Still haven't replayed The Witcher 3 since the official upgrade? This 'NextGen Edition' mod improves the visuals even on the latest version of the game
We can make it even more HD. We have the technology.
In late 2022, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt received a pretty solid next-gen (more like current-gen now) update at no extra cost for owners of the base game on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Of course, the PC release got the biggest visual improvements, but that hasn't stopped modders (now with access to the full modding tools) from iterating even further on the game's textures, meshes, and whatnot. Now, Halk Hogan's 'The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project NextGen Edition' is taking things to the next level.
According to the author, the mod (which has been in the works for quite some time now) "improves and reworks a huge amount of game assets (textures, models, materials and more), and the number of these changes can be counted in thousands." Looking at the full download size, which nears 12GB, they definitely ain't exaggerating. And in case you need CD Projekt Red's stamp of approval, here you go.
While we love wacky mods such as Geralt the Centaur, at the end of the day, most folks prefer to play the best possible version of a modern open-world classic. With 2011's The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim still extremely alive and receiving fantastic mods every day, you can bet that CD Projekt Red's RPG masterpiece (IMO) will be getting impressive mods, lore-friendly or not, for years to come.
Before taking a proper look at the mod page if your PC is up to the task, we highly recommend watching at least a bit of the extensive 15-minute video uploaded by Halk Hogan a few days ago, which goes over several changes to models, textures, and assets of all sorts:
As you can see, the mod doesn't just make objects crispier. The scenery geometry looks noticeably more detailed across the board, with even the LOD details receiving marked improvements. Given that The Witcher 3's official current-gen update added ray tracing and a number of cutting-edge graphical improvements, it always felt weird that more basic elements of the presentation weren't touched-up.
Thanks to Halk Hogan's mod, the whole thing looks more cohesive, and since it appears to be a simple 'replacement' mod, it should be compatible with modifications that affect other parts of the game. In fact, it even works with the older version of the game and supposedly has a minimal hit on FPS as long as you have the extra video memory available, so this one isn't like a super demanding ENB preset.
Even if you're stuck with the console version of the game, a new playthrough to celebrate its tenth anniversary next year (yes, sorry to be the bearer of devastating news) seems ideal, as the next Witcher has just entered full-scale production, which means it's still years away.