CD Projekt Red has issued its first post-launch patch for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, addressing widespread complaints that the free upgrade makes the game look too bright. Released earlier this week across Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and the Xbox Play Anywhere version of the game on PC, the remaster quickly became a subject of debate among players over whether its visual changes were an improvement, with excessive brightness emerging as the most frequently cited concern.
A Patch Aimed at Taming the Brightness
The patch notes reveal several targeted fixes. Developers addressed an issue where DLSS was unavailable in the Xbox Play Anywhere version of the game on PC, made lighting adjustments that include correcting some interiors that appeared too dark, and applied additional changes to ensure visual parity with the standard PC version.
The team is working on another hotfix for PC that will address a save game issue that numerous players have reported.
CD Projekt Red
While the patch targets console and Xbox Play Anywhere PC builds, it is not being released for other PC versions of the game. This distinction suggests the fix centers on the title’s bloom setting, a visual effect that many PC players have suggested turning off to regain contrast in the image. The toggle was previously unavailable to console players, meaning this patch likely disables bloom automatically for them rather than introducing an option.
Limited Reach of the Fix
The brightness adjustment does not cover every complaint raised since launch. Players have continued to take issue with the game’s HDR implementation, its path tracing visual presentation, and overall system performance on PC. CD Projekt Red has not yet commented on whether it plans to make changes in those areas, though this patch indicates the studio is aware of at least some of the most glaring issues players are facing.
Those playing on Nintendo Switch 2 will also be unable to benefit from the fix for now, as no corresponding update was released for that platform. The selective rollout across versions underscores how different hardware configurations can require distinct approaches when addressing a single visual problem.
Looking Ahead
The Witcher 3 Remastered launched as a free update for all versions of the game, introducing enhanced character animations, improved world detail, and refined combat and role-playing systems. The studio’s willingness to move quickly on lighting corrections suggests further adjustments may follow if additional concerns emerge.
Beyond immediate fixes, CD Projekt Red is looking toward the future with Songs of the Past, an expansion scheduled for release in 2027 that will tie into the events of The Witcher 4, which remains in development. For now, players can expect a slightly more balanced image on supported platforms as the studio works to refine one of the most celebrated RPGs of the past decade.
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