Players on Nintendo Switch 2 can now claim a free digital copy of The Witcher 3 Remastered without buying the game at all, provided they can borrow an old physical Switch cartridge of the original RPG. The remastered edition launched September 29 across PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2, and CD Projekt Red has made the upgrade free for anyone who already owns the original. But a newly discovered quirk on Nintendo’s newest console means ownership of the digital version is no longer required at all: simply insert the legacy cartridge, boot the game, and upgrade from within.
The workaround, first flagged by deals expert Wario64, lets anyone with access to a physical Switch copy of The Witcher 3 convert it into a permanent digital remaster. Once the upgrade is complete, the old cartridge is no longer needed to play, meaning a single borrowed or shared cart can effectively unlock the game for multiple people. The discovery has already spread quickly through the community, with several players confirming the trick works as described.
How the Free Upgrade Works
On Tuesday, Reddit user Erik_REF claimed that they inserted an old Witcher 3 cartridge into their Switch 2, downloaded the free remastered version, and then handed the cart to their brother, who was able to repeat the exact same process. Reddit user Erik_REF claimed the method is straightforward and repeatable across multiple consoles. Others on Reddit have since verified the result, and you don’t need to keep the old cart to keep playing the remaster afterward.
To reproduce the upgrade, players must insert the original Switch cartridge, ensure the game is fully updated, launch it, and trigger the upgrade from inside The Witcher 3 itself. Once the remastered build has been downloaded, the physical disc-like cart serves no further purpose, and the console will run the improved version independently.
The Witcher 3 Remastered is out today on all platforms, and it is completely free for people who already own the original. On Switch 2, you don’t even need to own the game digitally to upgrade — just the original cartridge is enough.
Summarized from CD Projekt Red’s upgrade policy and community reports
A Loophole the Community Has Already Exploited
The implications of the workaround are immediate. In theory, a player could visit a public library, borrow a free copy of the game, insert it into a Switch 2, claim the remastered version, and return the cart so someone else can do the same. Alternatively, a small group of friends could pool money to buy a single cartridge, each run the upgrade on their own console, and then sell the physical copy afterward. Because the upgrade is baked into the console’s digital library rather than tied to the cartridge, the loophole is unlikely to be closed by a patch.
The news arrives alongside broader coverage of the remaster’s launch, which has been met with enthusiasm across platforms. The Witcher 3 Remastered is out today on all platforms. The overhaul has drawn attention for its visual improvements, though though you might want to turn off bloom, as several players have reported the effect looks better when disabled on PC. The Witcher 3 Remastered also arrived on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2, and it has already though you might want to turn off bloom set a new Steam record as fans returned to one of the most acclaimed RPGs of the past decade.
Looking Ahead
For now, the Switch 2 upgrade path remains open, and CD Projekt Red has not issued any statement restricting the physical-to-digital conversion. Players who already own the original game digitally on any platform automatically received the remaster at no additional cost, while those holding a physical Switch copy can now replicate the process for free. As the community continues to test and share the method, the loophole stands as an unusual benefit for owners of older hardware — one that is unlikely to survive a future patch, making it worth acting on while it remains available.
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