The Witcher 3 Remastered PC Requirements Demand RTX 5080
CD Projekt Red has published six-tier PC system requirements for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, launching September 29, 2026.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered launches on September 29, 2026, as a free upgrade for existing owners. CD Projekt Red has published detailed PC system requirements, breaking them down into six distinct performance tiers from Minimum to Path Tracing. The remaster no longer officially supports Windows 10 and requires an SSD.
Extreme hardware demands for Path Tracing mode revealed
The top-tier Path Tracing specification is exceptionally demanding. It requires a Core i9-13900K or Ryzen 7 9800X3D CPU, 24 GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080. This configuration aims for 4K resolution at 60 frames per second, but relies on upscaling and Frame Generation technologies to hit that target. Notably, no AMD or Intel GPU is listed for this tier.
Commentary highlights Path Tracing as impractical shows
Reactions to the Path Tracing requirements describe it as a technological shows rather than a practical gameplay mode. One comment noted that without DLSS upscaling, the RTX 5080 would achieve only around 13 FPS in 4K with Path Tracing enabled, calling it the heaviest rendering load known. Another stated that 60 FPS including frame generation is a joke, with normal performance likely around 30 FPS. The consensus among commentators is that no current graphics card can reasonably handle Path Tracing in this title, a situation unlikely to change for several GPU generations. Some pointed out that Path Tracing has been around longer than many think and that other games run fine with it, but the demands here are in a different league.
Lower tiers define accessible targets for 1080p and 1440p play
The requirements for standard and ray tracing modes provide more accessible targets. The specifications scale across several tiers below.
| Tier | CPU | RAM | GPU | Target & Preset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Core i5-8400 / Ryzen 5 2600 | 12 GB | GTX 1660 / RX 5500 XT / Arc A580 | 1080p @ 30 FPS, Low |
| Recommended | Core i7-8700K / Ryzen 5 3600X | 16 GB | RTX 2060 Super / RX 6600 XT / Arc B580 | 1080p @ 60 FPS, High |
| Ultra | Core i7-13700K / Ryzen 7 7700X | 24 GB | RTX 3070 Ti / RX 6800 XT / Arc B580 | 1440p @ 60 FPS |
| RT Recommended | Not specified | Not specified | RTX 4080 / RX 9070 XT | 1440p @ 60 FPS (with DLSS/FSR) |
The goal is for the remaster to feel like a 2026 game, with its ray tracing tiers being more demanding than previous versions. The RT Recommended tier specifically requires an RTX 4080 or an RX 9070 XT to target 1440p at 60 FPS using DLSS or FSR upscaling.
The PC update size on Steam is approximately 45 GB, though this may vary depending on installed language packs. The remaster launches globally on September 29, 2026, at 10:00 AM UTC as a free upgrade for existing owners on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
