Best settings for The Witcher 3 next-gen on RTX 3080 Ti (with and without ray tracing)

The Witcher 3 next-gen update breathed new life into one of the finest open-world RPGs ever created. The game, which was originally released in 2015, received a makeover with new PC tweaks, improved graphics, and more content.

The game now has Integrated Mods, Photo Mode, Camera/Controls/UI Improvements, and Cross-Progression. A Netflix DLC will also be included in the game. However, the core gameplay of The Witcher 3 is mostly unchanged despite new visual features and quality-of-life enhancements.

The Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti is a high-end GPU that can easily run the most recent games at 4K resolution. Powered by the NVIDIA Ampere architecture, the GeForce RTX 3080 Ti includes 3rd gen Tensor Cores for exceptional DLSS performance gains, 2nd gen RT Cores to speed up ray tracing, and 12GB of ultrafast GDDR6X memory that allows the card to load all the required textures.

The following article will reveal the optimum settings to use when playing The Witcher 3 next-gen on an RTX 3080 Ti (both with and without ray tracing).

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RTX 3080 Ti offers amazing performance in The Witcher 3 next-gen

The RTX 3080 Ti can easily run games in maxed-out graphics settings, even in 4K resolution. However, due to The Witcher 3 next-gen's optimization problems, the card will have a hard time maintaining a stable 60 fps in the 4K ultra+ graphics setting. CD Projekt Red has acknowledged the optimization issues, and fans can expect performance improvements via updates and hotfixes.

The recommended settings for playing The Witcher 3 next-gen on an RTX 3080 Ti are as follows:

Without Ray tracing

Display

• Display mode: Full Screen
• Vsync: Off
• Resolution: 3840x2160
• Maximum Frames Per Second: Unlimited
• NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency: On + Boost
• Hardware Cursor: Off

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Graphics

• Anti-Aliasing: DLSS
• DLSS Quality: Quality
• Sharpening: High

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• Screen Space Ambient Occlusion: On
• Screen Space Reflections: High

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• Motion Blur: Off or as preferred
• Blur: Off or as preferred
• Bloom: On or as preferred
• Depth of Field: On or as preferred
• Chromatic Aberration: On or as preferred
• Vignetting: On or as preferred
• Light Shafts: On or as preferred
• Camera Lens Effects: On or as preferred

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• Nvidia HairWorks: On
• NVIDIA HairWorks AA: 8
• NVIDIA HairWorks Preset: High

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• Number of Background Characters: Ultra+
• Shadow Quality: Ultra
• Terrain Quality: Ultra+
• Water Quality: Ultra
• Foliage Visibility Range: Ultra
• Grass Density: High
• Texture Quality: Ultra+
• Detail Level: Ultra+

With Ray tracing

Display

• Display mode: Full Screen
• Vsync: Off
• Resolution: 2560x1440
• Maximum Frames Per Second: Unlimited
• Nvidia Reflex Low Latency: On+ Boost
• Hardware Cursor: Off

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Graphics

• Ray Tracing (Global Illumination): On
• Ray Traced Reflections: On
• Ray Traced Shadows: On
• Ray Traced Ambient Occlusion: On

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• Anti-Aliasing: DLSS
• DLSS Quality: Quality
• Sharpening: High

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• Screen Space Ambient Occlusion: On
• Screen Space Reflections: High

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• Motion Blur: Off or as preferred
• Blur: On or as preferred
• Bloom: On or as preferred
• Depth of Field: Off or as preferred
• Chromatic Aberration: Off or as preferred
• Vignetting: Off or as preferred
• Light Shafts: Off or as preferred
• Camera Lens Effects: Off or as preferred

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• Nvidia HairWorks: On
• NVIDIA HairWorks AA: 8
• NVIDIA HairWorks Preset: High

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• Number of Background Characters: Ultra
• Shadow Quality: High
• Terrain Quality: Ultra
• Water Quality: Ultra
• Foliage Visibility Range: High
• Grass Density: High
• Texture Quality: Ultra+
• Detail Level: Ultra+

DirectX 12 is required for ray tracing and Nvidia DLSS to work in The Witcher 3 next-gen. When using an RTX 3080 Ti, the aforementioned settings will ensure the best performance in the game.