CD Projekt has a problem, and it involves hair. The Witcher 3 Remastered launched on PC this week, and some players are finding the game struggles to keep pace with their hardware. The studio has offered a fix: turn off Nvidia’s Hairworks technology.
“We’ve identified an issue related to NVIDIA Hairworks that may significantly affect performance,” the official Witcher account announced on X on September 30. “We recommend disabling that setting until this is addressed in a patch.”
The Studio’s Warning
The warning comes with a demonstration. User Nikfor, who previously posted as AshenOne, shared a side-by-side comparison of Geralt with Hairworks turned off, on, and on with Path Traced Hair enabled. The images show the same character rendered three different ways, and the difference is visible at a glance.
“HairWorks OFF”
“HairWorks ON”
“HairWorks ON + Path Traced HairSide by side first, then each shown full-screen for a closer look.”
The comparison is a simple one: no hair, full hair, and full hair with a different rendering technique. Players who want the visual polish may now have to choose between it and a smoother frame rate.
What Players Are Saying
The studio’s recommendation is not new to everyone. Many players had already reached the same conclusion on their own.
“Hairworks is absolutely f*cked, so that is turned off here,” one fan wrote on Reddit earlier today. “Bloom is also absolutely bugged and makes everything looking washed out.”
The fan’s language is blunt, but the sentiment matches the studio’s own guidance. When a game’s performance problem is visible enough that players are posting about it on Reddit, the issue is not abstract. The post came from someone who had independently decided to turn off the feature before the studio made its announcement.
A Modder’s Dark Trade
There is another path for those who do not want to sacrifice the look entirely. A mod called “Path Tracing and Ray Tracing Optimization (Remastered)” aims to improve performance by changing how the game handles lighting. Modder HourLines claims efficiency gains of up to 30 percent in some places.
The catch is that indoor spaces will get darker, and global illumination will react more slowly to light changes. That is a significant trade-off for anyone who spends time in dim interiors or who wants dynamic lighting effects to respond quickly. The mod alters how the game renders light, which affects the way shadows behave in enclosed areas.
Two Fixes Until CDPR Delivers
Until CDPR releases further optimizations, these two approaches are the best options available. One is a studio warning to turn off a feature it built. The other is a community fix that darkens rooms in exchange for smoother motion.
Both carry risk. Turning off Hairworks removes the visual polish that fans of the series expect. Using the mod means accepting a darker world. Neither option is ideal, but both offer a way to manage the problem until the patch arrives.
The choice is individual. Players who want the best possible frame rate may disable Hairworks immediately. Players who want the best possible look may wait for the patch.
Key Facts Box
- Studio warning: Posted on X on September 30
- Modder: HourLines
- Efficiency gain claimed: Up to 30 percent
- Comparison images: Shared by Nikfor, formerly AshenOne
- Platform: PC
- Game: The Witcher 3 Remastered
What We Make Of It
The patch will come eventually. Until then, the performance problems are real, the fixes are available, and the choice is yours.
This is a moment where the tools of the community matter as much as the tools of the studio. A modder’s work fills the gap until the developer can close it. That is a common occurrence in gaming, but it is still worth noting when it happens.
The performance issues are real, the fixes are available, and the choice is yours.
Source material: “Try These Two Things To Fix Witcher 3 Remastered Performance On PC,” Kotaku.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.