Witcher 3 Remastered Patch 5.01 Sharpens Switch 2 and Fixes Saves

Geralt's Switch 2 outing gets a clarity pass, and the left Joy-Con 2 stops doing all the work on ladders.

The short version

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered Update 5.01 is now rolling out on Switch 2, with sharper image quality, a fix for a rare region-change crash, HD Rumble fixes, and a fix for an issue that could affect save files.

By Chuy, Senior Staff Writer

Oct 21, 2026 · Reviewed by the Nexzy newsroom

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TL;DR — what matters

• Sharper image and adjusted resolution on Switch 2

• Fixes a rare region-change crash and the left-Joy-Con-only ladder rumble

• Fixes an issue that could affect save files

● CHANGE

Switch 2 Visual Sharpening — Adjusted image sharpening and resolution for better clarity

● CHANGE

Switch 2 Region Crash — Fixed a rare crash when changing in-game regions

● CHANGE

Graphics Options — Added Bloom, Light Shafts and Depth of Field toggles

● CHANGE

Save Files — Fixed an issue that could affect save data, with measures for already-affected saves

▲ BUFF

Exploding Shield Skill — Added damage reflection capability to the skill

● CHANGE

HD Rumble — Rumble now works in both Joy-Con 2 when climbing ladders

What it means for the meta

No balance shake-up: 5.01 is a stability and clarity patch. The one gameplay change is Exploding Shield now reflecting damage.

Full changelog →

CD Projekt Red has started rolling out Update 5.01 for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered on Nintendo Switch 2 in most regions, after the update arrived on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S earlier in October. Japan gets it once it passes certification. Keeping a 100-hour RPG tidy on a handheld, it turns out, is an ongoing job.

On Switch 2, the patch adjusts image sharpening and resolution "to improve visual clarity and fidelity," according to the official notes, and fixes a rare crash when changing between regions. It also fixes HD Rumble only being felt in the left Joy-Con 2 while climbing ladders, stops map pins from being placed on the black bars around the map, and optimizes caching for cross-platform mod support.

The wider update adds Bloom, Light Shafts, and Depth of Field options to the graphics settings, fixes an issue that could affect save files (with measures for saves that were already affected), and fixes delayed dodges, runaway boats, and blade oil auto-apply. A fix for the Vizima chest means past rewards and Drops now show up there, though some items may be duplicated as a result.

The details

Update: 5.01, rolling out on Switch 2 now (Japan after certification)
Switch 2: Sharper image and resolution, region-change crash fix, HD Rumble fix, map pin fix
All versions: Bloom/Light Shafts/Depth of Field toggles, save file fix, dodge, boat and blade oil fixes
Side effect: Some Vizima chest rewards may be duplicated

The rare patch where a bug fix might leave you with more loot than before.

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