TheRetroArcade
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Joined: Feb 2026
Joined: Feb 2026
"This is also the case for the Nintendo Switch 2."
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As is the case with a lot of older games (I regret to inform you that The Witcher 3 is 11 years old) that get the remaster treatment, there's been some anxiety over whether The Witcher 3 Remastered will run properly on the Steam Deck—especially given it'll be a free update. It's always frustrating when some new glossy graphics pack messes with your hardware.
Well, fear not—speaking to PC Gamer's Joshua Wolens ahead of Gamescom 2026, CD Projekt Red's executive producer of external projects Jakub Kutrzuba has told us that The Witcher 3 Remastered will run just as well on your Steam Deck, thanks to general optimisation improvements with the new rendering engine.
"When it comes to Steam Deck, based on what we see, the game will work the same way, but look much much better. Because from one side we are bringing all these improvements, we are bringing new content, we are upgrading the assets, but [we also have] the new rendering features."
These features, Kutrzuba says, give the game more hardware budget for all those fancy spangled new assets and textures: "With the newer rendering engine, many of the systems just work faster. So we are just capable of showing a more beautiful image with the same cost, and this is also the case for the Nintendo Switch 2, which is coming together with the Remaster as well."
So, no, the Remaster isn't some monster that'll eat all of your Steam Deck's RAM. In general, CD Projekt seems to've learned its lesson after the horror show of Cyberpunk 2077, with its developers boasting solid performance out of The Witcher 4, as well. You'll be able to engage in some cosy, lo-fi monster slaying in the windswept, freshly-beautified White Orchard without fretting about frame drops.
Which is good, because given Wolens' stellar impression of the Remaster's graphical update, you'll want to.
The Witcher 4: What we know about Ciri's storyWitcher 3 mods: Good huntingThe Witcher books: Where to startWitcher 3 console commands: Cheat death
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Harvey's history with games started when he first begged his parents for a World of Warcraft subscription aged 12, though he's since been cursed with Final Fantasy 14-brain and a huge crush on G'raha Tia. He made his start as a freelancer, writing for websites like Techradar, The Escapist, Dicebreaker, The Gamer, Into the Spine—and of course, PC Gamer. He'll sink his teeth into anything that looks interesting, though he has a soft spot for RPGs, soulslikes, roguelikes, deckbuilders, MMOs, and weird indie titles. He also plays a shelf load of TTRPGs in his offline time. Don't ask him what his favourite system is, he has too many.
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When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
As is the case with a lot of older games (I regret to inform you that The Witcher 3 is 11 years old) that get the remaster treatment, there's been some anxiety over whether The Witcher 3 Remastered will run properly on the Steam Deck—especially given it'll be a free update. It's always frustrating when some new glossy graphics pack messes with your hardware.
Well, fear not—speaking to PC Gamer's Joshua Wolens ahead of Gamescom 2026, CD Projekt Red's executive producer of external projects Jakub Kutrzuba has told us that The Witcher 3 Remastered will run just as well on your Steam Deck, thanks to general optimisation improvements with the new rendering engine.
"When it comes to Steam Deck, based on what we see, the game will work the same way, but look much much better. Because from one side we are bringing all these improvements, we are bringing new content, we are upgrading the assets, but [we also have] the new rendering features."
These features, Kutrzuba says, give the game more hardware budget for all those fancy spangled new assets and textures: "With the newer rendering engine, many of the systems just work faster. So we are just capable of showing a more beautiful image with the same cost, and this is also the case for the Nintendo Switch 2, which is coming together with the Remaster as well."
So, no, the Remaster isn't some monster that'll eat all of your Steam Deck's RAM. In general, CD Projekt seems to've learned its lesson after the horror show of Cyberpunk 2077, with its developers boasting solid performance out of The Witcher 4, as well. You'll be able to engage in some cosy, lo-fi monster slaying in the windswept, freshly-beautified White Orchard without fretting about frame drops.
Which is good, because given Wolens' stellar impression of the Remaster's graphical update, you'll want to.
The Witcher 4: What we know about Ciri's storyWitcher 3 mods: Good huntingThe Witcher books: Where to startWitcher 3 console commands: Cheat death
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Harvey's history with games started when he first begged his parents for a World of Warcraft subscription aged 12, though he's since been cursed with Final Fantasy 14-brain and a huge crush on G'raha Tia. He made his start as a freelancer, writing for websites like Techradar, The Escapist, Dicebreaker, The Gamer, Into the Spine—and of course, PC Gamer. He'll sink his teeth into anything that looks interesting, though he has a soft spot for RPGs, soulslikes, roguelikes, deckbuilders, MMOs, and weird indie titles. He also plays a shelf load of TTRPGs in his offline time. Don't ask him what his favourite system is, he has too many.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?