the same area, and compare before changing another. The official Ultra+ controls include the following; CD PROJEKT RED does not quantify each control’s performance cost, so treat this as a practical way to test trade-offs rather than a ranked FPS list. See the official feature list.
- Background character count
- Shadows
- Grass density
- Texture quality
- Foliage visibility range
- Terrain
- Water
- Detail
Lower the options whose visual effect matters least to you, and retain the ones you value. Avoid changing several at once: if the result improves or worsens, you will not know which change made the difference.
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Use a repeatable comparison instead of a universal “best settings” preset
- Record your game build, graphics card, resolution, and current settings.
- Choose a smoothness target that suits your display and tolerance; do not treat a console mode’s target as a PC guarantee.
- Test in the same location or gameplay situation so that comparisons are meaningful.
- Change one setting or upscaler option at a time, then check both perceived smoothness and image quality.
- Keep the change only if it helps your experience without an unacceptable visual trade-off.
There is no supported across-the-board ranking of settings by frame-rate impact here: official feature documentation identifies options, but it is not a neutral benchmark suite across different CPUs, GPUs, drivers, resolutions, and builds. NVIDIA performance figures apply to particular vendor configurations and should not be treated as expected results for every PC.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If settings are not enough
Before considering an upgrade, establish what hardware you have and try the options supported by your installed build. If your PC still cannot run the game at settings you find acceptable, cloud streaming is one alternative. NVIDIA says GeForce NOW can stream The Witcher 3 with RTX and DLSS for players without an RTX PC. Whether that route suits you depends on connection quality, latency tolerance, regional availability, the current game catalog, and membership terms; check those details before relying on it.
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