The Witcher 3 Remastered Patch 5.01 Adds Console Graphics Options and Fixes PS5 Settings Bug

Console players of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered can now switch off bloom, light shafts and depth of field. Those three graphics options arrive in Patch 5.01, which CD Projekt RED released on Oct. 8 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, nine days after the remastered edition launched.

The patch also fixes a PS5 bug that reset players’ settings every time the game started. The Nintendo Switch 2 version is not part of this update. CD Projekt RED says a separate Switch 2 patch is in the works, according to its official patch notes.

The console changes

• New Bloom, Light Shafts and Depth of Field options in the graphics settings.
• A fix for settings on PS5 resetting every time the game was launched.
• Corrected frame rate limits in the different graphics modes on the base PS5.
• The fix for voiceover audio going quiet after using the pause menu, already on PC, now also applies on consoles.
• Ukrainian text is now available in all regions.
• Unspecified performance optimizations.

PC settings get safer defaults

On PC, the main change is to the defaults. Dynamic Resolution Scaling is now off unless you turn it on, and switching graphics presets no longer applies DLSS or XeSS on graphics cards that don’t support them. The patch also stops the GTAO Quality setting from resetting after a restart and fixes a bug where the game could pick the wrong GPU.

Patch 5.01 is available on Steam, GOG, the Epic Games Store, Battle.net and Xbox Play Anywhere.

Combat fixes Geralt players will notice

Several fixes target moment-to-moment combat. Dodging no longer has an occasional delayed response, and sprinting while dodging no longer drains Geralt’s entire stamina bar. The Exploding Shield skill now reflects damage, and the Synergy skill shows the correct bonus values.

The “Automatically Apply Blade Oils” option now works even if it was turned on in an earlier session. Boats should also stop drifting off on their own and passing through terrain.

A save fix, and a few bonus items

The most important fix may be the least visible one. CD Projekt RED says it “fixed an issue that could affect save file data and added measures to address saves that may have already been affected.” It did not say how many players were hit.

Two side effects are worth knowing about. Because of backend issues, the policy consent screen will appear again, so players will need to confirm their choices once more. A fix for My Rewards and Twitch or Bilibili Drops missing from the chest in Vizima may also duplicate some items. The studio’s advice: “Consider them a bonus!”

The patch also adjusts bloom, tone mapping, character lighting, ray tracing and path tracing on every platform.

Switch 2 owners wait a little longer

The Switch 2 update will bring that version closer to the others and include the same global changes. CD Projekt RED also says it will improve “image clarity and sharpness” on Nintendo’s console. No date has been given; the studio says to expect more information “in the following days.”

The remaster is the first of three Witcher releases on CD Projekt’s published schedule, followed by The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs of the Past in 2027 and The Witcher 4 in 2028. That roadmap is part of our report on the two unannounced projects CD Projekt RED has in development.

Featured image: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered Patch 5.01 artwork. Image: CD PROJEKT RED