The Witcher 3 Remastered on Switch 2 offers a gigantic upgrade over the Switch port & is the new gold standard
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a game I started multiple times since launch, but never finished until playing it on Nintendo Switch. I know that version was not even close to the best way to play it, but it was the one that finally hooked me. I had over a hundred hours into the Switch version back then and have since been chipping away at more of the game's optional content and even some of the DLC over the years with cross progression. The Witcher 3, like No Man's Sky and Kingdom: Come Deliverance, was an actual miracle port on Switch 1 and it remains impressive to this day.
After playing Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition on Switch 2, I was hoping we'd see a Switch 2 Edition upgrade or something for The Witcher 3. When The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered was announced and confirmed for Switch 2, it immediately became my most-anticipated release on Switch 2 for this year. I also laughed at how CD Projekt Red was set to give this major visually upgraded version of one of the best RPGs for free to existing owners including all DLC while other publishers do bare-bones ports without any sort of upgrade path for their games. I've had access to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered on Switch 2 for a few days now alongside the the PS5 Pro and Steam versions.
For Switch 2, I was curious to see how the remaster scaled both docked and handheld, the new control options, cross progression, mod support, and more. While I can't comment on how mod support will look post-launch, I see two mods available pre-release on Switch 2, like the other versions. Hopefully this is proper mod support and not very heavily restricted like some other games that include user creations or mods on Switch 1/2.
On booting up The Witcher 3 Remastered on Switch 2 for the first time, you are prompted with a screen showcasing the four input options included for various parts of the game: gyroscope mode, motion patterns, mouse sensor, and touch screen. Note that as of the build I have today, gyro support is only present on Switch 2 and not on PS5 or PC out of the box.
The Witcher 3 Remastered Switch 2 vs Switch 1 visuals and performance
The Witcher 3 Remastered delivers the biggest upgrade I've seen for a Switch 2 version of a Switch 1 game. Obviously this has to do with the remaster itself changing things, but even without that, it is unreal how much better it looks and feels on Switch 2. I checked multiple locations across Crooback Bog, Novigrad, Skellige, Kaer Morhen, and The Duchy of Toussaint. It felt very good even without the 120hz setting enabled in the Switch 2 console settings. I disabled this so I could do full resolution capture using my capture card. You can find some Switch 1 and Switch 2 docked comparisons below:
The Witcher 3 Remastered Switch 2 vs Witcher 3 Switch load times
To test load times, I used the digital version of The Witcher 3 Remastered installed to the Switch 2 internal storage, the Switch 1 version installed to Switch 2 internal storage, the Switch 1 version installed to my Switch OLED SD card, and also the PS5 remaster installed to my base PS5 installed to the internal storage. I measured the time taken to load the title screen, the time taken to load the same Blood & Wine save, and fast travel time to Novigrad from Coronata Vineyard (completely different regions). The results below are in seconds.
| Version | Dashboard to title | Loading a save | Fast travel |
| S2 remaster | 50-52 | 27-29 | 42-43 |
| S1 on S2 | 40 | 30-35 | 66 |
| S1 | 44-46 | 51 | 110 |
| PS5 remaster | 50-52 | 11-13 | 24-26 |
Note that every version of The Witcher 3 Remastered takes too long for the initial load with all the company logos and splash animations. I hope a patch lets us skip this or disable it in the future. Beyond that, the Switch 2 remaster load times are still a bit too long compared to the PS5 version for when you're in game and even loading saves. I hope this is improved in patches.
The Witcher 3 Remastered Switch 2 issues
Beyond load times, the only aspect of the port that has me hoping for a patch is the handheld image quality. It looks notably softer than I expected including some elements in the UI. Don't get me wrong, this is a massive upgrade over the Switch 1 version even played via handheld boost mode on Switch 2 and a fantastic portable version, but I hope we see an optional quality mode patched in that targets 30fps instead of 40fps with better image quality.
The Witcher 3 Remastered joins No Man's Sky Nintendo Switch 2 Edition as the two best upgrades for any Switch 1 game on Switch 2. It also is immediately the best Switch 2 port of 2026 alongside Dynasty Warriors: Origins.