CD Projekt Red dropped a brand new date in our Fall gaming diaries at Gamescom Opening Night Live last night; September 29. That's when The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered lands on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch 2, but there's a nostalgic smell of pro-consumer moves in the air as well. The full remaster will be available as a free upgrade for anyone who already owns a copy of the game. To take advantage of that, though, you'll need either a physical or digital copy in your library.
Right now, The Witcher 3 Complete Edition (the base game seems to be unavailable) will run you $49.99 via either PlayStation or Xbox's digital storefronts, with Nintendo coming in at $59.99. We can easily do better than that. As if we didn't need another reason to dread the upcoming digi-pocalypse, physical copies will secure your game for a fraction of that price right now - of course, you'll need a console that can take a disk to benefit.
The absolute cheapest way to do it is via GameStop's pre-owned stock. There you'll find the PS4 base game (remember, all expansions are free now as well) for $6.99 with the Xbox version sitting at $4.99. You're spending a little more if you'd prefer a brand new disk - I'd recommend PS5 players head to Amazon for a $16.24 price tag while Xbox players are looking at $16.95 here as well.
The cheapest way to buy The Witcher 3 on PS5 / Xbox
Thankfully for PS5 and Xbox players, the original PS4 / Xbox One release is still floating around and it's still cheaper than the Complete Edition. Now that Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are both free, players might as well opt for the original release to get their library sorted for the full upgrade.
The cheapest way to buy The Witcher 3 on Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch version is a little spicier. Only the Complete Edition is available on Ninty's handheld, and prices have stuck a little closer to launch over the years. Combine that with the fact that GameStop's pre-owed copies are up in the double digits and Amazon's listings have ballooned in price and you're looking at a slightly heftier bill. You can still secure a cart (or a download) for less than the full $59.99 Switch 2 release, but the savings don't roll quite as deep as they do for PlayStation and Xbox fans.
Right now, the original Complete Edition is up at $59.99 on Nintendo's eShop, matching the same price as the (now available for pre-order) Switch 2 release. Most retailers come underneath this price right now, with GameStop still leading the pack with its pre-owned stock.
How to upgrade The Witcher 3 for free
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered will appear as a free upgrade in your platform's online store if you have the original release in your library. That looks a little different for each console, though.
On PS5, you'll need to insert the game disc and navigate to the game's hub page when it appears on your home screen. You'll then be able to download the upgrade, but you'll still need to load the disc each time you want to play.
Xbox players with a digital copy of The Witcher 3 don't need to do anything - Smart Delivery will do the heavy lifting for you. If you've grabbed a physical copy for your Series X, though, you'll need to head to the game's store page on your console and download the free upgrade from there.
On Nintendo Switch, the option to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 version on the eShop will be accompanied by a free download button for eligible players.
What's new in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered?
The remastered version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt benefits from improved textures and more modern lighting techniques and improvements in ray tracing features. Visually, it's a polish up to bring the game to today's graphical standards.
The remaster also brings an update to how the game feels as well. CD Projekt Red claims that combat has been enhanced to feel more precise but there are also new finisher moves to take advantage of as well. A new "adaptive camera" (Xbox Wire) system will also keep your focus a little tighter in combat, dynamically positioning itself depending on the scale of the forces you're up against.
There are plenty more modernization features in here, with a reworked skill tree system, mod support on Xbox, and additional cosmetic options for classic weapons and armor.
When is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered available?
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered is currently due to launch on all systems on September 29, 2026.
Of course, there's plenty more to look forward to. We're also rounding up the latest GTA 6 pre-order prices and showing you where to pre-order Marvel's Wolverine PS5 consoles.
