Haven’t Revisited The Witcher 3 After the Official Upgrade? The ‘NextGen Edition’ Mod Enhances Visuals on the Latest Version

Towards the end of 2022, fans of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt were treated to a fantastic next-gen update, now a staple for PS4, Xbox One, and PC gamers who already own the base game. While the PC version saw the most significant visual upgrade, it didn’t take long for modders—with the help of full modding tools—to push boundaries even further, enhancing textures, meshes, and overall game visuals. Enter Halk Hogan and his impressive ‘The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project NextGen Edition,’ which truly turns up the wow factor.

Halk Hogan has been perfecting this mod for quite some time, and it’s no small feat. He states that it "improves and reworks a huge amount of game assets (textures, models, materials and more)," with the scale of improvements easily reaching into the thousands. A file size nearing 12GB speaks volumes about the extent of these changes. For those seeking validation, yes, CD Projekt Red themselves have endorsed this mod.

Sure, quirky mods like Geralt the Centaur can be a laugh, but in the grand scheme of things, most players are looking to experience The Witcher 3 in its finest form. Much like the still-thriving Skyrim from 2011, which continuously benefits from exceptional mods, CD Projekt Red’s RPG masterpiece is set to enjoy incredible modding enhancements—some sticking close to the lore, others taking creative liberties—for the foreseeable future.

If you’re contemplating diving into this mod, first consider if your PC can handle it. It’s worthwhile first checking out the detailed 15-minute video posted by Halk Hogan recently, showcasing various changes to models, textures, and all sorts of game assets:

As demonstrated, the mod provides more than just sharper visuals. Environment geometry is significantly enhanced, even with noticeable LOD detail upgrades. While The Witcher 3’s official update included ray tracing and modern graphical improvements, it felt odd that some basic visual elements remained untouched.

Halk Hogan’s mod addresses this by creating a more unified visual experience. It’s designed to replace existing assets, ensuring compatibility with mods that tweak other game aspects. Remarkably, it works with older game versions too, and isn’t overly taxing on frame rates, provided you have sufficient video memory—it’s not akin to an intensive ENB preset.

Even if you’re on a console, there’s no better time than now to revisit this iconic game for its upcoming tenth anniversary next year. And while the wait for the next installment in The Witcher series will be long, given it’s just kicked off production, celebrating the original feels like a fitting tribute.