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The Witcher 3 won't overload your video card

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The Witcher games are visually stunning. In fact, in my household they’re the markers for when it’s time for a gaming PC upgrade. I was upset that Witcher 3 was delayed, but at least it gives me another year to save up for top of the range components. But CD Projekt RED is also using tech to optimize the load.

During GDC, CD Projekt RED Engine Programmer Przemys?aw Czatrowski hosted a panel called “Solving Visibility and Streaming in the The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt with Umbra 3”. Those presentation slides have been made available, or you could watch the actual presentation. Dualshockers also gives a detailed explanation of the technology.

What it comes down to is an explanation of the ambient occlusion technology that uses the camera to determine what is actually visible on the screen, only rendering those chunks that are necessary. This reduces the load on the video card. The process doesn’t just affect static meshes (backgrounds and environments), but also particles, skinned meshes and simulated meshes – blood, burns, etc. Models also have differentiation in detail – depending on distance, it will use more or less detailed models, taking further strain off the video processing.

Here you can see two pictures that show these differentiated chunks – the green areas are what the camera deems visible and needing to be rendered. Upon moving, the yellow area becomes visible.

Witcher 3 video 1
Withcer 3 video 2

All in all, it means that The Witcher 3 will be lighter on your PC’s resources, despite being an absolutely enormous game. I love hearing about these kinds of technology – it shows the attention to detail on so many levels, and makes me even more excited to see it all in action. It will be particularly interesting to compare the latest Witcher game on PC vs new generation consoles. Just how close (or far) are the new consoles to current gaming PCs? Either way, this game promises to be breathtakingly beautiful.

Witcher 3 landscape

Last Updated: April 11, 2014

34 Comments

  1. Jedi JJ

    April 11, 2014 at 10:14

    Oh wow, that’s pretty.

    Reply

  2. El Capitan del Blade

    April 11, 2014 at 10:22

    Zoe, Witcher 2 compares favourably to the new Generation Consoles… Have you seen it with Ubersampling?

    The Witcher 3 will no doubt be the best looking game on new Gen Consoles, and as for the PC, well… It is being ported Down to consoles, not the other way around, It’s going to make peoples eyes melt out of their sockets…..

    Reply

    • Kromas

      April 11, 2014 at 10:35

      That’s the way I wanna go blind if I had to go blind. 🙂

      Reply

      • El Capitan del Blade

        April 11, 2014 at 10:37

        Better than Masturbation… no doubt….

        Reply

  3. Rince Striving Abomination

    April 11, 2014 at 10:33

    Wow, Zoe has a better understanding of tech than Darryn? And she’s on an APPLE?!

    Reply

    • Jedi JJ

      April 11, 2014 at 10:37

      I actually think she just uses Apple products. I’m not sure if she lives on an Apple or uses it as a chair or something. Though stranger things have happened.

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        April 11, 2014 at 10:39

        It’s apples all the way down?

        Reply

        • Jedi JJ

          April 11, 2014 at 10:40

          lol

          Reply

      • Rince Striving Abomination

        April 11, 2014 at 10:43

        … Don’t make me silence you… TWICE…

        Reply

        • Jedi JJ

          April 11, 2014 at 10:43

          That’s a very nice offer and all, but 1. I’m not into the dominatrix stuff and 2. I have a girlfriend.

          Reply

          • Rince Striving Abomination

            April 11, 2014 at 10:45

            I didn’t say HOW I would silence you…

          • Jedi JJ

            April 11, 2014 at 10:45

            With you there’s usually only questionable ways. 😉

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      April 11, 2014 at 10:38

      Well the article is basically about pretty pictures, so I don’t see why not. *duck*

      Reply

      • Rince Striving Abomination

        April 11, 2014 at 10:42

        Ohhhh! Them be fighting words! *Fetches popcorn, bitch fight imminent..

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          April 11, 2014 at 10:52

          Maybe I’ll be lucky & they won’t read it.

          Reply

          • VampyreSquirrel

            April 11, 2014 at 11:24

            I could always tell Zoe to check it… 😛

      • Her Highness the Hipster

        April 11, 2014 at 12:08

        oi! you all should know well enough that i’m incapable of making pretty pictures. no… wait… this argument isn’t going well

        Reply

  4. Jedi JJ

    April 11, 2014 at 10:44

    Eish that last picture.
    Error 404: Breath not found.

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      April 11, 2014 at 10:47

      Error 37 – can’t connect to air?

      Reply

      • Jedi JJ

        April 11, 2014 at 10:50

        Failed to safely remove oxygen.

        Reply

        • VampyreSquirrel

          April 11, 2014 at 11:24

          Currently in use by another user?

          Reply

  5. Maxiviper117

    April 11, 2014 at 10:53

    So it only renders watch u see, why dont other games use this technique

    Reply

    • veggiesaurus ZA

      April 11, 2014 at 11:37

      many other games do use this technique, or at least a variation on it. Occlusion culling etc.

      Reply

  6. MakeItLegal

    April 11, 2014 at 11:03

    Haven’t played one or two but I can see myself slipping into this…

    Reply

    • Jedi JJ

      April 11, 2014 at 11:05

      Same here

      Reply

    • Mossel

      April 11, 2014 at 11:41

      I also slipped into the second witcher quite easily, wait what?! O_O

      Reply

      • MakeItLegal

        April 11, 2014 at 12:14

        Um wait ? Um … ( runs ) …. Smacks head against a etoll gantry

        Reply

      • Her Highness the Hipster

        April 11, 2014 at 12:37

        all that farm simulator must have made the “ploughing” familiar 😛

        Reply

  7. Norm the Horrible

    April 11, 2014 at 11:57

    Should be pretty epic when this comes out.

    Reply

  8. UltimateNinjaPandaDudeGuy

    April 11, 2014 at 12:11

    VERY excited for this! I still need to finish 2, but I think I will wait till just before the 3 release to have the story fresh at the back of my mind.

    This is definitely going to look awesome! Let’s hope the story delivers!

    Reply

    • Sean

      May 5, 2014 at 00:51

      I’d recommend not waiting too long to finish that first playthrough of Witcher 2 if I was you. If you noticed at the end of act 1, you have a choice to make on who you “side” with, Either Vernon Roche or Iorveth.

      Depending on who you picked/sided with determines the location,character,quests Etc. of Act 2 almost entirely. I believe it changes a few things in Act 3 ( the final act) as well. Long story short – You will more than likely want to do a second play-through of Witcher 2 so that you can see both sides of the story, per se.

      If you are interested in more story and being able to fully understand the differing views of the characters involved, I highly recommend going through W2 at least twice,the second time around making different choices.

      If I remember correctly, I believe you need to complete the witcher 2 three times in order to see everything the game has to offer.I might be wrong, so don’t quote me on the 3 times. Although I can say with confidence what I wrote above is 100% on the money about Act 2 changes and differences depending on whom you side with,Roche or Iorveth.

      I cannot wait for Witcher 3! I have just started reading the novels,Looking forward to absorbing and immersing myself into this fantastic world even more.

      Reply

  9. Willem Swanepoel

    April 11, 2014 at 17:58

    Going to plough the crap out of this game …. !!!

    Reply

  10. Lars Anderson

    April 11, 2014 at 18:08

    One of the few devs with the cajones to push boundaries, both technical and narrative. The industry would be a poorer place without them

    Reply

  11. PS4 Gamer

    April 12, 2014 at 06:28

    Glad they can pull it off.

    Reply

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