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The Witcher 3 next-gen update pushes the game's visuals to a new level. With ray tracing and temporal upscaling formulas, the title can utilize the new graphics cards to their fullest.
However, fans have criticized the Polish developers for the poor optimization and performance issues the game is facing post-update. All copies have been updated to the next-gen version, and gamers can no longer access the original. This has made the performance a nightmare on the older cards.
Thus, gamers who want to enjoy the title to its fullest need to upgrade to one of the cards listed below.
Note: The article is subjective and reflects the writer's opinion
A guide to choosing the best graphics card for Witcher 3 next-gen
5) AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT
The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is the company's premium 1080p gaming card for last-gen. The GPU is slightly faster than the traditional RX 6600 XT and can handle almost every video game flawlessly at FHD resolution.
The Witcher 3 next-gen is a demanding title, and it pushes ray tracing quite hard. RT is not AMD's stronghold, at least with the RDNA 2-based RX 6000 series. Thus, the card barely keeps up with the game at 1080p.
However, considering the $299 price tag, it is the cheapest option to run the game at 1080p without significant frame drops.
4) Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060 Ti
Like the RX 6650 XT, the RTX 3060 Ti is Nvidia's premium 1080p gaming option. The card is a great option for FHD gaming and can even run multiple games at 1440p without a significant drop in framerate.
The card, being a bit more powerful than the 6650 XT, can hit a steady 60 FPS in The Witcher 3 next-gen. Thus, those willing to play at today's most popular resolution should opt for this.
3) AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT competes with the RTX 3080 for the 4K performance crown; however, the card is much slower than the 80-class GPU from Nvidia.
At 1440p resolution, the 6800 XT is a champion as it beats the RTX 3070 Ti by a solid margin.
Until the RTX 4070 Ti drops, the 6800 XT is a great option for playing The Witcher 3 next-gen at QHD resolution. Following AMD's RX 6000 series price cut, the card is available for around $700. Thus, overall, it is a good deal.
2) Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080 Ti
The RTX 3080 Ti is undoubtedly one of the best cards for 4K gaming. With prices falling, the GPU is a favorite for high-end gaming rigs; however, it cannot hit 30 FPS at 4K resolution in The Witcher 3 next-gen.
Thus, the card is only ideal for gamers playing at QHD resolution. At this resolution, players can max out the game and still get a constant 60 FPS.
1) Nvidia Geforce RTX 4090
The Witcher 3 next-gen is a truly demanding title when one needs an RTX 4090 to hit 60 FPS at 4K resolution. Anything below this fails to maintain a playable framerate at UHD.
Nvidia Geforce RTX 4090 consistently maintained 70+ FPS in the game while running in the highest settings, with ray tracing set to maximum at 4K resolution. Gamers won't have to rely on any temporal upscaling to maintain performance in the game.
With the next-gen update, The Witcher 3 has become one of the most demanding games. Thus, gamers will have to spend a premium on their graphics card to enjoy consistent performance in the title.
