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.