The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered lands on September 29, 2026, and for most people who already own the game the price of admission is zero. CD PROJEKT RED’s own announcement, the Xbox Wire briefing, and Nintendo eShop wording all line up on that point. What still trips people up is the platform-by-platform path: digital versus disc on Switch 2, how the free Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine drop fits in, and whether a half-price Complete Edition on PlayStation is worth grabbing before the upgrade arrives.
This guide sticks to those public facts. Nothing here invents a store price or an upgrade button that CDPR or the platform holders have not already described.
What Remastered actually is
Remastered is the same Witcher 3 campaign and expansions, rebuilt with a long list of modernizations. CDPR and Xbox Wire call out upgraded visuals and lighting, more precise combat with new finishers, improved traversal and mount handling, reworked Signs and monster behavior, a redesigned skill tree, transmogrification, an expanded photo mode, and cross-platform mod support on Xbox Series X|S. PlayStation coverage from Push Square adds that the PS5 Pro path targets ray tracing at 60fps with PSSR cleaning up the image. On Xbox, Remastered also gains Play Anywhere, so a Series console, PC, or Xbox handheld can share the same library entitlement.
Two expansions you may have paid for years ago are already free for current owners: Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. CDPR unlocked those when Remastered was announced at gamescom Opening Night Live, so eligible libraries should already show them before Tuesday’s patch.
Free upgrade paths by platform
Use this table as the checklist before you buy anything new. Digital Switch owners can already place the free Switch 2 pre-order; physical Switch owners wait until launch day, per CD PROJEKT RED CS and VGC’s report of that statement.
| What you own today | Remastered path | When / how |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 digital or disc (incl. prior PS4→PS5 upgrade) | Free upgrade on PS5 / PS5 Pro | Sep 29 via library / game hub; disc owners still need the disc to play |
| Xbox Series X|S digital | Free upgrade + Play Anywhere | Sep 29; Smart Delivery handles digital installs |
| Xbox Series X|S disc / older Xbox One disc | Free upgrade from Store page | Sep 29; claim Remastered (and free HoS/BaW if missing) on the Store |
| PC on GOG, Steam, or Epic | Free Remastered upgrade | Sep 29 on the storefront where you already own the game |
| Nintendo Switch digital | Free native Switch 2 Remastered | Free eShop pre-order available now; separate Switch 2 icon |
| Nintendo Switch physical | Free Switch 2 Remastered claim | Claim on Sep 29 (no free pre-order before launch) |
| No copy yet | Buy current Complete / base edition → free Remastered | See sale note below; Battle.net and Switch 2 also sell Remastered directly |
What is free, what still costs money
| Item | Cost for existing owners | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Remastered upgrade (PS5, Xbox Series, PC GOG/Steam/Epic) | Free | Launches Sep 29 |
| Hearts of Stone + Blood and Wine | Free | Already unlocked for current owners since the gamescom announcement |
| Switch 2 native Remastered (if you own Switch W3) | Free | Separate download; digital pre-order now, physical claim on launch day |
| Songs of the Past expansion | Paid (2027) | Wishlist now; new Letten region; not part of the free upgrade |
| Battle.net Remastered / Diablo IV Geralt skin | Purchase on Battle.net | Skin tied to buying Songs of the Past on Blizzard’s storefront, per CDPR |
New buyers: the PS Store half-off window
If Geralt is still missing from your library, Push Square flagged a useful PlayStation wrinkle this week: The Witcher 3 Complete Edition is 50% off at $24.99 / £17.49 on the PS Store, and that purchase still qualifies for the free Remastered upgrade on September 29. The sale runs through October 8, so you do not have to decide before Tuesday, but buying before the remaster lands means your library is ready the moment the upgrade unlocks. Physical Complete Edition discs are often cheaper still at retailers, and the same free-upgrade rule applies once the disc is in your account’s library.
Xbox and PC buyers should check their own storefront sales rather than assume the same percentage. Nintendo’s eShop has listed Remastered / Complete pricing closer to full retail for Switch families, so Switch 2 owners who already have a Switch cart or download are in the better seat.
Owner verdict
| Your situation | What to do before Sep 29 |
|---|---|
| Already own W3 on PS5, Xbox Series, or PC | Do nothing paid. Confirm HoS/BaW are in your library, keep ~dozens of GB free for the update, and install Remastered on Tuesday. |
| Switch digital owner moving to Switch 2 | Place the free Remastered pre-order on the Switch 2 eShop now so it downloads at launch. |
| Switch physical owner | Wait for the Sep 29 claim flow CDPR described; no need to buy Remastered at full price. |
| Never played it, have a PS5 | Complete Edition at $24.99 / £17.49 on PS Store (through Oct 8) is the cleanest digital on-ramp into free Remastered. |
| Want Songs of the Past / Diablo IV skin specifics | Wishlist the 2027 expansion; treat Battle.net skin details as tied to that paid purchase, not the free remaster. |
Remastered is a large free modernization of a game many of us already finished, not a new $70 SKU. If your copy is already on a qualifying platform, Tuesday is an install-and-play day. If it is not, the current PlayStation sale is the clearest published bargain we can point to without guessing at regional Xbox or Steam discounts.