[00:00] Nintendo Switch 2 has seen a raft of upgraded Switch 1 games since its launch, but it's rare to see those enhancements doled out for free.
[00:15] In the case of The Witcher 3 Remastered, not only is this indeed a free upgrade, but it's also giving us the most substantial visual overhaul seen between the two systems to date. to date. Resolutions are cranked up, framerates are boosted, and just about every visual setting
[00:31] is touched upon. Fundamentally, this new Switch 2 app weighs in at 55GB, a sizable jump up from the 39GB of the original, which qualifies it for higher quality assets in every respect.
[00:44] Texture asset resolution is improved across the board, while pre-rendered cutscenes also benefit from higher bitrate encodes. Zoom in and you'll see less macro block artifacting in the game's intro cinematic, for example.
[00:56] Curiously, this 55GB install is the ideal size for a physical cartridge release. Nothing has been announced as yet, and this version of The Witcher 3 on Switch 2 is only available on the eShop,
[01:08] but this has clearly been engineered with that size target in mind, so I'm hopeful. Today, then, I'll be guiding you through the main visual changes on the show compared to the old Switch 1 release. How does it stack up by comparison?
[01:21] Also, in revisiting some old favourite haunts, Crookback Dog, Novograd's Market, does Switch 2 hold a stable 40 frames per second while using a 120Hz display?
[01:33] Or is it perhaps better to stick to a 30fps cap while outputting at 60Hz? Let's find out. As far as Switch 2 is concerned, we're off to a good start.
[01:50] This remastered release is being rolled out for PS5, Xbox and PC as well, of course, and we'll be looking at those in later videos. In summary, though, the remaster is principally handled by CD Projekt Red,
[02:02] with assistance from developer Virtuous, returning to Red Engine 3 with a string of changes made in the Witcher 3 HD Reworks project. In this way, the remastered version builds on the existing complete edition from back in 2022.
[02:16] At the top end, for instance, the PC version gets a unique path tracing option, shown here running on an RTX 5090 with DLSS Ray Reconstruction set as well. Outside of path tracing, though, a surprising bulk of the remastered changes trickle down to PS5, Xbox and even Switch 2.
[02:33] So, here they are. Alas, there's perhaps inevitably no ray tracing on Nintendo's handheld, and in this comparison versus PS5 and PC, it instead matches the rasterized settings of PS5's performance mode.
[02:45] Even so, you do get the remaster's reworked lighting on Switch 2, upgraded physically based textures, and new shading for grass and vegetation. And more generally, Switch 2 gets all the quality of life improvements from the other
[02:58] consoles, the new combat systems, skill tree menus and even newly added Joy-Con mouse and gyro controls.
[03:12] To the comparisons then, on the one hand we're getting a generational leap from Switch 1 to 2, which is enough to talk on in itself. On the other, we're seeing the contrast between the vanilla Witcher 3 visual style on the original Switch, which to this day remains
[03:27] locked at patch 4.04 and the new remastered style of patch 5.0. As an aside, I've disabled motion blur, regular blur and in-game depth of field on each console, but kept furloughed
[03:40] visibility range at max and light shafts engaged on Switch One. So we're getting the absolute best result possible from the older system here. Also, to give that older Switch One release its dues it was originally handled by Saber Interactive an impossible port that to 5 awards by running on Tegra X1 Silicon Certainly it had major limits in pop textures that matched PC low preset blurry
[04:05] trilinear filtering and sub-30fps frame rates. And yet, it's still one of the system's most impressive feats. It's not exactly the most glamorous way to play The Witcher 3 on a TV, and rather the value here was in having a portable version of the game with a cloud-save linking to a
[04:21] more capable system at home. As a refresher, while we're here, resolution-wise it ran at a dynamic 720p using CDPR's in-house anti-aliasing, and then a dynamic 540p while in a portable
[04:34] state. Image quality wasn't its strongest suit. Still, Switch One pushed way more features than anyone expected. You got screen space anti-seclusion, screen space reflections, water ripple physics, destruction physics, enemy decapitations, and matching NPC counts
[04:50] to the PS4 version. Functionally, it was complete. It was recognisable as The Witcher 3, and for Switch 1 at the time, that was enough.
[05:05] Today then, Switch 2's task is rather simple, to smooth out all those rough edges. Let's talk on image quality to start. While docked, Switch 2 boosts its resolution to a dynamic 540p to 1080p range, with what appears to be DLSS resolving to a 1080p final target.
[05:22] Immediately then, there's a clear uplift in clarity, with thin furlage no longer devolving into that mushy mess, as was the case on the original Switch. Details are perhaps over sharpened at points, but there's no question the scenery is
[05:35] better defined with the Switch 2 setup. As for Switch 2's portable play, that pixel count drops accordingly to a 360p to 720p
[05:49] range, with a 720p target in that case. So yes, the Upscaler is doing a lot more heavy lifting with a 360p input at its low points, especially in motion, and by comparison, its clarity suffers next to Dock's play. On the plus side, you are getting all the very same
[06:05] visual settings here. Shadow resolution, textures, effects, world LODs, it's all the same whether dots or portable. However, the lower resolution has a knock-on effect on screen space reflection quality. Also, the depth of field effect
[06:18] in cutscenes is affected in a similar manner with different results stemming from those lower res values. Excepting that image quality hit in portable play and these few quibbles, it's otherwise complete in its feature set.
[06:35] Back to the Switch 1 comparisons, and texture assets are, as mentioned, upgraded universally for World's Terrain and character models. From Geralt's clothing to the wood supports
[06:49] across Novigrad's buildings, Switch 2 uses the same asset source as the other remastered releases, with upgraded geometry to boot. It's a more physically accurate material, and gives it a vaulting leap in resolution over the often mushy textures used on the
[07:03] Switch 1 original. Also, just as much of a breakthrough is the texture filtering setting. Again, there's a boost in anisotropic filtering on Switch 2 that cleans up the presentation of textures. Elsewhere, we get a higher NPC count, and these no longer result from the ditty,
[07:19] decimated animations that we see at range on Switch 1. Regardless of the distance, they animate properly. As for the point of shadows, there are a few pros and cons here. Shadow quality is marginally boosted. Sadly, it's not as much of an upgrade as you might expect,
[07:34] and there's still plenty of aliasing on those shadows. And, to compound matters, the filtering cascade for shadows, while drastically improved over Switch 1, is still glaringly close to the camera. For example, and as an extreme case,
[07:47] in the Blood and Wine expansion exploring Toussaint flags this shadow filtering issue up clearly on Switch 2
[08:00] Returning to the positives, interiors show several benefits via the Switch 2 upgrade, most notably in ambient shading. Switch 2 uses a more precise ambient occlusion setting, replacing the bespoke SSA technique CDPR used for Switch 1.
[08:14] Previously, that technique was perhaps too heavy-handed. It worked but effectively covered each corner of an interior with this thick blanket of shade, while Switch 2 today opts for a more precise setting closer to PS5. It's brighter, lighter, but makes more sense.
[08:30] Moving outside again, you'll notice a form of global illumination is now in effect for shaded spots too. Flipping between the two systems in this Novigrad route, it allows light to spill to the undersides of this archway on Switch 2.
[08:44] We're getting a form of indirect light bounce, likely using a light probe system in the red engine rather than RTGI, and it's a decent approximation. All round, it's a big step up from the original's much flatter lighting response here.
[08:58] One final note on shadows, local lights, such as this torch being waved around, now cast dynamic shadows to the environment. It was missing on Switch 1, but now you get proper shadow casting from the character as he flails that torch around.
[09:14] The Witcher 3's sprawling woodlands and countryside views remain a highlight. The white orchard, Novigrad's outskirts and even Crookback Bog by day with its mist
[09:28] all translate beautifully to Switch 2. The extra good news is that Switch 2 improves on the LODs for foliage and geometry, resulting in less visible pop-in than the original release. Flipping back and forth, there's a truly night and day difference with the remastered release,
[09:43] with Switch One looked rather barren by comparison. On a more general level, the visual direction of The Witcher 3 is altered to which might divide opinion. Alongside the obvious list of technical benefits,
[09:55] the remastered package is pushing a revamped lighting system, new glass elements and materials, and reworked colour grading. Personally, the visual style of The Witcher 3 on patch 4.04, which Switch One uses, is what I'm most familiar with,
[10:10] and, sadly, there's no way to revert back to that classic style which we've known since the game released back in 2015. Broadly speaking, though, it is still many steps forward for Nintendo's new hardware and, again, not bad at all for free.
[10:30] All of which takes us to performance testing, where the surprise is we're getting a 40 FPS in both docked and portable play. Now, this 4 FPS cap only works if you're outputting to a 120Hz
[10:42] display, set in Switch 2 system menus, run the game at 60Hz and it'll cap at 30 FPS instead. In this roundabout way, two modes are available on Switch 2 and your choice has some significance.
[10:54] The crux of the issue is that this 4 FPS cap is much too ambitious. It runs well enough in In broad open areas like the White Orchard, and as one of the least taxing areas of the game, you'll easily get a tight 40fps lock while duking it out with the Griffon.
[11:10] Likewise for interiors or the less populated parts of Toussaint in the DLC, it's mostly a stable 40. Sadly though, in my experience, it's just not sustainable across major parts of the game. Once you get to Novigrad or battle multiple enemies, it's constantly wavering from 30 to 40fps.
[11:27] And yes, inevitably, crookback bulk suffers dips to the high 30s as well. I will stress that traversal hitches are a none issue for Switch 2. The only stutters I've encountered are on picking up items, all while raising the inventory menu.
[11:41] Outside of that though bandwidth from Switch 2 internal storage isn a limiting factor for horseback riding at pace which is a plus at least
[11:55] At 120Hz then, the reality is that Switch 2 is prone to sub 40 LR. The positive spin on this is that, in terms of the generational upgrade from Switch 1, you're at least getting a satisfying
[12:07] delta between the readings. Previously, the original Switch capped at 30fps, but so often delved into the 20s and even under that in CPU demanding spots like Novigrad. Based on the raw frames pushed per second, Switch 2 is 10 to 15 frames per second to the better,
[12:24] and impressively does all that at a higher resolution and with a revised visual feature set. There are even points when Nintendo's newer console doubles the FPS reading here. On paper it looks great, but in practice, well, it doesn't put Switch 2 where it needs to be in
[12:40] in terms of being a smooth experience while docked. Likewise, in portable play, I've noticed these sub 40 lurches are just as pronounced, if not more so, perhaps revealing the limits of its decreased CPU clocks in this state.
[12:53] I'm going purely by eye here, but the judder as that frame rate wavers from 30 to 40 sticks out clearly on Switch 2's display. The workaround is an easy one.
[13:11] Flip to that regular 60Hz output on Switch 2 and the game caps at 30fps instead. All visual settings and DRS ranges are identical to before, and the benefits to the consistency of its frame rate are immediate.
[13:23] Since there are no drops into the 20s, this lower cap at 30 simply hides the variances above that line. I can't help but see this as the intended experience, because what CDPR has achieved here is an optimised, capped 30FPS experience with no major drops on record.
[13:41] Testing all the usual suspects bears this out. Novigrad runs at a clean, evenly frame-paced 30, and I've yet to see any lurches into the 20s through large battles as well. Admittedly, this scopes for later drops across such a sprawling adventure, but so far at least, it's exceeded all expectations.
[13:58] I'd recommend sticking with 30fps because even at that lower cap you're still getting a remarkable leap over the Switch One version's troubled framerate line.
[14:13] The Witcher 3 remastered rewards early buyers of the Switch One original with a vast overhaul, and impressively it comes at no extra cost. Also, unlike that older Switch One version, whose value was mainly found in its unique
[14:25] portable play, Switch 2 actually holds up well on the big screen too. It's no longer a so-called impossible port that asks, can it be done? And rather, you get decent settings out of the box at a cap 30 or wavering 30 to 40 if you prefer. All this is helped along
[14:42] by infinitely snappier menus and not to mention loading speeds. So for example, as a quick test, loading a save to the outskirts of Novigrad takes Switch 2 just 40 seconds to show the first frame of gameplay. That's well over harbing the original Switch's 1 minute 28
[14:58] second result. Great stuff, and fast travelling across the map benefits massively as well. Overall then, on multiple fronts, the Switch 2 version is easy to recommend, whether you're returning to reap the spoils from that original Switch 1 purchase, or are jumping in for the
[15:13] first time. We'll be back with a look at the other versions of the remaster, but if you did enjoy this video feel free to like or subscribe, and don't forget to hit that bell for instant notifications as any new video lands. Check out our website at digitalfoundry.net
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