Key Takeaways
- The Witcher 3 Remastered Patch 5.01 (version 5.000.400) is live on PS5, PS5 Pro, and Xbox Series X|S as of October 8, 2026.
- The update brings performance improvements, new graphics options like Bloom, Light Shafts, and Depth of Field for console players.
- Several gameplay bugs have been squashed — including out-of-control boats and the broken blade oils system.
- CD Projekt Red confirmed it is actively working on a dedicated Switch 2 patch to fix image clarity and match global changes across platforms.
- No release date has been announced for the Switch 2 update, but CDPR says more info is coming “in the following days.”
If you’ve been sitting on The Witcher 3 Remastered waiting for things to smooth out — especially if you’re on PS5 — good news just dropped. CD Projekt Red rolled out Patch 5.01 on October 8, 2026, covering PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S with a solid round of fixes and quality-of-life improvements. And on top of that, the studio officially confirmed that a separate update for the Nintendo Switch 2 version is in the pipeline.
For a game that launched as the top-rated title of 2026 on Metacritic with a 93 average, it’s still great to see CDPR actively chasing issues down rather than moving on. Let’s break down what’s new.
What Does Patch 5.01 Fix on PS5 and PS5 Pro?
The patch brings a handful of console-focused improvements that PlayStation players have been asking for since launch. The headline change is the addition of new graphics settings to the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S menus — specifically Bloom, Light Shafts, and Depth of Field toggles that weren’t available before. That’s a solid quality-of-life addition that lets you personally tweak the visual presentation beyond what the preset modes offer.
On the performance side, CD Projekt Red pushed through general optimizations to improve overall frame stability on console. Both the base PS5 and PS5 Pro have had their share of frame rate inconsistencies since launch — some players were reporting frame time spikes and screen tearing on the Pro in particular — and this patch is at least a step toward addressing that. CDPR previously confirmed that further PS5 performance improvements were a top priority after launch, and Patch 5.01 is the studio following through on that promise.
There are also voiceover audio fixes for console players and updates to the game’s frame rate limits on base PS5, which should make the performance mode feel more consistent if you’ve been experiencing hitching.
Gameplay Bugs Squashed in Patch 5.01
Beyond the performance and visual tweaks, several gameplay bugs that had been bothering players since launch are now fixed. Here’s what got patched:
- Boats moving uncontrollably: Under certain conditions, player-controlled boats were completely ignoring terrain collisions and going rogue. Fixed.
- Blade Oils not auto-applying: The “Automatically Apply Blade Oils” feature only worked if you enabled it during the current session — meaning it reset on every load. That’s now corrected.
- Aard finisher collision bug: Geralt was colliding with dead enemy bodies after pulling off the Aard finisher, which looked terrible. That’s cleaned up.
- Vesemir spam: If you cast Quen multiple times, Vesemir would keep repeating the same voice line. He’ll chill out now.
- Dodge input delay: Dodging had an unintentionally delayed response in some situations, which in a game about timing those Witcher reflexes right — is kind of a big deal. Fixed.
- Ladder animations: Improved so Geralt looks less janky climbing things.
There are also a bunch of UI fixes, save-game related improvements, and on PC specifically, CDPR fixed an issue where changing graphics presets could accidentally enable DLSS or XeSS even if your GPU didn’t support them — and a bug where the game was sometimes selecting the wrong graphics card entirely.
What About the PS5 Pro Performance Issues?
This is the question a lot of people have. At launch, The Witcher 3 Remastered on PS5 Pro was supposed to hit 60fps with Raytracing using PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution), and up to 90fps in Performance Mode with VRR. In theory, impressive numbers. In practice, reports were all over the place — some players saw buttery smooth results, others complained about inconsistent frame times and screen tearing.
Patch 5.01 addresses performance on consoles, but CDPR hasn’t specified exactly how much improvement PS5 Pro players will feel from this particular update. The studio had signaled before this patch dropped that PS5 performance was their number one focus for the next update — so at minimum, they’re aware and actively working on it. If you’re still seeing rough performance after 5.01, more patches are expected to follow given how aggressively CDPR has been pushing updates since launch.
For more on upcoming hardware pushing these kinds of upgrades, check out what we wrote about Nvidia winding down RTX 5090 production as they shift focus to the RTX Pro AI lineup.
The Witcher 3 Switch 2 Patch — What Did CDPR Say?
Switch 2 players have been left out of this specific patch cycle, and honestly, they’ve had the loudest complaints. When The Witcher 3 Remastered launched on September 29, 2026, the Switch 2 version was criticized for noticeably blurry visuals — the image clarity just wasn’t on par with what CDPR showed in promotional material.
At the end of the Patch 5.01 notes, CD Projekt Red directly addressed the Switch 2 community. The studio stated it is working on a dedicated Nintendo Switch 2 update that will bring “closer parity between all versions of the game, including the same global changes as on other platforms.” Beyond that, CDPR confirmed the Switch 2 patch will specifically target image clarity and sharpness improvements — which is exactly what Switch 2 players have been asking for.
No release date was given, but the studio said to “expect more information in the following days” — so it sounds like it’s not far off. Whether it drops this week or next remains to be seen, but the commitment is there. It’s worth noting that Switch 2 players have a lot to look forward to regardless — the remaster brought motion controls, gyro aiming, mod support, and even the ability to control Roach with Joy-Con reins, which is legitimately one of the more fun things in the game.
For a completely different kind of mod-friendly game, take a look at our write-up on the BioShock Together co-op mod for the Remastered edition that’s been making waves.
Is The Witcher 3 Remastered Worth Playing Right Now?
Short answer? Yes, even with the ongoing patches. The remaster launched to a 93 on Metacritic — making it the highest-rated game of 2026 — and even with the rougher edges, it’s an exceptional upgrade over the already incredible original. The visual overhaul, the gameplay improvements, the new skill tree branches — it all comes together to make returning to Geralt feel fresh in a way that goes beyond just slapping on a new coat of paint.
If you’re on base PS5 and have been holding off due to performance, Patch 5.01 should give you enough of a reason to jump in now. If you’re on Switch 2 and waiting for the image clarity fix — that update is officially confirmed and coming soon. And if you’re already deep into a playthrough, the blade oils fix alone is worth the download.
CDPR has made it clear through both actions and their social media presence that they’re committed to keeping the team on updates — associate game director Paweł Sasko actively told fans to keep sharing feedback, which is exactly the kind of post-launch support you want to see from a studio. The Witcher 3 Remastered is in good hands.
What’s Next for The Witcher 3 Remastered?
Beyond the incoming Switch 2 patch, there’s still more on the horizon. CD Projekt Red has a major expansion — Songs of the Past — slated to release, and insider reports suggest a significant technical patch tied to that DLC will bring PSSR 2 support and further hardware ray tracing enhancements specifically for PS5 Pro users. So if you’re a PS5 Pro player holding your breath for the full premium experience, that update could be the one that really delivers.
For now, Patch 5.01 is a solid step forward. Update your game, check out those new graphics settings, and stop worrying about Geralt careening through the rivers of Velen in a runaway boat.
