The Witcher 3 Next Gen Differences

We are fast approaching the next gen update for The Witcher 3, a huge update to one of the best games ever made. We know we can expect the update to make the game look better than it ever has done before, but we are also wondering what else is being added to 2015s Game of the Year. 

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So, with that said, let’s take a look at all the differences between The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt 2015 and the update coming soon. 

The Witcher 3: Graphics Differences 

One thing that’s abundantly clear from comparisons of the next gen update is just how much better, more vibrant and detailed the next gen version of The Witcher 3 looks. The big additions to the environment will be the updated sky, water and vegetation textures as well as a new weather mode called “Gray Sky”.

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Character models for all the main characters have also received upgraded textures, as well as high-resolution self-shadowing, both in and out of cutscenes. All of this will be accompanied by the introduction of ray-tracing. Now we will be able to see Geralt in true 4K for the first time.

While console versions of the game will be able to hit 60 FPS for the first time too in Performance mode (this has been available on PC before).

The Witcher 3 Differences: Online Features

Don’t get too excited, you can’t play The Witcher 3 with a pal, but there are still some changes coming to the game that will require online features. These are largely quality of life improvements, but will certainly go a long way to helping players enjoy the game. 

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The biggest difference will be the cross-progressions that are coming to the game, this was not available in previous versions of the game and will go a long way to improving players’ experience. 

The Witcher 3 Differences: Quality of Life 

The Witcher 3 is incredibly dense, and is now 7 years old, so some lessons have been learnt about game design in that time. Luckily, on top of everything else we will be seeing some quality of life upgrades, that may not seem like huge differences, but they will be much appreciated by people who played the original.

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The biggest difference, although it may sound trivial, is the Quick Sign Casting option that has been added. Now you can cast without having to open the radial menu in game.

There have also been some changes to icons on the map, also helping players have a better experience. Yet, our favourite change, may be more forgiving fall damage. Geralt is a very powerful person, yet an 8 foot drop could be the end of him in the 2015 version of The Witcher 3. 

The Witcher 3 Differences: Gameplay 

One of the most exciting things coming to the next gen update of The Witcher 3 are the gameplay updates. Some of the biggest things we know that are coming are the combat rebalancing, which should hopefully make scrapping feel even better than ever before.

We are also expecting some changes to certain quests that had some annoying bugs, like the Swift as the Western Winds quest that would sometimes fail regardless of if you won the race. 

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We are also expecting some minor differences to cutscenes and other quests too. However, the biggest difference will be the much appreciated photo mode being added to The Witcher 3. Photo modes were popularised during last gen, but just after The Witcher 3 was released, so we can’t wait to jump in and start snapping some photos.