The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt PC Hotfix Released by CD PROJEKT RED, Addresses Next-Gen Update’s Stability and Performance Issues

Tsing

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CD PROJEKT RED has released a PC hotfix for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to address some of the issues introduced by its new next-gen update, which began rolling out on December 14 at midnight GMT on PC and Xbox Series X|S, and midnight local time on PS5, bringing a range of modern features that include ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion to the 2015 action RPG.

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We'll see - encountered my first 'game-breaking' bug while playing with RT on using an RX6800 during one of the quests.

Game would freeze, then crash to desktop and CDPRs reporting tool would pop up. Game would also refuse to relaunch until the system was rebooted, which makes me think that this may be a bug that is shared with AMDs Radeon drivers. Haven't seen an AMD GPU driver update yet either, which would probably be helpful too.
 
Seems a little smoother. MSI AB OSD is working now. That's a mixed blessing though as now I can see I'm averaging 39-50 FPS in RT Ultra/DLSS Quality. I dropped DLSS down to balanced and maybe gained a few more frames. I'm also using an OC setting with the 3090 Ti and it's holding 2115-2130 MHz. I've noticed that while in the forests it consumes upwards of 430-450 Watts. I still have to give EVGA credit with its AIO holding it to 58-64c.
witcher3_2022_12_19_12_54_44.jpgHere's a 4K screenshot. It looks washed out because it was captured while using HDR. I can also now verify that HDR is on.
 
I have to say the game really does look incredible now (I'm sure a part of my perception with this has to do with being the 1st playthrough I've done on the C2). A majority of the upgrades are just environmental stuff so character textures are a mixed bag most of the time but otherwise, I often will stop to just pan around and look at the scenery. I also have been changing the time passage rate to 0.25 and I swear it makes things look clearer since the lighting doesn't have to change as quickly. Pretty happy with the 5800X3D rig also since the game is still playable, even in its current state, with ultra settings at 4K.

I noticed a new bug yesterday as well. When turning the character there's often a pause. Prior to this update there was a stutter but now there's a full delay. If I used the camera to turn instead and then pushed forward it didn't happen. Also the map auto-pilot is really confused now. It's rarely picking the best paths. Its always had issues but seems far worse but doesn't bother me since I already know my way around and I rarely use Roach since I'm taking in the visuals.
 
We'll see - encountered my first 'game-breaking' bug while playing with RT on using an RX6800 during one of the quests.

Game would freeze, then crash to desktop and CDPRs reporting tool would pop up.
So... took a few tries (and reboots), but I eventually got past this issue, and haven't run into it since.

Loading seems to be a bit laggy too - you're not really 'loaded in' until several seconds after loading up a save, on my AMD rig. Inputs are a little slow and movement mechanics feel a bit numb; I should probably try the game with RT off again as it ran spectacularly well on the same 5800X3D / RX6800 rig previously.

Would really like to see how this game runs on a variety of CPU and GPU combinations!
 
So... took a few tries (and reboots), but I eventually got past this issue, and haven't run into it since.

Loading seems to be a bit laggy too - you're not really 'loaded in' until several seconds after loading up a save, on my AMD rig. Inputs are a little slow and movement mechanics feel a bit numb; I should probably try the game with RT off again as it ran spectacularly well on the same 5800X3D / RX6800 rig previously.

Would really like to see how this game runs on a variety of CPU and GPU combinations!
I'm experiencing some odd controller delays as well. I'd swear I'm seeing them just pushing buttons for menus and other responses. I've got a newer(2021-22) BT Xbox controller and I'm used to some lag but this seems more exaggerated than normal. I also noticed that loads are a little longer than expected (considering PCIe 4.0 SSD and everything else on the 5800X3D rig I'd expect them to be quicker), considering they said that was one of the goals with the next-gen build. I do without a doubt have rebar working as well so, on that rig, there's no real reason for slow loading.
 
I'm using an official Xbox controller adapter - so not using BT - and it's still there. I'm fairly certain it's the game, as I plowed through Jedi: Fallen Order as well as Mortal Kombat 11 without input lag issues. Have had issues with the controllers desyncing then resyncing though, not sure what's up with that. Could be spectrum congestion.

I also noticed that loads are a little longer than expected (considering PCIe 4.0 SSD and everything else on the 5800X3D rig I'd expect them to be quicker), considering they said that was one of the goals with the next-gen build. I do without a doubt have rebar working as well so, on that rig, there's no real reason for slow loading.
Same; went through Brent's instructions from his last article to make sure it was enabled too. Only real slowdown I have in that rig is that I'm using a 2x32GB kit of DDR4-3200 CL16, which I need to swap out for another rig; it'll get a 3800 CL14 kit soon (...as USPS deigns to actually deliver the package).
 
Same; went through Brent's instructions from his last article to make sure it was enabled too.
Yep, I was grinning when I read his write up on that. I've been tracking it since it came out and was so happy when I could turn it on with the 5800X3D. My laptop with the 11800H has it's own version going as well. The only downside I've seen on both is temp spikes on the CPU during those blistering fast loads. I've seen it with Spiderman Remastered and Horizon Zero Dawn but I don't worry as both are mere seconds but its interesting to watch in AB.

This and SSD direct access reminds of the days of making sure DMA for platters, and anything else that could use it, was on and doing everything possible to get traffic off the FSB.
 
Did some more testing last night on the 4930K. It was depressing but I did notice some of the controller delays are still there even with an Intel platform but it could just be that rig. I'm at the part in Velen where the Baron's castle is on fire and there's rain and a lot of NPC activity. The poor 4930/X79 rig could only manage around 30-34 FPS despite the the 3090 Ti purring along at 2070 MHz w/ 60-80% usage since the CPU couldn't keep it fed. By comparison the 5800X3D was holding 40-50 FPS in the same section and its 3090 Ti was only running about 50 MHz higher. I was so tempted to start ordering a new mobo/CPU/ram last night but I keep reminding myself to hold out a few more months for the next 3D V cache stuff. I also got tempted by a scalper on Newegg who's selling the liquid cooled Suprim 4090 for 'only' $500 more than MSRP. I almost slapped myself lol!

At some point I'll try a controller on the laptop which has a much faster memory, NVMe, CPU (11800H 8c/16t @ 4-4.4 GHz), and rebar @1080p and report if I see the same delays but it probably won't be until sometime next week.
 
Did some more testing last night on the 4930K. It was depressing but I did notice some of the controller delays are still there even with an Intel platform but it could just be that rig. I'm at the part in Velen where the Baron's castle is on fire and there's rain and a lot of NPC activity. The poor 4930/X79 rig could only manage around 30-34 FPS despite the the 3090 Ti purring along at 2070 MHz w/ 60-80% usage since the CPU couldn't keep it fed. By comparison the 5800X3D was holding 40-50 FPS in the same section and its 3090 Ti was only running about 50 MHz higher.
This has been a newly-emerging trend - that games with aspirational RT implementations are more CPU-bound than those with more token implementations or similar games that rely solely on rasterization. Still not that much though, as when it comes to compute performance the 5800X3D isn't really a record breaker, as it's slower than its non-X3D part in pure compute, and it's handling the extra load just fine.

I was so tempted to start ordering a new mobo/CPU/ram last night but I keep reminding myself to hold out a few more months for the next 3D V cache stuff. I also got tempted by a scalper on Newegg who's selling the liquid cooled Suprim 4090 for 'only' $500 more than MSRP. I almost slapped myself lol!
I've seen Microcenter giving away 12700K + Z690 TUF DDR4 (ASUS) bundles for US$300 already this year. If I didn't have one already, that'd have gotten me to bite. Still, would be worth waiting, since DDR5 is also going to keep dropping in price, and boards that will support AM5 CPUs are slowly creeping down in price too.

As for scalpers... I say let 'em eat their losses.

At some point I'll try a controller on the laptop which has a much faster memory, NVMe, CPU (11800H 8c/16t @ 4-4.4 GHz), and rebar @1080p and report if I see the same delays but it probably won't be until sometime next week.
I'm waiting for a second Xbox controller adapter to come in to use on my desktop system, and I'll see how that works. I don't recall it being much of an issue though with the 3080 in that system, but working from memory isn't really going to help much!
 
So both of you are playing the game with a controller? Do you feel the game plays better with a controller than a keyboard and mouse?
 
So both of you are playing the game with a controller? Do you feel the game plays better with a controller than a keyboard and mouse?
I'm more comfortable with a controller for most games, there are a few I prefer with a mouse, but I've always found this game in particular to be very jerky with the camera when I tried a mouse but that could just be me.
 
Just a note to everyone that CDPR rolled out Hotfix #2 a few days ago. Nothing major but the game does seem a little smoother and fewer controller delays now.
 
So both of you are playing the game with a controller? Do you feel the game plays better with a controller than a keyboard and mouse?
My first playthrough was with KBM. That worked pretty well, and the only real problems I'd faced were due to me not knowing.... how to like, play the game after putting it down for a while. Blocking, dodging, rolling, countering are all very important.

Thing is, the action is quite a bit slower and the opponents quite a bit putzier, so using a controller with some input lag and even playing with lower framerates (20FPS to 30FPS) isn't going to stop you if you know what you're doing.

To wit, I've down multiple bosses in quests that had a level rating of 💀. First time I did one, I had to repair the sword three times during the fight; the higher difficulty level mostly just lowers the rate of damage that can be done and makes the consequences of mistakes more severe.

Best advice I can give is to get good at dodging. Unless it's an AoE attack (larger opponents), you can typically dodge through their thrusts and do a quick swing to knock them off balance, and then alternate heavy and light attacks to keep them off balance. And if an opponent shelters in some way, step back and wait for the next opening.

But yeah, totally doable on a controller. I'll say that it's an even better experience than KBM, if only because it's 'smoother' and the snappiness of a mouse just isn't needed.
 
not knowing.... how to like, play the game after putting it down for a while. Blocking, dodging, rolling, countering are all very important.
It's probably old age and other things that life throws at us but in the last few years, I've finally come to the realization that with the games I'm currently into I have to commit to one at a time because of this. It's what, in a big way, held me off from playing CB2077 for so long (admittedly I was somewhat intimidated after completing the various tutorials early on but in the end was actually pretty easy once I got used to it and not as alien as I feared). However, from Horizon Zero Dawn, Spider-Man Remastered, Metro Exodus, God Of War, Red Dead Redemption 2 to CB 2077, and now this game, these are obviously not in order, the controller schemes are somewhat different and I just can't remember everything all the time anymore. I kind of feel bad that I put RDR2 down once again in favor of this but it's really nice to return to this game for one last hurrah.
 
Thanks for the feedback. I played it with a mouse and keyboard because that's what I'm used to, but had a nagging feeling that many parts of the game were better suited to a controller, and was interested in hearing from those who had tried both.

In my opinion, the combat system in TW3 is not well polished, and its weakness is especially apparent when facing groups of enemies. That's not to say it can't be fun at times, though.

I haven't tried the next-gen update yet, but I spent a lot of time with the game years ago. At some point I'll get to it. The game has such beautiful music.

A moment ago I got distracted looking at GOG's winter sale. I'm tempted by Horizon Zero Dawn, but worried about performance. My system technically exceeds GOG's recommended specs, but that doesn't fill me with confidence. The PC my games are on is in need of a major OS update and configuration, which I dread. And I'm really pissed off at Google right now — an equally irrelevant piece of information.
 
In my opinion, the combat system in TW3 is not well polished, and its weakness is especially apparent when facing groups of enemies.
To me, it's just slow. Inputs are slow, attacks are slow, and so on, both opponents and Geralt.

This lends to the slightly slower but also slower (continuous) inputs of a controller, and with respect to KBM, more or less has you waiting around for inputs to take effect. Thus the game matches up better with controller input in my opinion. I say this as having played through the game with the mouse and keyboard first, and now playing again with the controller.
 
Thanks for the feedback. I played it with a mouse and keyboard because that's what I'm used to, but had a nagging feeling that many parts of the game were better suited to a controller, and was interested in hearing from those who had tried both.

In my opinion, the combat system in TW3 is not well polished, and its weakness is especially apparent when facing groups of enemies. That's not to say it can't be fun at times, though.

I haven't tried the next-gen update yet, but I spent a lot of time with the game years ago. At some point I'll get to it. The game has such beautiful music.

A moment ago I got distracted looking at GOG's winter sale. I'm tempted by Horizon Zero Dawn, but worried about performance. My system technically exceeds GOG's recommended specs, but that doesn't fill me with confidence. The PC my games are on is in need of a major OS update and configuration, which I dread. And I'm really pissed off at Google right now — an equally irrelevant piece of information.
I got Horizon: Zero Dawn a while back pretty cheap through a Humble Bundle sale and having some credit there. I didn't get far into the game because I didn't have time to concentrate on it (although I will be doing a playthrough somewhat soon) but I was able to play it will enough at 1080p with a Ryzen 5800x and Radeon RX570. Sure, many of the graphical options were turned down but the game still looked good enough to me and for what I did play through the performance was just fine and I'm sure my RX570 is closer to the minimum specs than the recommended. When I start it up again I'll have the advantage of upgrading to an RX 6750xt so I'll be able to turn up any eye candy I want.

Again, I didn't play much but it was **** fun. I'm definitely looking forward to getting back into the game.

Ironically, I've had Witcher 3 for a while now but did little more than run through the intro. I enjoyed the first two games when I played them years ago although the combat for both basically sucks. The story was very enjoyable although the story in the first I found to be better. It's another game in my backlog I expect to play soon although I'm not looking forward to the combat. Combat in the Witcher games has always been the worst part. I recently acquired a cheap gamepad and might try playing with that to see how I do.

For reference, these games are being played under Linux.
 
Ironically, I've had Witcher 3 for a while now but did little more than run through the intro. I enjoyed the first two games when I played them years ago although the combat for both basically sucks. The story was very enjoyable although the story in the first I found to be better.
Just a bit of advice for when you do: Although the game is open-world you can miss out on a lot of side-story dialog/character interaction if you go off the deep end with exploring everything and/or killing every monster you come across instead of progressing various points of the main story.

I've done probably around two dozen playthroughs at this point and I still try different things just to see how it pans out. During various ones, I noticed how you can find some bosses and kill them just by wandering around and finding them, and the game will acknowledge a quest being fulfilled or failed, but you then also miss out on meeting the NPCs that would've sent you on the mission and perhaps added to the overall story.

My recommendation for anyone wanting to experience as much of the story as they can: if you have a mission that basically means going from point a to b then stopping at places in between is a good idea (I like to gather all the notices from each notice board as I travel and speak to each inhabitant (that offers the option to) there as well) but going too far off the paths exploring can keep you from experiencing things as intended by the developers. There are also more than a few side missions that can only be unlocked by performing consecutive tasks for NPCs and if you've done something (killed something or looted a particular spot) out of order it can prevent them from happening. On the flip side, those yellow exclamation marks on the map, which also sometimes only appear above an NPC, when approaching NPCs you've either encountered before or are tied to a notice/mission, can be a great way to unlock said missions as well and are worth encountering when you can.
 
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