CD Projekt Red gave Witcher 3: Wild Hunt a new lease of life by releasing its next-gen update in December 2022. That could be both the biggest and last Witcher 3 update that adds new content.

The next-gen update has given Wild Hunt a graphical revamp and introduced various new features for players to try out. These are some of the most notable new Witcher 3 additions to check out after the next-gen update.

1. Find and Complete the Eternal Fire Quest

The "In the Eternal Fire’s Shadow" side quest is the biggest next-gen update content addition to Witcher 3. That’s a relatively short quest that leads Geralt to free the spirit of the deceased witcher, Reinald Philter.

It includes a spooky mine to explore, armed bandits, and a boss to defeat. Completing that quest will reward you with 75XP, a negotiated amount of crowns, and most importantly the Forgotten Wolven diagrams.

However, "In the Eternal Fire’s Shadow" won't be listed on Witcher 3’s quest menu until activated. To unlock the quest, visit Devil's Perch in Velen. That’s a signposted location you can travel to directly without Roach.

Upon arriving in Devil’s Perch, you can’t miss the Eternal Fire priest standing by a cart close to that location’s signpost. Speak to that priest to activate the quest. The quest’s suggested level is 15, so completing it might be tricky if you’re less than level 10.

2. Find the Forgotten Wolf School Gear

The Witcher 3 next-gen update also adds a new set of Forgotten Wolf School Gear. That gear’s armor matches what Henry Cavill wears in the Netflix Witcher 3 series. Completing the "In the Eternal Fire's Shadow" quest gives you the Forgotten Wolven diagrams and unlocks the Forgotten Wolf School Gear treasure hunt.

You’ll need to complete that treasure hunt to unlock the mastercrafted and grandmaster levels of the Forgotten Wolf School Gear.

To get the mastercrafted and grandmaster Forgotten Wolf School Gear, complete the Eternal Fire quest to unlock its treasure hunt. Select Scavenger Hunt: Forgotten Wolf School Gear Diagrams in the Treasure Hunt menu; then head to the castle in Kaer Morhen to find Osmund’s notes on the bookshelves there. The treasure hunt will direct you to the exact location on your map.

Upon completing that treasure hunt, you’ll still need someone to craft the mastercrafted and grandmaster Forgotten Wolf School Gear. You can get mastercrafted armor crafted in Crow’s Perch by Yoana after completing the “Master Armorers” quest. For crafting mastercrafted swords, go and see Hattori in Novigrad and complete the “Of Swords and Dumplings” quest if you haven’t done so.

Grandmaster-level Forgotten Wolf gear is only available in the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine expansion. To get it crafted, speak to Lazare Lafargue in Beauclair. If you haven’t spoken with him before, he’ll give you a series of treasure hunts to complete for a “Master Master Master Master” quest.

3. Take Snapshots With Witcher 3’s Photo Mode

Most PC players probably used the Game Bar to capture in-game screenshots in Windows 11 and 10 from Witcher 3 before the next-gen update. Now you can utilize Witcher’s new Photo Mode to take better screenshots of that game. Photo Mode enables you to rotate the camera 360 degrees and zoom in and out before capturing your shots.

To activate Witcher’s Photo Mode on a PC, press the U keyboard key. You can activate that mode on Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 by pressing the right and left sticks simultaneously. Play around with settings on the Camera and Effects tabs to set up the shot; press Space or select the Take Photo option to capture the screenshot.

To find the captured snapshots on a Windows PC, open the Documents folder in your user directory. Then open the Witcher 3 and screenshots folders from there. The screenshots get saved to the image galleries on consoles.

4. Change the Frame Rate Mode Setting (Console Only)

A new Frame Rate Mode setting for Witcher 3 on the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S enables players to select Performance or Ray Tracing modes. Performance mode enables smoother gameplay at 60FPS. The Ray Tracing option sets ray-traced global illumination but reduces the frame rate to 30FPS. For further details about that graphics rendering mode, check out our tech-explained guide that discusses what ray tracing is and how it works.

To change the Frame Rate Mode setting, select Options on Witcher 3's menu. Select Graphics > Display to bring up some visual options. Then you set the Frame Rate Mode setting to either Ray Tracing or Performance.

5. Set the New Camera Distance (PC Only)

To make Witcher 3 more cinematic, the next-gen update added a new close-up camera distance to the PC game. That new camera mode provides a closer view of Geralt than before. You don't need to manually enable close-up mode since it's set by default after the update.

However, you can still configure the camera distance for exploration, combat, and horseback via Witcher 3’s settings. Click Options and Gameplay on the menu to access the camera settings. Then select Close or Default (zoom out) for the Exploration, Combat, and Horseback Camera Distance settings.

6. How to Use the Quick Cast Feature

Quick Cast is a new next-gen update feature for Witcher 3 that enables players to cast signs without selecting them on the Quick Access Menu. To enable it, select Options > Gameplay and set the Quick Sign Casting setting to Quick Casting. Then you can press the three to seven number keyboard keys to use the signs on a PC.

7. Enhance Witcher 3’s Visuals With the Ultra+ Graphics Preset (PC Only)

Ultra+ graphics settings is a feature that only the PC version of The Witcher 3 next-gen update has. That’s a new general preset you can select to raise the graphical quality of Witcher 3 another notch to see the game at its sparkling best after the update.

The Ultra+ preset enhances the texture, shadow, water, and terrain visual quality, along with the general detail level in the game.

To activate the Ultra+ preset, select Options > Video > Graphics in Witcher 3’s menu. Then click the Ultra+ tab to set that preset. Or you can select Ultra+ for specific graphical settings instead.

With the Next-Gen Update, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Is a Remastered Game

The Witcher 3 next-gen update is almost like a freely available remastered edition. It delivers a noticeable graphical enhancement that makes The Witcher 3 look more like a 2023 game than one released in 2015.

You can also have fun playing the game’s new quest, finding the latest gear, and taking beautiful screenshots with Photo Mode. So, there has never been a better time to play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.