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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThere is no single best preset for every PC in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. For the 2022 Next-Gen Update, tune settings to your graphics card, output resolution and frame-rate target: start by deciding whether ray tracing matters to you, then adjust the ULTRA+ detail options and use compatible upscaling if needed. First confirm that you are actually launching the Next-Gen version—CD PROJEKT RED released The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered on September 29, 2026, and its settings and renderer are a separate version context.
Confirm which version you are launching
This guide is for the 2022 PC Next-Gen Update, not the newer Remastered release. CD PROJEKT RED says Remastered replaces the Complete Edition on supported platforms, and its support page says reverting to version 4.04 is possible on supported platforms. Check the game version shown by your launcher or game before following version-specific settings advice: CD PROJEKT RED’s Remastered announcement and its PC support page explain the distinction and reversion option.
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The renderer differs too. NVIDIA describes the Remastered PC renderer as DirectX 12-only; the Next-Gen Update used a hybrid DirectX 11/12 renderer. Do not assume a setting path, compatibility note or performance result for one version applies to the other: NVIDIA’s Remastered technology overview.
Choose the quality and performance path that fits your PC
CD PROJEKT RED cautions that “Performance also may vary depending on your system configuration and any changes made to graphics settings or output resolution.” Its support page also notes that higher resolution significantly affects FPS. That means a setting mix that works at one resolution or on one GPU is not a universal recommendation. Pick a target—such as smoother motion or richer lighting—and change settings in small groups, checking frame rate and image quality in the same demanding area after each change.
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The support page states that an SSD is required for the game’s latest technical enhancements, but that is a system requirement, not a reason to buy new hardware merely to adjust graphics settings. See CD PROJEKT RED’s current PC requirements and support notes.
What the Next-Gen Update’s ULTRA+ options change
The PC update introduced ULTRA+ settings for several world-detail categories. Adjust the ones that matter most to your preferred balance rather than treating the label as an automatic best choice.
| Setting category | What it changes | How to think about it |
|---|---|---|
| Background characters | How many background characters appear | Keep more detail if populated scenes matter to you; reduce it if you are prioritizing performance in busy areas. |
| Shadow quality | Shadow detail and quality | Compare the visual improvement against frame-rate cost on your system. |
| Grass density | Amount of grass | Lower density can reduce scene complexity; retain it if fuller landscapes are a priority. |
| Texture quality | Texture detail | Choose a level that your system can handle while maintaining the image quality you want. |
| Foliage visibility range | How far foliage remains visible | Reduce the range if distant foliage detail is less important than performance. |
| Terrain quality | Terrain detail | Balance detail against performance rather than assuming ULTRA+ is optimal. |
| Water quality | Water detail and quality | Prioritize it if water scenes are important to your play; otherwise compare its visual value with its cost. |
| Detail | General scene detail | Adjust alongside other world-detail options and evaluate the combined effect. |
These are the categories listed in the official Next-Gen Update changes. The available sources do not establish universally optimal values for them, so use the categories to make targeted adjustments rather than copying an unverified preset.
Decide whether to enable ray tracing
The Next-Gen Update adds ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion. On compatible PC hardware, it also offers optional ray-traced reflections and shadows. These options are for players who value those lighting and reflection effects enough to accept their performance impact; if your priority is a higher frame rate, compare performance with them disabled before reducing every other quality setting.
Test ray-tracing options individually where possible. If performance drops below your target, disable or reduce the ray-traced effects before changing several unrelated detail settings at once. The official feature list documents availability, not a recommended universal combination or a guaranteed frame rate: CD PROJEKT RED’s update changes.
Use DLSS 3 or another upscaler only when compatible
The Next-Gen PC update supports DLSS 3 on compatible hardware. NVIDIA advertised “up to 2.3X” performance improvement, but that is a vendor-stated maximum, not a promise for every GPU, scene, resolution or configuration. Check NVIDIA’s Next-Gen Update DLSS 3 announcement for the claim and its product context.
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CD PROJEKT RED’s own performance configurations use DLSS, FSR or XeSS set to Auto for its RT Minimum, RT Recommended and Path Tracing cases; its other listed configurations use native resolution with upscaling off. Those are the publisher’s test conditions, not independent benchmark results. An upscaler can be worth trying if native rendering does not meet your frame-rate target, but compare image quality and smoothness on your own setup rather than treating the advertised maximum as an expected result.
A practical tuning order
- Verify the version. Confirm that the game you launch is the Next-Gen Update rather than Remastered.
- Set your output resolution and frame-rate goal. Higher output resolution can significantly affect FPS, according to CD PROJEKT RED.
- Establish a baseline. Start with ray tracing off and a reasonable mix of ULTRA+ detail options; note the frame rate and whether the image meets your expectations.
- Test the expensive visual features. Enable ray-traced effects one at a time on compatible hardware and keep only the options that fit your performance target.
- Try compatible upscaling if needed. Compare the result with native rendering, accounting for both frame rate and image quality.
- Adjust ULTRA+ categories selectively. If performance still misses your goal, lower the detail categories whose visual impact matters least to you and retest.
Change one group at a time and use the same scene for comparisons; otherwise it is difficult to tell which adjustment helped. The support page notes that performance varies with hardware, settings and output resolution, and does not make a single configuration best for everyone.
Do you need to buy anything to change these settings?
No purchase is required just to change the game’s graphics options. Ray tracing and DLSS 3 depend on compatible hardware; if your existing PC does not support a feature, choose a non-ray-traced or otherwise compatible settings path instead of treating an upgrade as mandatory. NVIDIA identifies GeForce NOW as an option for playing without suitable local RTX hardware, but check its current catalog access and regional commercial terms before relying on it: NVIDIA’s Next-Gen Update technology article.
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