CD Projekt Red has today pulled back the curtain on the highly anticipated free next-gen update for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which arrives for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on December 14th, 2022.

You can check out the new trailer above, along with some specific Xbox footage below, taken from the recent Twitch showcase which gave us a brief look at the Series X Performance Mode. The Performance Mode will run at 60FPS, while the Quality Mode will be available at 30FPS with Ray-Traced Global Illumination and ambient occlusion "bringing more realistic overall lighting and surface lighting effects".

CDPR says dynamic resolution scaling is implemented in the Series X and Series S versions, and both consoles will benefit from higher texture quality and an improved level of detail overall, regardless of whether you choose Quality Mode or Performance Mode. FidelityFX Super Resolution is integrated as part of the Series X version, and importantly, the Series S version will offer dedicated 30FPS and 60FPS modes as well.

Other improvements include a Photo Mode, cross-progression support, free DLC inspired by "The Witcher" Netflix series, and integrated mods that CDPR has curated for the experience, with the latter providing everything from visual upgrades to gameplay and content additions.

"It’s been great to implement community-made mods to help make this version of the game as beautiful, consistent, and up-to-modern-standards as possible."

"We also have gameplay/content additions created by CD Projekt Red in-house... There are too many to mention here, but some additions of note include quick sign casting, making it simpler and more intuitive to cast Witcher signs in combat, more UI and map customization options, an alternative camera, environmental and character model improvements, faster herb looting that skips the loot selection window, and bug fixes..."

Don't forget that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is currently just £4.99 / $7.99 on the Xbox Store as part of the Xbox Black Friday Sale 2022, so if you're interested in trying this update next month, we highly recommend picking it up ASAP.

You can check out more official screenshots below, along with the full presentation from earlier today.

Excited for the next-gen Witcher 3 update? Tell us down in the comments below.

[source twitch.tv, via news.xbox.com]