CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3 Remastered, announced for October 2026, is more than a visual polish—it’s a 2.0 overhaul addressing gameplay criticisms, with PS5 Pro performance boosts and Steam Deck compatibility, according to developers and sources.
The Witcher 3 Remastered, set for release in October 2026, is positioning itself as a transformative update rather than a superficial visual upgrade. CD Projekt Red’s Paweł Sasko described it as almost like a 2.0 overhaul,
emphasizing fundamental improvements to gameplay systems that had long drawn criticism. When you look at The Witcher 3 and the opinions of players and press, gameplay is what was criticized most—it’s the aspect that is most outdated,
Sasko told Kotaku at Gamescom 2026. That’s the main thing we wanted to fix.
Gameplay Overhaul: From Passive Skills to Dynamic Combat
Developers also addressed exploration mechanics, a recurring pain point for players. We analyzed what annoyed people most—like exploration, Geralt’s movement controls, and the lack of finisher [attacks],
Sasko said. The remaster includes “new tools” and “synergies” to make combat feel more responsive, with players able to feel your choices immediately.
These changes are part of a free upgrade, meaning existing players won’t need to repurchase the game to access the improvements.
Steam Deck and PS5 Pro: Performance and Visual Enhancements
CD Projekt Red’s executive producer of external projects, Jakub Kutrzuba, confirmed that The Witcher 3 Remastered will run smoothly on the Steam Deck. When it comes to Steam Deck, based on what we see, the game will work the same way, but look much much better,
Kutrzuba told PC Gamer. The new rendering engine allows for more beautiful image[s] with the same cost,
he added, while also supporting the Nintendo Switch 2. These optimizations are part of broader performance improvements aimed at older titles, with Kutrzuba noting that the newer rendering engine, many of the systems just work faster.
The PS5 Pro version of the remaster also sees significant performance boosts. Tim Green, a veteran graphics engineer at CD Projekt Red, revealed that Ray Tracing mode now runs at 60fps, up from 30fps in the 2022 PS5 version. Performance mode, previously capped at 60fps, is now “uncapped” and should settle somewhere around 90fps
with VRR support. Green described the improvements as a lot of it kind of took care of itself,
citing the PS5 Pro’s PSSR upscaler as a key enabler. These updates align with CD Projekt Red’s post-Cyberpunk 2077 focus on solid performance,
as noted by PC Gamer.
A 2.0 Overhaul: Lessons from Cyberpunk 2077
The Witcher 3 Remastered’s scope echoes the 2.0 overhaul strategy used for Cyberpunk 2077, where performance improvements and quality-of-life tweaks
were paired with overhauling of core systems.
Sasko drew a direct line between the two projects, stating that the remaster applied the same design principles to RedEngine 3 that we learned from RedEngine 4 on Cyberpunk.
This approach prioritizes fundamental improvements to the overall experience,
as opposed to the “visual boost” of previous updates.
The comparison is significant given Cyberpunk 2077’s troubled launch and subsequent updates. By applying lessons from that experience, CD Projekt Red aims to avoid similar criticism.
What’s Next: Expansion and Player Expectations
The remaster is tied to the upcoming Songs of the Past expansion, which will add new features and content. Sasko noted that the free upgrade will include new features coming with the Songs of the Past expansion next year,
though details remain sparse.
