The Witcher 3 Remastered Gets a Major PS5 Pro Upgrade with 60 FPS Ray Tracing

The free September 29 upgrade will carry over existing saves and trophies, while PS5 Pro players get a significantly enhanced way to experience CD Projekt Red’s classic RPG.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is getting another major upgrade, and this time, PS5 Pro owners can expect many new features. CD Projekt Red is preparing a free remastered update for the game that will launch on September 29, bringing new enhancements to the current console version while allowing existing players to carry their progress forward.

The biggest improvement is reserved for PlayStation 5 Pro. The remastered version will feature a ray tracing mode running at 60 frames per second, giving players the visual benefits of ray tracing without forcing them to settle for the traditional 30 FPS experience. There will also be a performance mode capable of reaching around 90 FPS when paired with a compatible display supporting VRR and a high refresh rate.

That makes the PS5 Pro version particularly interesting for players who have been waiting for The Witcher 3 to take better advantage of Sony’s more powerful console. 

The game has already received a current-generation upgrade, but this new version pushes the experience further by combining higher frame rates with improved visual features. For players returning to the game, these enhancements should make the massive open world feel smoother and more visually impressive than ever.

For a big open-world RPG like The Witcher 3, that combo of better visuals and smoother gameplay could make a big difference. The ray tracing mode at 60 FPS is particularly impressive, as players won’t have to choose between a better-looking presentation and a smoother gaming experience.

Performance mode goes even further for those with the right display setup. Details shared about the upgrade suggest that it can hit around 90 FPS with VRR and a high refresh rate TV or monitor. While not every player will have the hardware necessary to take advantage of that option, it gives PS5 Pro owners another way to experience the game.

More importantly, the remaster is being offered as a free upgrade rather than a completely separate release that requires players to purchase the game again. Existing owners will be able to move into the remastered version without losing their progress, which should make returning to the massive RPG much easier.

One of the most important details surrounding the remastered version is that existing save files will carry over. 

CD Projekt Red has confirmed that the update is being treated as an update to the existing game, so players will not have to start their adventures over just to experience the new improvements. This means returning players can jump straight back into their existing adventures while immediately benefiting from the technical improvements.

That is particularly valuable for The Witcher 3 because of the amount of time many players have invested in it. A typical playthrough can already take a substantial amount of time, and players who have completed the main story and expansions may have dozens or even hundreds of hours attached to their existing saves.

However, there is one disappointment for trophy hunters. The upgrade will not introduce a completely separate trophy list, meaning players who already earned the game's Platinum trophy will not be able to earn another one through the remastered release.

For some players, that will be a frustrating omission. A separate trophy list could have given longtime fans another reason to replay the entire adventure, particularly with the visual and performance improvements coming to the game.

Still, preserving save files and existing achievements arguably makes the transition much simpler for the broader player base. Rather than splitting the game into two separate versions, CD Projekt Red appears to be treating the remaster as an enhanced version of the existing experience.

Another appealing aspect of the update is that players do not necessarily need to own a brand-new edition of the game to benefit from it. The source notes that even a used copy of the original base game can be upgraded, with the upgrade also including the game's DLC content.

That makes the September 29 update an interesting proposition for anyone who has somehow never played The Witcher 3. 

Instead of requiring newcomers to purchase an entirely new remastered package, the existing version can serve as a path into the upgraded experience. That makes the upgrade especially appealing for anyone who wants to experience the improved version without having to pay for the game again.

The upcoming update is another example of that approach. The Witcher 3 remains one of the studio's most important games, and improving its performance on newer hardware gives returning players another reason to revisit the world of Geralt of Rivia.

The remaster announcement also comes alongside some interesting comments from CD Projekt Red about how the studio approaches game development. The studio's comments offer a closer look at why it prioritizes ambitious projects while still trying to maintain the high quality players expect from its games.

A major concern for the company is how to produce more games without compromising quality, the company said. Developers have a finite amount of time in their careers, so the studio wants to make the most of it by delivering multiple high-quality experiences rather than just increasing output at the expense of quality.

That philosophy is especially relevant when looking at the studio's future projects. CD Projekt Red is currently working toward The Witcher 4, and the company has stressed that quality remains the dominant consideration when making development decisions.

Cost is obviously still important because games are businesses, but CD Projekt Red says it does not want development to become entirely cost-driven. 

The studio argues that projects with ambitions on the scale of The Witcher 4 require a different approach. This approach is intended to give the team enough room to pursue ambitious ideas without allowing financial concerns to compromise the final quality of the game.

CD Projekt Red's next Witcher game will move away from the company's proprietary REDengine, marking one of the biggest changes. The Witcher 4 is being developed using Unreal Engine 5, a change that initially caused concern among some fans.

That concern is understandable. The previous games developed by CD Projekt Red were so closely associated with the technology they ran on, especially the Red Engine's ability to create large open worlds and detailed environments. But the studio believes the move to Unreal Engine 5 doesn’t mean The Witcher 4 will lose its identity.

CD Projekt Red has reportedly worked with Epic Games to make the technology suitable for its ambitions, with the goal of ensuring that the engine itself does not dictate the game's artistic identity. From the player's perspective, the technology underneath should ultimately matter less than the experience it enables.

That is an important point for The Witcher 4 because the studio wants the game to continue feeling like a CD Projekt Red production rather than simply another Unreal Engine title. For fans, preserving that distinct identity will be just as important as the technical improvements the new engine brings to the game.

The Witcher 4 is still some distance away, with the source pointing toward a 2028 release. 

That means players will have plenty of time to see how the studio's new technology and development philosophy eventually come together. That gives CD Projekt Red plenty of time to refine its approach and demonstrate whether Unreal Engine 5 can deliver the same distinctive experience fans associate with the studio.

The September 29 remastered upgrade gives the game another opportunity to impress players on modern hardware, particularly those using a PS5 Pro. A ray tracing mode running at 60 FPS is arguably the headline feature, while the approximately 90 FPS performance mode provides an even smoother option for players with compatible displays.

The lack of a new trophy list may disappoint dedicated trophy hunters, but the ability to carry existing save files and unlocked achievements into the upgraded version makes the update convenient for everyone else.

Most importantly, the upgrade continues CD Projekt Red's effort to keep The Witcher 3 relevant on modern platforms. The game has already enjoyed an unusually long life, and this new update gives its massive open world another technical refresh without asking existing owners to start over.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's free remastered upgrade is scheduled to arrive on September 29, with the PS5 Pro enhancements offering the most substantial improvements. For players with Sony's upgraded console, the combination of ray tracing at 60 FPS and a performance mode targeting around 90 FPS could make this one of the definitive console versions of CD Projekt Red's acclaimed RPG.