The Witcher 3 Next Gen update is finally here. The game is getting a whole fresh coat of graphical paint and looks quite impressive on the supported platforms. There has been a lot of hype, and update is out now on PC and next-gen consoles.
The update has finally come out after being delayed all the way back in April of this year. The original launch window for the next-gen console ports, with all the bells and whistles, was supposed to drop in 2021, but the world had other plans. Now, CDPR has made good on promises literal years in the making, and has dropped The Witcher 3 Next Gen onto PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X.
But that’s obviously leaving out one particular platform: Switch.
With the release of the new The Witcher 3 Next Gen update, many fans are wondering if some of the new content will also be available on last gen and less powerful consoles, such as the Nintendo Switch. There’s obviously some desire to see the Switch port get some love, but there’s just no way it’s going to happen. Here’s what we know so far about the status of The Witcher 3 Next Gen update and older consoles.
The simple fact is that Nintendo’s hardware isn’t powerful enough to support the fully tricked-out version of the game with all the graphics cranked up. The NVIDIA Tegra X1 SoC of the Switch can just about keep up with the specialized port of the game, but with some occasional frame dips. Sadly, there won’t be any kind of major graphical or lighting overhaul on this version. So while the impressive feat of getting The Witcher 3 onto the Switch is worthy of praise, the next-gen version won’t be fully dropping on Nintendo’s hardware. But some enhancements and quality of life improvements are being brought over to Nintendo’s hardware.
As per The Witcher website talking about the next gen patch, “PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch will also receive an update – the specific patch notes and date will be announced at a later time.”
The details on the contents of the pach remain murky as well, though we may see some minor tweaks to visual, as well as bug fixes and other minor alterations. At this time, there’s not any planned release date for the patch on Switch. We will keep you updated on any changes that happen as they come out.
