The Witcher 3 upcoming update is taking some time to release, but the wait is going to be worth it, according to the developer.
Answering a question on its official VK social media page, Saber Interactive stated that the update will be worth the wait. This statement is quite interesting, as it hints that the update is not going to be a minor one just introducing bug fixes and small tweaks, but something more substantial. Modders discovered additional graphics options back in October, so the developer may make them available to all. Even if these options are not unlocked, further optimization would also be quite appreciated.
Even without additional graphics options, Saber Interactive developed one of the most impressive ports available on Nintendo Switch. The developer had to work around the console's limitations to make The Witcher 3 run smoothly on the console without sacrificing visual quality too much.
One of the things we knew we had to change for Switch was how the engine calculates shadows from the sun. Shadows are obviously essential for creating a realistic look for huge outdoor levels, but the off-the-shelf solution was prohibitively expensive on Switch. We had to combine a blend of static shadowmap, terrain lightmap, and dynamic shadowmap to achieve a similar look to the original.
In outdoor environments, foliage can make up about 50% of all the visuals. We had to rewrite the algorithm for how grass is generated and rendered. We also had to change [levels-of-detail for] trees, lighting, and shadows to keep the overall look and performance as close to the original as possible.
The Witcher 3 is now available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. We will keep you updated on the upcoming Switch update as soon as more come in on it, so stay tuned for all the latest news.
