There is no verified, controlled benchmark here that establishes DX11 or DX12 as the faster renderer across matched PCs. The result depends on the game build, scene, hardware, settings, resolution, and upscaling. More importantly, the DX11-versus-DX12 choice applies to an older PC branch: CD PROJEKT RED’s support notice says a planned update will run exclusively on DirectX 12. That notice is future-facing, so check the game’s current build and available options before relying on it.
Which renderer delivers higher FPS on the current release across matched PCs?
The available official information does not show a universal FPS winner. CD PROJEKT RED’s current PC requirements notice says performance varies with the scene, gameplay, PC configuration, graphics settings, and output resolution. It does not provide a verified, matched DX11-versus-DX12 result that would answer which renderer is faster on the same PC.
That distinction matters because an apparent renderer comparison can also compare different visuals or workloads. The PC next-gen update introduced ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion, with optional ray-traced reflections and shadows on compatible hardware. It also added PC ULTRA+ settings, DLSS 3 support on compatible hardware, and AMD FSR 2.1. Changing any of those settings between runs makes the result about more than the rendering API.
What is established—and what is not
- Established: FPS can vary with scene, configuration, settings, and resolution, and the next-gen PC update added rendering and upscaling options that affect comparisons.
- Not established: A general DX11 or DX12 FPS advantage for the current release, or a reliable number of frames per second one API gains over the other.
- Not interchangeable: FPS figures for ray tracing or path tracing with upscaling cannot be treated as native-resolution results. CD PROJEKT RED distinguishes those conditions in its requirements information.
CD PROJEKT RED’s December 2022 PC hotfix announcement said it was intended to improve overall stability and performance, with further improvements in progress. That is historical context, not evidence that either renderer is faster now.
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Why the game version changes the comparison
The free version 4.0 next-gen update brought different feature sets to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S; its announcement warns that update scope varies by platform. The DX11-versus-DX12 question is specifically about the PC branch that offers that renderer choice, not a universal comparison across every platform or every later game build.
| Build context | What the official information says | What that means for a comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Version 4.0 next-gen PC branch | Added ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion, optional ray-traced reflections and shadows on compatible hardware, PC ULTRA+ settings, DLSS 3 support on compatible hardware, and FSR 2.1. | Renderer results only make sense when the feature settings, resolution, and upscaling state are held constant. |
| Planned update described in CD PROJEKT RED’s support notice | The notice says the game will run exclusively using DirectX 12 and that players may revert to an earlier version. | DX11 may not be an option in that planned build. Rollback availability can depend on platform and available builds, so do not assume every installation offers the same path. |
The support notice also lists Windows 11 and minimum PC specifications for that planned update: Ryzen 5 2600 or Core i5-8400 CPU; GeForce GTX 1660 or Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB GPU; 6 GB VRAM; 12 GB RAM; and a 70 GB SSD. These are requirements stated for the planned update, not guaranteed requirements for every existing version, and the notice could change.
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What test conditions should a fair performance comparison report?
A useful DX11-versus-DX12 test changes the renderer and holds the rest of the workload steady. Record enough detail that readers can tell whether a difference comes from the API or from a changed scene, visual feature, or performance option.
- Identify the build and renderer. State the exact game version and whether the run used DX11 or DX12; do not blend results from different branches.
- Keep the test machine consistent. Report the CPU, GPU, memory, and driver version, and use the same PC for both runs.
- Fix the workload. Use the same save or repeatable scene, resolution, graphics preset, and ray-tracing state. Note any settings changed from the preset.
- State the upscaling and frame-generation settings. Report whether DLSS or FSR is active and whether frame generation is enabled; keep those states matched for a like-for-like API test.
- Report more than an average. Give average FPS and frame-time behavior separately when available, and explain how the scene was repeated. A single scene is not proof of a universal advantage.
CD PROJEKT RED says its official FPS targets are based on QA tests and cautions that results fluctuate by scene and configuration. Its listed RT and path-tracing figures use upscaling, while other configurations use native resolution. The indexed requirements information available for this comparison does not expose the full FPS table, so no specific official FPS target can be responsibly quoted here.
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Does DX11 remain a current option in the planned next update?
Not according to CD PROJEKT RED’s support notice, “Upcoming changes to minimum requirements for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.” It states: “The game will exclusively run using DirectX 12, which allows us to support ongoing technical improvements and modern hardware more effectively.” The same notice says players may revert to an earlier version. Because the notice describes a planned update and rollback depends on platform and available builds, confirm the options shown for your own installation rather than assuming DX11 is available everywhere.
There has been at least one narrowly documented DX11 issue: patch 4.03 fixed a launch or save-loading crash on certain AMD GPUs. That is evidence of a specific past bug and fix—not evidence that DX11 is broadly unstable today, or that DX12 is more stable in general.
Quick Recap
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