The beloved 2015 role-playing game The Witcher 3 will get a next-gen port that includes faster loading times, development studio CD Projekt Red announced this morning.
The expansive open-world RPG has no release date, but, come on, this is the next-gen where nothing has release dates, anyway.
In its announcement, CD Projekt notes that the new PS5 and Xbox Series X versions “will feature a range of visual and technical improvements — including ray tracing and faster loading times — across the base game, both expansions, and all extra content.” That last part is particularly good news given that respawning in the game can take a minute or so, at least on this author’s PS4.
While the next-gen version will be sold as its own thing, CD Projekt promises that people who currently own the game on console or PC will be able to get a free upgrade to the new version. Asked for clarity about that and whether you need to own all the DLC, a rep told Kotaku: “The update will work with any physically or digitally purchased copy of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for Xbox One, PC, or PlayStation 4, including both the launch and Game of the Year/Complete Edition versions.”
That sounds like you don’t need to own the DLC or so-called complete version of the game to upgrade, though it’s not 100% clear if you’d then need to buy the expansions for the next-gen version.
We also asked if save files will transfer from old-gen to new. No answer about that yet. CD Projekt’s next game, Cyberpunk 2077, is scheduled for release on current-gen Xbox and PlayStation consoles later this year and will also have a next-gen version. Saves will transfer from the Xbox One to Xbox Series X version of that game, according to an official Xbox blog post.
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