The next-gen update for The Witcher 3 is out now, but how exactly are you meant to get it on your machine of choice? Whether you’re playing on a PS5, a powerful PC or an Xbox Series X/S, you’ll want to make sure you’re playing the shiny new version rather than the previous iteration.
As ever, there’s a little bit of admin and housekeeping involved if you want to download the Witcher 3 next-gen update on any of those machines. And it’s worth noting that, even if you’re playing on an older system like the PS4, Xbox One or Nintendo Switch, your game should still receive an update today (it just won’t be quite as powerful as the ones on the new hardware).
In most cases, if you already have The Witcher 3 installed on your system, it should update to the next-gen version when you try to open it (as long as you’re connected to the internet). Now that the update is out, the process of getting it will be automatic for a lot of players. It’s not always that easy, though, is it?
And so, keep on reading and we’ll tell you how to download the Witcher 3 next-gen update, and we’ll show you how to make sure you’re playing the right version when you jump back into Geralt’s greatest game to date. Only time will tell if The Witcher 4 can top it!
How to download Witcher 3 next-gen update on PS5
If you haven’t already got The Witcher 3 installed on your PS5, you can simply buy the game from the PlayStation Store. When prompted on your console, make sure you select to install the PS5 version specifically.
If you already have The Witcher 3 installed on your PlayStation, because you’ve played it prior to this update coming out, follow these steps to make sure you’ve got the best version possible:
- On your console’s home screen, hover over the icon for The Witcher 3
- Next to the ‘Play Game’ button, you’ll see a “…” button – click on this to bring up a little menu
- On this little menu, select ‘View Product’ – this will take you to the game’s product page
- On the product page, click the “…” button in the same place as before
- On the new little menu, select the option ‘The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition’
- Now that you’re on the Complete Edition page, you should see the free option to download the PS5 upgrade.
Here’s a little tip to carry forward in your heart: if you’re ever unsure if you’re playing the PS4 or PS5 version of a game, the little “…” menu on the game’s home-screen page should tell you.
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How to download Witcher 3 next-gen update on Xbox Series X/S
If you’ve never bought The Witcher 3 on Xbox before, you can buy the game directly from the Microsoft Store. If you’re playing on an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S, your console will automatically download the enhanced version when you install the game. You’ll notice that it says ‘Enhanced for Xbox Series X/S’ on the product page.
If you already have The Witcher 3 installed on your Xbox, dating back to before this update dropped, you can follow these steps to check that you’re upgraded to the next-gen version:
- On your console’s home screen, hover over the icon for The Witcher 3
- While hovering over the game, press the menu button on your controller (three horizontal lines stacked on top of each other)
- On the little menu that pops up, select ‘Manage game and add-ons’
- On the next screen you’re taken to, there is a section marked ‘Update’ – if you have an update to install, you should be able to select it here and get the next-gen update downloaded
Note: consoles sometimes download updates when we’re not looking, especially if you leave them on in the background, so it might have been installed already! On the same ‘Manage game and add-ons’ menu that we just told you how to get to, you can also click on ‘File’ – this will give you some update history, including the date of when your latest update was installed for this game. If it’s 14th December, you already have the next-gen update installed.
How to download Witcher 3 next-gen update on PC
If you’ve never bought The Witcher 3 on PC before, you can buy the game from Steam at this link. Before you play it for the first time, Steam should force you to download the latest update, which will bring all the next-gen features into the game.
If you already have The Witcher 3 on Steam and you’re not sure if it’s updated to the next-gen version, follow these steps to check:
- Open the Steam launcher on your PC and find The Witcher 3 product page
- Somewhere in the top right, you should see a cog that represents settings – click on this
- In the little menu that pops up, select ‘Updates’ from the options on the left
- In the ‘Automatic Updates’ section, select ‘Always keep this game updated’ – this will force the game to install the update before you start playing, if it hasn’t already.
On that same page, you should be able to see ‘Installed content updated’ at the very bottom. This will show you the date on which the game was last updated. If it’s 14th December, you already have the next-gen update, so open up that game and get playing!
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