Next-gen Witcher 3 Mod Significantly Improves Optimization [UPDATED]

Update

The author of the mod, AliNT, has given us permission to host a mirror for his project improving ray tracing optimization in the next-gen version of The Witcher 3.

1. The Witcher 3 Optimized Raytracing - download the mod from our FTP.

Original message (December 27, 2022)

The next-gen update for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt caused quite a few problems at launch, which were felt primarily by PC gamers. Many fans will probably point to the game's poor optimization with ray tracing enabled as the biggest issue. And although CD Projekt reacted quickly, and recently released a second hotfix, players are still experiencing fps drops.

Developers of The Witcher 3 are promising more patches in the future that will further improve optimization, but this is making fans have to wait longer. However, many modders are already taking matters into their own hands and providing unofficial improvements.

One such person is a user posting on Nexus Mods under the nickname alikoko, who released yesterday the modification Optimized Raytracing. As the name says, the mod optimizes fps drops caused solely by real-time global illumination - other effects were left untouched. This means that players can enjoy the new visuals bits introduced to The Witcher 3 by the next-gen update without significant drops in performance.

In the mod's description you will see an accurate summary of the fps increase. The result can be up to 25 percent higher (average increase from 36.6 to 47.6 fps) taking into account version 0.4.1 of Optimized Raytracing, which fixed problems with, among other things, the game crashing. The results are presented for an RTX 2060 Super graphics card.

Anyone interested can try out this unofficial patch by downloading it from the Files tab and moving the OptimizedRT.ini file to the [The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt]\bin\config\platform\pc folder. Below you'll see a sample fps summary (in the upper left corner) from the base game and the mod.

The number of frames per second in the basic Witcher 3Nexus Mods, Optimized Raytracing

Frame rate in The Witcher 3 after uploading modificationsNexus Mods, Optimized Raytracing

Thanks to the mod, it can be seen that gamers are interested in and need this type of project. Indeed, in one day it has received 30,000 views and more than 200 comments on Nexus Mods.

The free update for The Witcher 3 has caused modifications to be published again, which do more than just improve the game's optimization.