The 2022 overhaul of The Witcher 3 aimed to create the best possible version of the game while taking advantage of the power and features of the new consoles and modern PCs. However, the release of the next-gen version also brought its own set of challenges. Performance issues and crashes proved to be problematic, and since then CD Projekt Red has been working hard to fix the bugs and get the game back in shape. That wasn’t a smooth process, though: Patch 4.01 actually degraded the frame rate in Performance mode, while improving frame rates in RT quality mode at the same time. The good news is that the recently released 4.02 update now offers the best gaming experience we’ve seen so far. It’s not quite perfect yet, but it’s much closer to ideal.
As usual, CDPR’s patch notes are very extensive. At the top we have a note for the consoles that the refresh rate has been improved in performance mode, which we can confirm. Other highlights include the return of the HBAO option on PC and improved CPU optimization under DirectX 12. There is also now a motion blur intensity slider on all platforms, which solves another launch issue, namely the overwhelming intensity of the effect. Finally, there’s a subtle improvement in screen space and ray-traced reflections across all platforms with the addition of refraction for reflections off water surfaces.
Looking at the PlayStation 5 first, the good news is that the performance drops in 60fps mode have been fixed. I wish I could say it’s perfect 60fps everywhere now, but some areas still consistently fall under that target. Novigrad still struggles to hit a solid 60 fps. Overall, though, it’s an improvement on the PS5, leaving Novigrad aside. This optimization was achieved with no discernible impact on the game’s visual features.
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The Xbox Series X offers even bigger improvements in performance. In all areas we see a clear increase: from combat to horseback riding, the new patch ensures that the game runs at 60 fps. What’s particularly encouraging is that unlike the PS5 version, Novigrad has also been tweaked. However, it should be noted that the Series X started much worse here in terms of performance and therefore had a lot more ground to make up. Overall, the game is now better than ever. The recommended way to play is still the performance mode at 60 fps, even if you have to sacrifice the ray tracing functions at 30 fps. It was a shame for Xbox Series X owners to see that the frame-rate previously struggled to hit 60fps and was often below PS5 levels. Now the choice is easier.
So where does that leave us when comparing consoles? If we take into account that both premium consoles have been upgraded, how do they compare after the latest patch? Interestingly, the game is now capped at 60 fps on both consoles, and where it drops – particularly in Novigrad – the two are pretty much even on par. If we take a closer look, the Series X is on average two to three fps slower when riding the horse through the hierarch seat. The Series X also shows occasional tearing, unlike the PS5, right at the top of the image. But in general, having variable refresh rate (VRR) on the TV is a decent result. VRR gets along well with these values between 50 and 60 fps. Another point to note is that certain cutscenes, interestingly, perform better on the Series X. So it’s not necessarily the case that one console is consistently better or worse.
All of which leads us to a small note about the 30fps ray tracing mode. In summary, there are no obvious improvements with the latest patch. It still hits roughly 30 fps on the PS5, although there are dips below that mark in Novigrad. And on the Series X it’s the same story: no change from patch 4.01, although RT mode on the Microsoft console was always more consistent at 30fps anyway. In a comparison between the two devices, the Series X retains the lead in all areas after the patch. In Novigrad, the PS5 drops to up to 26 fps for a longer period of time, while the Microsoft console runs at 30 fps on the hierarch seat without major problems. Even with GPU-intensive cutscenes, the Series X takes the lead again.
So if you want to see RT Ambient Occlusion and RT Global Illumination in action, the Series X still delivers the better performance after the patch. In combination with motion blur, the RT mode is also much more pleasant to use. However, input lag on the PS5 and Series X is still noticeably high when using this mode. For me personally, this was an exclusion criterion when asked whether I would use this mode at all. Even with patch 4.02, for example, the lag in RT mode on PS5 is 140ms compared to the much lower 74ms when using 60fps performance mode. That’s a huge difference, which is immediately noticeable in the camera movements when you switch between the two.
So is this the ultimate version of The Witcher 3? Well, to be honest, we’re not 100 percent there yet, but it’s great that CDPR’s efforts are continuing unabated. Performance mode is getting a lot of love with patch 4.02 and it’s paying off, especially on Xbox where the frame rate is boosted by up to 10fps. The Complete Edition has never worked better on Xbox. As for the PS5, it’s promising that it’s back to launch framerates or above. The only ongoing problem is the ray tracing mode. It’s a mode that looks gorgeous and benefits from a new motion blur slider, but it still dips below 30fps on the PS5. I would say the game is in very good shape overall now. I’m curious if the thing for CDPR so completed is or if there is more to come.
Originally written by Thomas Morgan, Senior Staff Writer, Digital Foundry
