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The story
A remastered version of “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” along with new DLC has been announced, with a free upgrade coming to PS5, Xbox, PC, and Switch 2.
In the thread, while some posters said “I don’t get why anyone would complain about a free update, lol,” discussion also broke out around the reactions of users who already had the Steam version sitting unplayed, and around the fact that Japanese law requires the domestic Switch version to charge a nominal 100 yen for the upgrade. Reports that not just the graphics but also combat and animal behavior are being overhauled drew plenty of attention too.
What people said
Re: #5
There's apparently a Witcher 4 planned that won't be coming to the "trash console" (derisive slang for the Switch)
Don't worry, I'll be playing it on an RTX 5090 — there's no way I'd touch that underpowered PS5 (lol)
Compared to PC, all consoles are trash anyway, lol
Though the Switch 2 does have the advantage of being portable
This developer moves way too slowly on new titles, don't you think?
It took 4 years to go from 2 to 3 in the first place — blame it on 3 being such a huge hit
How many times are they gonna re-release this thing? Are they Square Enix or something?
That was the next-gen native version, not a remaster
The Switch 1 port was a pretty rough squeeze, so the visual gap is probably going to be brutal
It really is brutal — it's already listed on the store, and the promo screenshots look worlds apart
Can't you read the thread title?
Apparently they're legally required to list some price up front
Back in the early PlayStation days, updates used to be paid — that's actually the reason it's free now
This kills what little motivation I had left, man… wish they'd give the old version a free upgrade too
It's a free upgrade — think GTA5's "Enhanced" edition. On Xbox ("green," forum slang for the platform) you'll reportedly even get things like second-generation ray reconstruction, so it should turn out pretty insane
Both existing DLCs were great, so I might as well buy the new DLC too
It's the best-selling version on PS, so the Nintendo fanboys (derogatory forum slang: "pigs") are losing it
If anything, people kept saying it'd snub the Switch 2, but it ended up multiplatform anyway — it's just the PlayStation fanboys ("Sony pigs") losing it now
Actually, the PC version is the best-selling one…
Apparently they're reworking the gameplay mechanics too
Cyberpunk (2077, using its forum nickname)
Well, I own an Xbox Series X myself, but I'm not buying it on Xbox
I just bought it normally on Series X and it runs great
Though I picked up the Switch version too, later on
I felt the same way about the Switch 2 edition of Breath of the Wild
If anything, I think having already played the original is the more valuable position to be in
Even Xbox keeps getting multiplat support despite its software sales, so it makes sense that most titles will probably keep going multiplat on Switch 2 too
As long as a platform has decent enough performance, they'll probably support it multiplat
And the Switch 2 turned out to have just enough performance to clear that bar
Though that's basically only doable on PC
You can check the story summaries for Witcher 1 and 2 on the official Witcher 3 site, under "World" → "Timeline"
Of course, actually playing the games will get you a much deeper understanding
Since it's not labeled a "Switch 2 Edition," I'd guess upgrading shifts you to a digital copy (meaning it won't launch on the original Switch anymore)
Basically, it'll probably end up handled like the Switch 2 version of Skyrim Anniversary Edition
Looks like they've overhauled the controls and combat too
Can't wait
On top of that, it sounds like animal ecology and behavior are getting reworked too — apparently they're changing some pretty fine details
• Japan only
• And that's due to legal requirements
• Plus it's only 100 yen
Can't believe someone's actually trying to stir up drama over this…
I think Pokémon Scarlet/Violet worked kind of like that
The Switch 1 and Switch 2 versions are completely different builds, and rebuilding it from scratch would be a huge effort, so I'd guess they just ported over the Switch 2 version from the other platforms
Background and Key Points
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt turns eleven this year, and CD Projekt Red’s remaster/DLC plan follows the precedent set by 2022’s “Complete Edition” next-gen update on PS5/Xbox Series, itself already a free patch for owners of the base game. What’s new this time is Switch 2 joining PS5, Xbox, and PC on day one, plus a promised overhaul of combat, controls, and animal AI rather than just a visual pass. The Switch 1 version, released in 2019, was a famously heavy technical compromise, so the jump to Switch 2 native footage is expected to be stark.
The thread’s actual disagreement wasn’t about whether the update is good — nearly everyone agreed a free remaster is a clear win. It split over two smaller things: whether Japan’s Switch buyers are being shortchanged by a 100-yen charge that PS5/Xbox/PC owners don’t pay, and whether owning an untouched Steam copy makes the news exciting or just another reminder of a stalled backlog. On the pricing point, posters correctly noted this isn’t CD Projekt Red singling out Japan — it traces to a Japanese legal requirement that a nominal price be listed rather than the item being labeled “free” outright, a quirk of consumer-labeling rules rather than a business decision.
What the thread doesn’t spell out for outsiders: physical Switch 1 cartridges likely won’t play the remaster locally, since posters expect this to mirror how Skyrim’s Anniversary Edition handled its Switch 2 upgrade — pushing existing physical owners toward a digital-only update rather than a compatible cartridge patch.
※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Hardware/Industry [“Geha”]) thread “Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remaster Announced! Free Upgrade Coming to All Platforms!.”
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