Witcher 3 Remastered patch 5.01 is out, and it goes after the biggest complaint from launch week. Console players can now switch off Bloom, Light Shafts, and Depth of Field, and CD Projekt Red retuned bloom, tone mapping, character lighting, and ray and path tracing on every platform. The patch is live now on PC (GOG, Steam, Epic, Battle.net, and Xbox Play Anywhere), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
The console fixes
Bloom was still an open issue when we covered the first two hotfixes, and console players had no way to tone it down. Now the three new graphics options give you that control, and the retuned lighting applies whether you use them or not. CDPR also lists general performance optimizations on console.
PS5 players get two specific fixes. Settings no longer reset every time you launch the game, and frame-rate limits on the base PS5 now match the graphics mode you pick. The pause-menu fix for voices that went way too quiet, which PC got in 5.00c, is now on both consoles too.
Gameplay and save fixes
Some of the combat bugs were the kind you’d feel every fight. Sprinting and dodging at the same time no longer drains all of Geralt’s stamina, dodges don’t lag anymore, and you can’t throw a bomb when that option is turned off. Auto-applied blade oils now keep working after you restart the game, the Synergy skill shows its real bonus, and Exploding Shield finally reflects damage back at enemies.
Boats that drifted off on their own or sailed straight through terrain are fixed, ladders animate better, and a foliage collision bug is fixed. The most important line is easy to miss: CDPR fixed an issue that could affect save data and added measures for saves that were already hit. You’ll also see the privacy consent screen one more time because of a backend problem, and some reward items in the Vizima chest may show up twice.
PC changes
On PC, the patch is mostly about settings that wouldn’t behave. GTAO Quality stays put after a restart, the game stops letting you turn on options your GPU can’t run, graphics presets no longer switch on DLSS or XeSS on cards that don’t support them, and the game should pick the right GPU more reliably. Dynamic Resolution Scaling is now off by default, and a bug where it showed the wrong value after an anti-aliasing change is fixed.
If you don’t own it yet, the remaster is $49.99 on GOG, where your copy is DRM-free and yours to keep, and the same price on Steam. It’s still a free upgrade if you already own The Witcher 3.
Switch 2 is next
Switch 2 didn’t get 5.01. CDPR says it’s working on a separate Switch 2 update that brings the same global changes as the other versions, plus sharper, clearer image quality specific to that system, with more details coming in the next few days.
If bloom kept you from starting a new run on console, this is the patch to wait for. Update, set the new toggles to taste, and give Velen another look.