The Witcher 3 has three save categories—manual saves, autosaves and checkpoint saves—but CD PROJEKT RED does not publish a complete trigger schedule for each one. For moving progress between platforms, the important rule is different: Cross Progression uploads the latest save in each save category. It is not a promise that every older manual save is stored in the cloud, so verify the cloud icon before leaving the device where you created the save.
What the three Witcher 3 save types mean
The labels describe how a save was created, not how safe it is or how long it will remain available. The official support material distinguishes the categories for Cross Progression but does not define an exact interval or trigger list for autosaves and checkpoints.
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| Save type | Who creates it | What is established officially | What is not established |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual save | The player deliberately creates a save in the game. | Cross Progression handles the latest manual save as one save type. | The cited support guidance does not specify a universal slot limit, retention period or cloud history for older manual saves. |
| Autosave | The game creates it automatically. | The latest autosave is included as a separate save type for Cross Progression. | Official sources do not state a fixed time interval or list every event that causes an autosave. |
| Checkpoint | The game creates a checkpoint save at an internal progression point. | A 4.04 patch note refers to “a certain checkpoint save,” confirming checkpoint saves exist as a category. | The patch note does not define when checkpoints are made or whether their timing differs by platform. |
That distinction matters when you choose a file to continue. A checkpoint is not automatically a replacement for a manual save, and an autosave is not evidence that every earlier point in the story is recoverable. Keep a deliberate manual save when you reach a decision or outcome you may want to revisit.
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How Cross Progression treats your saves
It uploads the latest save in each category
CD PROJEKT RED’s support guidance says Cross Progression provides “the latest save for every save type.” In practical terms, the service treats the newest manual save, newest autosave and newest checkpoint as separate current entries. Creating another save of one type can therefore replace the previous current entry for that type in the cross-progression set.
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This wording does not establish an archive of every historical manual save. Treat Cross Progression as a way to carry the current save for each category, not as a complete backup system. If an older manual save is important, do not assume it will remain available after newer saves are created or after you change devices.
The cloud icon is your upload confirmation
The supported workflow is explicit: create a save, then check for the cloud icon beside its name. The icon is the confirmation to look for before you close the game, switch platforms or remove access to the source device. If the icon is absent, do not assume that the file is already available elsewhere.
How to transfer a Witcher 3 save to another platform
Use this sequence when moving progress between supported platforms. The labels can vary slightly by platform, but the required actions are the same.
- Update the game. Install the latest available patch on the source device before trying to upload or load a cross-progression save.
- Open Load Game. The official instructions place the Cross Progression control in the Load Game area.
- Enable Cross Progression and connect your account. Sign in with the required CD PROJEKT RED account when prompted. On Switch, the 4.04 announcement states that a GOG account is required regardless of platform; use the current in-game prompt for the interface shown by your version.
- Create a new save. Make the save you intend to carry over after the account connection is active.
- Check the cloud icon. Find the new entry in the save list and confirm the cloud symbol appears beside its name. This is the point at which you verify that the upload completed.
- Prepare the destination platform. Update the destination installation, connect it to the same account and make sure the edition and downloadable content match the save’s requirements.
- Open Load Game on the destination. The uploaded save should appear in the list. Select it only after confirming that the destination has the content used by that save.
You can switch the feature on or off through Options → Gameplay → Cross Progression. Turning the setting off changes whether the feature is active; it does not turn the three save categories into one shared file.
Edition compatibility: base game, GOTY and Complete Edition
Edition mismatches are a common reason a save appears unavailable. On consoles, the regular base game and the GOTY/Complete Edition are treated as separate products for local saves. A local save from one is not directly compatible with the other.
| Source save | Destination installation | Expected result | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base game, with no expansion content used | Complete Edition | The save can load through Cross Progression. | Connect both editions to the same account and follow the cloud-icon workflow. |
| Complete Edition save that uses expansion or DLC content | Base-game installation without that content | The save cannot load unless the expansions and DLC used by the save are installed on the destination. | Install the required content, or load the save on an edition that includes it. |
| Regular console edition local save | Different console product line, such as GOTY/Complete Edition | Local saves are not compatible between the products. | Use Cross Progression rather than copying the local save directly. |
The content rule is narrower than “the editions must match.” A base-game save without expansions can be opened in Complete Edition, while a Complete Edition save that depends on expansions cannot be opened by a bare base-game installation. Check the actual quests, items and DLC content represented by the save, not just the title printed on the game tile.
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Why a save may not appear or load
No cloud icon beside the source save
The upload has not been confirmed. Return to the source platform, enable Cross Progression, create or select the intended current save and wait for the cloud icon to appear. Without that confirmation, the destination has no reliable basis for showing the file.
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Cross Progression depends on the same connected account on both platforms. Sign out only after checking which account is linked, then connect that same account on the destination and look again in Load Game.
The game is not fully updated
The support procedure starts with updating to the latest patch. Bring both installations up to date before troubleshooting the save list; an outdated build can prevent the documented workflow from presenting the expected controls.
The edition or DLC is wrong
If the save was made in Complete Edition and uses expansion content, install those expansions and DLC on the destination. A base-game installation without the required content is not a compatible target for that save.
You are looking for an older save
The service promises the latest save for each type, not every historical save. If the file you want is older than the current manual, autosave or checkpoint entry, it may not be part of the cross-progression set. This is why a deliberate manual save and cloud-icon check should happen before switching devices.
Where are Witcher 3 save files?
There are two different questions hidden in “where are my saves?” A local save is stored by the game on the current platform; a cross-progression save is the account-linked upload represented by the cloud icon. The official guidance for this workflow does not publish one universal local folder for every PC, console or edition, so a single path would be misleading.
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Use the in-game Load Game list as the authoritative first check. On the source platform, identify the intended save and verify its cloud icon. On the destination, sign into the same account and look in the same Load Game area. If the entry is absent there, check account, patch, edition and content compatibility before attempting local-file troubleshooting.
What is known about checkpoint saves?
Checkpoint saves are real, but the available official description is limited. The 4.04 patch announcement mentions a freeze that could occur when loading “a certain checkpoint save” with Ray Tracing enabled. That confirms the category and a loading context; it does not explain when the game creates checkpoints, how many are retained, or whether their timing changes across platforms.
Do not use a checkpoint as your only record of a major choice. Create a manual save when you need a stable return point, then confirm its cloud icon if you plan to continue elsewhere.
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Did the Remastered release change save compatibility?
CD PROJEKT RED’s current official game page states: “Your save files remain compatible and Cross Progression will remain functional the same as before.” This is a compatibility statement for the Remastered release. It does not provide new rules for manual-save controls, autosave frequency or checkpoint triggers.
For a Remastered transfer, follow the same practical checks: latest patch, same linked account, a newly created source save, cloud-icon confirmation, and matching edition content on the destination. Do not infer a new trigger schedule from the Remastered statement.
A reliable pre-switch checklist
- Install the latest patch on both source and destination platforms.
- Confirm Cross Progression is enabled at Options → Gameplay → Cross Progression.
- Connect the source and destination to the same required account.
- Create the save you actually want to carry over.
- Verify the cloud icon beside that save before leaving the source platform.
- Check whether the destination is the base game or GOTY/Complete Edition.
- Install every expansion and DLC used by a Complete Edition save.
- Open Load Game on the destination and select the uploaded entry.
The safest mental model is simple: manual, autosave and checkpoint are separate categories; Cross Progression carries the latest current entry in each category; the cloud icon confirms an upload; and edition or DLC mismatches can still block loading.
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