I couldn't match the lighting up exactly but there's still a clear visual upgrade:
https://imgsli.com/MTM1Nzk3
https://imgsli.com/MTM1Nzk4
(PC running at max settings 4K)
I am very confident they have actually worked on the actual lighting + more, and that the differences will be apparent whether any raytracing effects are on or not. It does not appear that they simply extended the fog distance and then threw RT GI + AO on top of things.So are you saying there's a good chance the lighting has been improved even with RT off?
Thanks, that gives me some hope. I'd rather play at 60fps, but I also think the original's lighting really needs some upgrades.I am very confident they have actually worked on the actual lighting + more, and that the differences will be apparent whether any raytracing effects are on or not. It does not appear that they simply extended the fog distance and then threw RT GI + AO on top of things.
I don't think it's been so apparent yet simply due to the fact that they chose to respect the overall look of the original rather than creating a brand new look, but as more direct comparisons come out it will be noticeable.
They changed most materials. The HD Reworked mod already changes thousands of materials and meshes, and they built on top of that for this patch.Disappointed in this one so far. Sure they can add RT Global Illumination, but without a revamp of the in-game materials, it still looks last-gen in many respects.Still going to have another go at this one, but at least based on the little they've shown, I expected more.
Yeah, I doubt they fully got rid of all of the faked lighting techniques simply because that would require completely rebalancing all of the lighting throughout the entire game, but it does seem more balanced.Thanks, that gives me some hope. I'd rather play at 60fps, but I also think the original's lighting really needs some upgrades.
For all the "hope it's not just RT shadows" comments done prior to this reveal, I do find the fact that the game won't have them a little disappointing. I think the equal softness shadow maps are now a visual flaw that kinda sticks out, especially at the oblique sun angles the game likes to use.
This would look much better if the shadow had a proper sharpness fallover across the length of it.
That's the announced RTAO doing its work.Maybe it's different for the sun light source, but I'm pretty sure there are RT shadows at least indoors.
Look at this Radovid scene how there are shadows in places where there wasn't before.
They have really only talked about the console versions - they are not gonna show off PC in its full as they do not want the console players to feel left out. Mark my words, the PC version has more RT effects than RTXGI/DDGI and RTAO.For all the "hope it's not just RT shadows" comments done prior to this reveal, I do find the fact that the game won't have them a little disappointing.
They have really only talked about the console versions - they are not gonna show off PC in its full as they do not want the console players to feel left out. Mark my words, the PC version has more RT effects than RTXGI/DDGI and RTAO.
Alright, I watched the stream and wrote up a complete summary.
Gameplay and Features
- Photo mode
- New optional camera, closer and to the side (can be toggled and set for different states, eg exploring, combat, riding, etc)
- Quick casting of signs by holding shoulder button and pressing assigned buttons, to prevent having to go through radial menu
- Map filters to remove clutter, such as points of interest and Skellige caches, for cleaner presentation
- New control options, such as enabling Geralt's spring via control stick tilt, not a button
- Hybrid/dynamic hud and minimap options, such as hiding quest markers in general gameplay, viewed when tapping focus mode
- Subtitle scaling
- Quest fixes
- Cutscene pausing
- Chinese (simplified) dubbing, fully voiced
- Improvements to other languages
- New short quest with returning actors (eg: Geralt) for Netflix content, to unlock Geralt's armour and swords from Season 1 and Season 2
- New optional outfits for Dandelion and Nilfgaard armour, togglable via menu
- Cross saves between platforms (eg: take old save from PC, buy game on PS5, import and continue save from there)
- Additional 'surprises', quality of life features, mod integration, etc
Good catch! I focussed mainly on character shadows on the environment but that looks like something that could be RT shadows. I guess we will see when the update comes out. It would certainly be a welcome addition.I think it may actually have ray traced shadows. Looking at this scene, the shadows from the bushes nearby are very sharp, but the shadows just ahead from the taller trees in the distance are very soft. As the player gets closer it looks as if they begin to blend together rather than the soft shadows becoming just as sharp. Hard to tell and could just be the way the shadows work, but the scene is at about 16:37.
This is what I was scouring the thread for, did they mention if the new version replaces the old one on Steam? I have it running exactly how I want on the Deck as is."CD Projekt Red has also announced that cross-progression is coming to The Witcher 3 next-gen version, meaning players will be able to share their save between PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC."
From IGNs article! Huge for steam deck users like myself.
For PC it's an update to the current game, no different client or anything.This is what I was scouring the thread for, did they mention if the new version replaces the old one on Steam? I have it running exactly how I want on the Deck as is.
Isn't that potentially a bad thing if the new version doesn't run as well as the old version on the DeckFor PC it's an update to the current game, no different client or anything.
The potential is there, sure, but all of the changes seem to be optional, just settings above current Ultra.Isn't that potentially a bad thing if the new version doesn't run as well as the old version on the Deck
yes hence why some people raised concerns in another thread which resulted in a bunch of people responding like dumbasses and refusing even the option to use the older version on SteamIsn't that potentially a bad thing if the new version doesn't run as well as the old version on the Deck
Graphics are about workforce and tools / engine more than anything, this days.I've been extremely disappointed in graphical improvements in this new generation.
I hate hero lighting and wished I could have it turn off in Horizon Forbidden West.Yeah, I doubt they fully got rid of all of the faked lighting techniques simply because that would require completely rebalancing all of the lighting throughout the entire game, but it does seem more balanced.
Of course, they could have just cherry picked great looking scenes to show off the update lol.
edit: one of the worst things about the original is there was a invisible light source attached to Geralt during gameplay that made him "glow" to stand out more in any lighting condition, which of course is not good especially in darker scenes. There were mods that removed it as well as other fake lights, but I hope these changes are simply built right into the next gen update so mods are not required.
Has anyone said anything about loading speeds ? That was the main thing that prevented me from completing the DLC's , it took so damn long. Hope they have trimmed it down to an acceptable degree.
The potential is there, sure, but all of the changes seem to be optional, just settings above current Ultra.
yes hence why some people raised concerns in another thread which resulted in a bunch of people responding like dumbasses and refusing even the option to use the older version on Steam
Makes sense but with their track record I can't shake the feeling of setting myself up to another disappointment - though I don't think nothing official about some uber PC version has been said.They have really only talked about the console versions - they are not gonna show off PC in its full as they do not want the console players to feel left out. Mark my words, the PC version has more RT effects than RTXGI/DDGI and RTAO.
Iirc you have to go into the game settings on steam and opt into the older version like you'd opt into a beta version. a recent example is some the resident evil games (which raised the minimum required specs with a new version supporting raytracing) :That's good to know at least, was worried that the textures etc would not be optional.
Not familiar with the other thread but it seems keeping the option of the older one is the sensible thing to do, even though maybe it is messy. Does Steam allow for 2 versions of the same game? My only real experience of Steam is with the Deck.
You no longer have to go into the radial menu to use signs. Not sure about other combat improvements - check out the videos.
Cyberpunk only has RT shadows on console, which is barely worth the halving of frame rate according to many (myself included).I imagine the RT implementation differences between PC and consoles should be the same as in Cyberpunk, no?
I actually don't own this though I played the base game and was thinking of purchasing for a console. Should I read into the fact that they showed WAY more Series X footage vs. PS5, and the PS5 one looked worse (fighting the dead green woman in the churchyard). I have both platforms and want to grab it before these sales are over, because I would assume price will go back up a slight bit as they launch all the new stuff.They have really only talked about the console versions - they are not gonna show off PC in its full as they do not want the console players to feel left out. Mark my words, the PC version has more RT effects than RTXGI/DDGI and RTAO.
Ah, makes sense. I thought Cyberpunk had RTGI too.You no longer have to go into the radial menu to use signs. Not sure about other combat improvements - check out the videos.
Cyberpunk only has RT shadows on console, which is barely worth the halving of frame rate according to many (myself included).
Considering TW3 is a significantly older game and lighter on PC hardware, I would hope we get the full suite of RT features on console this time around, albeit with some reduced quality settings.
They have really only talked about the console versions - they are not gonna show off PC in its full as they do not want the console players to feel left out. Mark my words, the PC version has more RT effects than RTXGI/DDGI and RTAO.
In my opinion it's still one of the best RPG around. The world, main story and sidequests are wondeful. To this day the game has the best sidequest imo.It's been sitting in my library untouched for years. Maybe it's time to finally play it
Look at it this way: this adds a lot of features that mods could not implement (like RTGI) and mods can now build on top of that to make it look even better.I am happy for the console folks for them it looks like a major upgrade. As I feared though on PC it won't come close to looking as good as a fully suite of graphics mods.
I couldn't match the lighting up exactly but there's still a clear visual upgrade:
https://imgsli.com/MTM1Nzk3
https://imgsli.com/MTM1Nzk4
(PC running at max settings 4K)
The lightning looks so much better. Appreciate the effort from you making the comparisonsHere's one more comparison, sorry couldn't find high quality of the original one.