The Witcher 3 PS5 Guide

What's new in The Witcher 3 PS5? The 'next-gen update' for CD Projekt Red's open world RPG boasts a range of improvements and additions, over five whole years after the original game's release. The developer has brought some highly requested features to the upgrade, which boasts graphical boosts, gameplay modifications, and more.

In this guide, we've listed everything new and all of the improvements that we currently know about when it comes to The Witcher 3 PS5.

This guide is currently a work in progress. We'll continue to update it as we receive new information from CD Projekt Red, leading up to the game's release on the 14th December.

The Witcher 3 PS5 Guide

The Witcher 3 PS5: Everything New and All Improvements

Below is a list of everything new and all improvements in The Witcher 3 PS5. We've broken this list down into categories for better readability.

New Content

This is entirely new content that has been added in The Witcher 3 PS5.

  • A new quest based on The Witcher Netflix show
  • A new (optional) appearance for Dandelion, based on The Witcher Netflix show
  • A new armour set for Geralt based on The Witcher Netflix show
  • New (optional) armour design for Nilfgaardian soliders based on The Witcher Netflix show
  • New weapons, armour, and items
  • A fully integrated photo mode, complete with editing tools and filters

Graphics

These are the ways in which The Witcher 3 PS5 has improved the game's visuals.

  • Higher resolution textures throughout the game
  • Improved character models
  • Improved enemy models
  • Improved environmental assets
  • More varied NPC (non-playable character) models, especially in cutscenes
  • 30fps 'Quality' mode which has ray tracing support at dynamic scaling 4K resolution
  • 60fps 'Performance' mode at dynamic scaling 4K resolution
  • Better draw distance
  • More foliage, denser grasses
  • Improved lighting effects and illumination
  • Additional and more varied weather conditions, like fog
  • Greater crowd density in places like Novigrad

Technical

These are the ways in which The Witcher 3 PS5 is improved on a technical level.

  • Much improved load times, both when fast travelling and loading / reloading a save
  • Improved sound effect audio quality
  • Improved voiceover audio quality
  • 3D audio support on PS5

Gameplay Additions

These are the gameplay additions featured in The Witcher PS5.

  • New 'Quickcast' system allows players to cast signs without having to open the radial menu — instead, you simply hold down a trigger and press the corresponding face button
  • New (optional) camera setting places the camera much closer to Geralt, over his right shoulder, which can be set separately for combat / exploration / when on horseback
  • New (optional) movement settings for Geralt, where slow walking / sprinting is mapped to how far you're pushing the left stick
  • A 'hybrid' minimap option has been added, making the minimap and user interface fade away during gameplay until you press the focus button
  • Picking up plants and ingredients no longer opens a loot menu, just press X and you're good to go
  • Map filters let you customise how much information you can see on the map screen
  • You can now pause the game during cutscenes

Gameplay Adjustments

These are the adjustments to gameplay in The Witcher 3 PS5.

  • Numerous gameplay adjustments, including combat balance
  • Rebalanced enemy scaling (when enemy scaling is turned on in the options)
  • Fall damage has been reduced
  • Rats are no longer ridiculously deadly when level scaling is enabled

Other

These are other additions and enhancements that don't necessarily fit into previous categories.

  • Full cross-save and cross-progression support for all platforms
  • Full DualSense controller support, with haptic feedback and adaptive triggers
  • Subtitles can now scaled
  • Simplified Chinese voice acting and localisation added
  • Korean voice acting added
  • Improved localisation for other languages
The Witcher 3 PS5 Guide

The Witcher 3 PS5 FAQ

Below, we've gathered together the most frequently asked questions about The Witcher 3 PS5.

Is The Witcher 3 PS5 a free upgrade?

Yes, The Witcher 3 PS5 is a free upgrade if you already own the game on PS4. This counts for both the original release and the Game of the Year Edition.

Does The Witcher 3 PS5 include all DLC and expansions?

If you're taking advantage of the free PS5 upgrade, it all depends on what content you already own on PS4. If you only own the base game, you'll only be able to access the base game for free on PS5. If you own the two expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine on PS4, then you'll be able to access them for free on PS5 as well.

In short, The Witcher 3 PS5 upgrade only includes the game's two expansions if you already own them on PS4. If you don't, you'll need to purchase them separately, or buy the Game of the Year Edition, which includes the expansions.

Meanwhile, the game's numerous DLC packs are included automatically. They were all released for free on PS4.

Will The Witcher 3 PS5 get a physical release?

Yes, CD Projekt Red has confirmed that The Witcher 3 PS5 will receive a physical release. However, the release date for the physical edition is currently unknown. It's expected to release after the upgrade launches digitally, on the 14th December, 2022. We'll update this part of the guide once we know more.

What about The Witcher 3 PS5 Trophies?

The Witcher 3 on PS5 will have its own separate Trophy list from the PS4 version, although the Trophies themselves are the same. Trophies that you already earned in the PS4 version will not automatically unlock if you transfer your save — you'll have to earn them again on PS5 by starting a new game.

What do you think of everything new and all improvements in The Witcher 3 PS5? Check out our other The Witcher 3 guides and then relive your monster-slaying adventure in the comments section below.