The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Getting Free PS5, Xbox Series X Upgrades

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of this generation's defining role-playing games, with its rich world-building and engrossing story. It's an adventure you'll be able to return to on next-generation consoles, too, with CD Projekt Red announcing a next-gen upgrade for the game, which will be available to most existing owners for free.

In 2021, The Witcher 3 will get a free update that lets you upgrade your current generation versions to their next-gen counterparts. Xbox One and PS4 players will be able to redeem an Xbox Series X and PS5 version respectively, while new next-gen versions will go on sale for new players. PC players will also be able to update their game for free with all the included improvements. There appears to be no upgrade path available for Nintendo Switch owners.

These improvements will be detailed further closer to release, but for now CD Projekt Red says you can expect ray tracing and faster loading times, afforded by the hardware-based ray tracing support and SSDs in each new console. (The developer recently showed off ray tacing in Cyberpunk 2077, its upcoming release.) These enhancements will be applied across all the game's content, including the base game and its two expansion, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition for Xbox Series X and PS5 will also include all DLC.

Unlike the complications with next-gen upgrades with other games, such as Control, CD Projekt Red says that this offer applies to all versions of The Witcher 3 available for purchase. You will not need to own the complete edition to be eligible.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt originally launched in 2015 to critical acclaim, going on to be a massive financial success for the Polish developer. In our 10/10 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt review, critic Kevin VanOrd wrote, "Where the Witcher 2 sputtered to a halt, The Witcher 3 is always in a crescendo, crafting battle scenarios that constantly one-up the last, until you reach the explosive finale and recover in the glow of the game's quiet denouement."