[Consol Games] The Witcher 3 next-gen: ray tracing and performance modes tested on PS5 and Xbox Series X

[FazzNoth]

Seven years since its first release, the new The Witcher 3 Complete Edition aims to enhance an already iconic game with a huge suite of extras. On PS5, Xbox Series X, S and PC, it's a free update listed as patch 4.0. Visuals are enhanced, quality of life improvements are added, plus we get extras to tie into the Netflix TV show. This much we already knew from our preview after a visit to CD Projekt RED's offices - but now it's time to put the console code to test across all of our established test areas. We'll be kicking off with Series X and PS5 analysis, covering off performance and RT modes, with the non-RT Series S version to follow. First impressions? Neither mode on either console is the finished article, but right now, we'd recommend the performance mode on both flagship consoles.

 

The original release looked good, but the next-gen patch - the Complete Edition - does indeed benefit from enormous improvements. A bulk of the textures and models are reworked, with CDPR contracting PC modder Halk Hogan - who produced the HD Reworked Project mod - to incorporate new, updated assets into the official release. Foliage is improved too, filling out the landscape with more plant life. There are smaller touches as well, like brand-new skyboxes, weather states and lens effects, adding variety as Geralt travels the world.

Performance and RT modes on both Series X and PlayStation 5 have an established visual set-up in terms of the core artwork and engine 'settings', the differences coming down to native resolutions and the optional inclusion of ray tracing features. Pitting PS5 against Series X in their RT modes first, each targets a native 1440p, reconstructed to 4K using FSR 2.1, with dynamic resolution scaling taking the pixel count down to 1080p at its lowest. A bulk of pixel counts do hit that top 1440p number, however. Meanwhile, performance mode is bumped to a higher target on each, aiming for a native 4K - with 1080p remaining as the lower bounds. The net result is that both PS5 and Series X do on average look sharper in the performance modes compared to running on the RT mode. 

 

heads and in-depth analysis of both the RT and performance modes.
There are key visual differences between PS5 and Series X. Firstly, it's clear Series X often runs at a higher pixel count on average than PS5, within theiir dynamic range. In particular on performance mode, a Novigrad run in puts us at 1440p on PS5, and closer to 1800p on Series X for a spell. Secondly, there are very visible differences in foliage and shadow draw distance. Curiously, PlayStation 5 level of detail is ramped up in a way that Xbox Series X is not - and it's certainly noticeable in head-to-head comparisons in terms of the density of grass to the far distance - and also the shadow map cascade.

 

The star of the show is the ray tracing mode. PS5 and Series X's ray tracing mode lowers resolution and adjusts target frame-rate to 30fps - and similar to the effect on PC, the transformation is remarkable. Ray-traced ambient occlusion and RTXGI global illumination replace the more approximate cubemap-based lighting, radically transforming the fidelity of the scene. Light bounces more realistically, darkened areas lack the blue-ish glow of the original lighting and the net result is often extraordinary. In retaining AO and GI features, CD Projekt RED has brought the best of the PC's upgrades to console users.

Of course, not every effect makes it to the PS5 and Series X. The RT shadows of the PC version are not present (and as is, they are bugged, per Alex's tech review), while PC's RT reflections are replaced with a screen-space alternative, only present in the 30fps RT mode. This SSR solution is significantly improved over what came before: it's higher resolution and now applies to more materials in the game, including armour and bodies of water. Previously The Witcher 3 used simpler cube-mapping to create a base reflection for puddles, but now we get a much improved effect. It's not ray tracing, then sadly but the SSR upgrade is huge compared to the performance mode, which still uses the older technique.

https://www.eurogamer.net/digitalfoundry-2022-the-witcher-3s-next-gen-upgrade-ray-tracing-and-performance-modes-tested-on-ps5-and-xbox-series-x