Nintendo Switch 2 version

4:51 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered has been on Nintendo Switch 2 since Sep 29, 2026, released the same day as on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, with Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine included. It is free only for players who own The Witcher 3 on the original Nintendo Switch; anyone else buys it for $59.99 on the US Nintendo eShop, as listed on Oct 14, 2026. IGN's list of Remastered's biggest changes sums up what each console gets: PSSR upscaling on the PS5 Pro, Play Anywhere on Xbox, and motion controls and the touch screen on Switch 2, which owners of the Switch version can upgrade to for free, though they need the Switch 2 console to do it. It is the first native Switch 2 version of the game; the original Switch version of 2019 stays as it was. The rest of the Remastered changes are on The Witcher 3 Remastered.

Quick facts

Price and upgrade

The Switch 2 upgrade is not free for everyone. CD Projekt Red's launch announcement makes Remastered free on Switch 2 "for any player who owns The Witcher 3 on the original Nintendo Switch"; on the other platforms the free upgrade stays "within the same platform ecosystem", so owning the game on PC, PlayStation or Xbox does not unlock it on Switch 2. A new copy costs $59.99 on the US eShop, $10 more than on Steam or the PlayStation Store. Nintendo Life reported in Aug 2026 that CD Projekt Red's Michal Nowakowski confirmed the free claim covers cartridge owners of the Switch version too, a report this viki could not read in full. Nintendo's European store describes the Switch 2 version as a separate download with its own icon on the Home menu. Whether a physical Switch 2 edition will be sold, and in what form, is not stated on any official page read on Oct 14, 2026 (Platforms and editions).

How it compares with the Switch version

1:05 Switch 2 removes the old port's biggest compromise. Nintendo Life's review of Oct 6, 2026 recalls that getting the game to run on the original Switch was an achievement in itself, with murky character models and foliage drastically toned down, and finds that issue mostly resolved on Switch 2; despite some performance inconsistencies, it calls the result the definitive version of one of the best RPGs of all time. Its reviewers also found Geralt's movement less jittery, the controls more responsive and Roach far less likely to get stuck, from the animation work that Remastered brought to every platform.

The original port came out on Oct 15, 2019, made in cooperation with Saber Interactive, as the Complete Edition with both expansions. Patch 4.04 on Jul 19, 2023 brought it most of the 2022 next-gen update's content, including cross-progression through a GOG account. Digital Foundry's tech review of Oct 3, 2026 calls the Switch 2 version "a colossal upgrade" over Switch 1 in its title; according to press write-ups of the video, it found the 40 fps mode too ambitious and recommended 30 fps (Next-gen update, Patch notes).

Performance

3:15 The game runs at 30 to 40 frames per second. Nintendo Life tells players not to expect 60: the game runs at between 30 and 40 frames per second, the higher figure only on a 120 Hz screen, with no VRR when docked. It also points to a short delay when opening the map or any menu, better than on Switch 1 but slightly irritating, and long loading times, especially in handheld mode. RPG Site's tests found a save loading in 27 to 29 seconds on Switch 2 against 11 to 13 seconds on PS5, with handheld play tested at 40 fps.

Fine hair is the weak spot of the image: Nintendo Life notes that DLSS struggles with it, more visibly in handheld mode. CD Projekt Red said on Oct 8, 2026 that it was working on a Switch 2 update for closer parity with the other versions, and patch 5.01 began rolling out on Oct 19, 2026 (in Japan after certification): it brings the global changes the other platforms had on Oct 8 and adjusts image sharpening and resolution "to improve visual clarity and fidelity". It also fixes a rare crash when changing regions, HD Rumble felt only in the left Joy-Con 2 on ladders, and map pins placed on the black bars around the map. CD Projekt Red gave no new resolution or frame-rate figures (Patch notes).

Controls

4:35 Switch 2 has controls no other version has. Nintendo Life tried them all: gyro aiming, which also works with the Pro Controller, a mouse mode, gestures that cast Signs and use other weapons in battle, and swiping between menus on the touch screen in handheld play, extras it calls a little gimmicky but fun. CD Projekt Red's notes list four ways to play (handheld, the Pro Controller, Dual Grip with motion controls, and Mouse Sensor), motion controls for Signs, the crossbow, bombs, potions and Roach's speed, touch controls in the menus, map, Gwent and photo mode, Joy-Con 2 HD Rumble, VRR in handheld mode and HDR (Signs, Gwent).

The rest of Remastered comes to Switch 2 too. The new ability tree, Reforge transmog, reworked combat and the "Bard's Ballad" accessibility preset are the same as on other platforms, and Nintendo Life recommends the quick corpse-looting option to everyone. Cross-platform mods through mod.io also reach Switch 2, limited by Nintendo's first-party guidelines, Yigsoft's Moritz said at gamescom 2026 (Ability tree, Transmog).

Reception

8:23 Critics rate it as highly as the other versions. Nintendo Life gives it 9 out of 10, calling it such a fantastic game that its lingering combat and performance issues are easy to overlook, and its video reviewer adds that CD Projekt Red "absolutely nailed this remaster". On Oct 14, 2026 Metacritic listed the Switch 2 version at 92 from 10 critic reviews, the same as the PC and PlayStation 5 versions (Reception and awards).

Frequently asked questions

Is The Witcher 3 Remastered free on Switch 2? Only for owners of The Witcher 3 on the original Nintendo Switch. Everyone else pays $59.99 for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered on the US Nintendo eShop (Oct 14, 2026).

When did The Witcher 3 come out on Switch 2? The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered came out on Nintendo Switch 2 on Sep 29, 2026, the same day as on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

Does owning The Witcher 3 on PC or PlayStation give me the Switch 2 version? No. The free Switch 2 upgrade of The Witcher 3 Remastered is only for owners of the original Switch version; on other platforms the upgrade stays within the same store or console family.

What frame rate does The Witcher 3 run at on Switch 2? Between 30 and 40 frames per second, as Nintendo Life's review describes The Witcher 3 Remastered on Switch 2, with 40 fps on a 120 Hz screen. Digital Foundry recommended 30 fps, per press reports of its review.

Has The Witcher 3 Remastered on Switch 2 been patched? Yes. Patch 5.01 for The Witcher 3 Remastered on Switch 2 came out on Oct 19, 2026, with sharper, higher-resolution images and fixes for crashes, HD Rumble and map pins; Japan gets it once it passes certification.

Is there a physical version of The Witcher 3 Remastered for Switch 2? No official page read on Oct 14, 2026 announces a physical Switch 2 edition of The Witcher 3 Remastered or says whether one would be a full cartridge or a game-key card.

Does The Witcher 3 on Switch 2 include the expansions? Yes. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Remastered on Switch 2 includes Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, and the paid Songs of the Past expansion is coming to Switch 2 in 2027.

Sources

• Patch 5.01 out now for the Nintendo Switch 2 version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered, CD Projekt Red, Oct 19, 2026
• The Witcher 3 Remastered 5.0.1 update out now on Nintendo Switch 2, patch notes, Nintendo Everything, Oct 19, 2026
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered available now, CD Projekt Red, Sep 29, 2026
• See what's new in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered, CD Projekt Red, Sep 28, 2026
• Patch 5.01 for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered is live, CD Projekt Red, Oct 8, 2026
• A look at The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past, CD Projekt Red, Aug 25, 2026
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo of America, read Oct 14, 2026
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered, Nintendo Spain, seen Oct 14, 2026
• Witcher 3 Switch owners can claim the Switch 2 remaster for free, Nintendo Life, Aug 2026
• "A colossal upgrade": Digital Foundry delivers its tech verdict for The Witcher 3 Remastered on Switch 2, Nintendo Life, Oct 2026
• The Witcher 3 Remastered Switch 2 review vs original, RPG Site, Sep 28, 2026
• The Witcher 3's Switch 2 port ushers in a new era with unprecedented mod support, Pocket Tactics, Aug 28, 2026
• The Witcher 3 update 4.04 patch notes, GGRecon, Jul 19, 2023
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, Metacritic, read Oct 14, 2026
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Wikipedia, read Oct 14, 2026
• 10 BIGGEST Changes in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, IGN, Sep 30, 2026 (video)
• The Witcher III: Wild Hunt Remastered Nintendo Switch 2 Review - Is It Worth It?, Nintendo Life, Oct 6, 2026 (video)
• The Witcher 3 Remastered - Switch 2 Tech Review - A Colossal Upgrade over Switch 1, Digital Foundry, Oct 3, 2026 (video)