A new Witcher 3 update ‘improves overall stability and performance’
Patch 4.01 also includes various fixes for the game on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S
CD Projekt has rolled out a new update for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
The studio said patch 4.01 “improves the overall stability and performance of the game on next-gen consoles and PC, and brings various fixes to all platforms”.
On PC, the update fixes an issue where the screen space reflections setting wasn’t working despite being turned on, and adds a new performance mode for ray-traced global illumination.
On consoles, the patch resolves issues some players have had saving the game, and includes improvements to screen space reflections and ray tracing mode.
The file sizes for the update are 4GB on Steam and GOG, 4-5GB on PS5, and 10-20GB on Xbox Series X/S depending on the console.
Witcher 3 patch 4.01 notes
PC-SPECIFIC
- Fixed an issue where the Screen Space Reflections setting wasn’t working on PC despite being turned on. Players who had previously set their SSR setting to high may notice a performance impact.
- Added a new performance mode for ray-traced global illumination, which can be toggled by players with compatible hardware. It improves frame rate by prioritizing performance over range and precision.
CONSOLE-SPECIFIC
- Fixed an issue where consoles could create a higher amount of saves than their set limit, resulting in various issues with saving the game or user settings being reset.
- Improved Screen Space Reflections quality on next-gen consoles.
- Optimized ray-traced global illumination on next-gen consoles to improve the performance of Ray Tracing Mode.
QUESTS & GAMEPLAY – Available on all platforms
- Battle Preparations – Fixed an issue where it could be impossible to interact with Avallac’h during the objective “Let Avallac’h know everything’s ready.”
- Family Matters – Fixed an issue that could cause the game to crash during the transition to Ciri’s Story: Out of the Shadows when speaking to the Bloody Baron.
- King’s Gambit – Fixed an issue where it could be impossible to participate in the fistfight with the second Vildkaarl due to an invisible obstacle.
- Wine Wars: Belgaard – Added a retrofix for the issue we fixed in 4.00, where the quest couldn’t be completed if the player destroyed one of the required monster nests during exploration.
- A Dangerous Game – The armor in Caesar’s room should now change its appearance when the Alternate Nilfgaardian Armor is turned on.
- Axii Puppet – Increased the health and damage dealt by the puppet.
- Adrenaline Rush mutation should now work according to its description.
- Various small fixes to quests and cutscenes.
LOCALIZATION – Available on all platforms
- Fixed various issues with Arabic localization.
- Added the localized versions of Orianna’s song “Lullaby of Woe” in Korean and Simplified Chinese.
- Adjusted Priscilla’s lip-sync animation to match her voice-over in Simplified Chinese during the song “The Wolven Storm”.
Further reading
Review: The Witcher 3 on PS5/XSX is the definitive version of one of the best RPGs ever
After several delays and a change of developer, Witcher 3’s next-gen update was released in December as a standalone purchase for PC, Xbox Series X/S and PS5, and as a free patch for players who owned the game on PC and last-gen consoles.
A boxed edition of The Witcher 3 was released for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on January 26.
