Two days after PlayStation owners got their Hotfix 5.01b, Xbox players have an update of their own. CD Projekt Red announced on the official The Witcher account on X on October 15, 2026 that Hotfix 5.01b for The Witcher 3 Remastered is live on Xbox, and this one is aimed squarely at the Xbox Series S.
What changes on Xbox Series S
Since launch, Series S players have complained about a soft, blurry picture, with some reporting a very low internal resolution in Performance Mode. CD Projekt Red says the hotfix responds to that feedback by changing the upscaling method on Series S from TAAU to FSR, which the studio says should improve visual quality and performance.
The studio has not shared target resolutions, frame rates or which FSR version is used, so it is still too early to say how big the improvement is. No independent test of the new Series S build has been published yet.
Series X: same download, no changes
Xbox Series X owners will also see the hotfix appear, because of how updates are delivered on Xbox. According to CD Projekt Red, it does not change anything in the Series X version. Note that “5.01b” means different things on different platforms: on PS5 and PS5 Pro it was a stability update, on Xbox it is the Series S upscaler change.
Digital Foundry: PS5 Pro is the best console version
In a tech review of Patch 5.01 published on October 14, Digital Foundry found that frame rates have improved since launch, especially on PlayStation. The base PS5 is described as in solid shape, while the PS5 Pro comes out as the best place to play on console, with Performance Mode often running around 80 to 90 fps on a 120Hz display. Digital Foundry recommends the PS5 Pro’s 60fps ray tracing mode, which looks a little softer in still shots but barely different in motion.
Some issues remain: screen tearing without a VRR display, occasional frame rate dips, and bloom that is still on the strong side. The good news is that Patch 5.01 added a console option to turn bloom down, and Digital Foundry suggests using it. The review was recorded before the Series S hotfix, so it does not reflect the FSR change. For how critics and players received the update as a whole, see our Witcher 3 Remastered reviews roundup.
Switch 2 is still waiting
Patch 5.01 has still not reached Nintendo Switch 2. CD Projekt Red has said it is working on it and wants to release it as soon as possible, with a focus on image clarity in handheld mode, but there is no release date yet.
What it means if you are playing now
On Series S, install the hotfix and check whether the picture looks sharper in your favourite spots. Then get back on the Path with Geralt: plan a new setup in the Witcher 3 Build Planner or browse Community Builds, look up oils and Signs in Monster Weaknesses, or build a deck in the Gwent Deck Builder. New players can start with the Beginner’s Guide, and the Witcher 3 Hub collects everything else, including the upcoming Songs of the Past expansion. We will cover the Switch 2 patch when it lands.
