First of all, this is not about any downgrade but to improve performance&visuals through out the game.
(those are my own settings, and my own opinion)
@UPDATE 1.04
Every time you upgrade all those tweaks are removed with default settings.
Always make backups before editing files.
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First place owners of Nvidia GPU's have to look at (amd owners of 7970, 8970, 280x, 270x, 285 can edit present)
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\config\performance.xml
Edit file with notepad or similar one.
Find your GPU
1) Remove 'fpslimit="30'.
2) Edit preset="X" and change X to "3" this will allow for higher quality textures, draw distance etc.
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\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\config\base\resources.ini
FileQueueSizeGame = 250
FileQueueSizeLoading = 700
MaxRequests = 45 [50 is max, and with 50 or over you might have crashes]
(bigger faster loading)
MaxCompressedBudget = 10
MaxUncmpressedBudget = 240
MaxUncompressedBlocks = 4096
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How to improve performance of hairworks overall in AMD GPU's (not that i personally feel like there's need)
(this will also decrease quality and amount of hair)
Inside your AMD Catalyst Control Center
Gaming > Create custom game profile, or use default (up to you)
Look for Tasselation options "Maxiumum Tasselation" and lower it. (2x is lowest, 16x is a middle ground, 32x looks good, and is pretty much same as 64x)
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Warning this will fork it out further beyond ultra.
\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\config\base\rendering.ini
AllowMSAA=false [keep false, doesn't work]
MaxTextureSize=3048
MaxAtlasTextureSize=3048
MaxCubeShadowSize=1024
MaxSpotShadowSize=1024
TextureMemoryBudget=1500
TextureMemoryGUIBudget=180
TextureInFlightBudget=128
TextureStreamingDistanceLimit=440000.f
TextureStreamingReduceGameplayLOD=true
UberSampling=0 [keep at 0 or 1 = disabled, doesn't work at the moment]
DynamicDecalsLimit=60
MeshRenderingDistanceScale=4.0f
MeshLODDistanceScale=0.0f
TerrainScreenSpaceErrorThreshold=1.6f
TerrainErrorMetricMultiplier=6
GlobalOceanTesselationFactor=64
UseDynamicWaterSimulation=true
UseHairWorks=true
HairWorksAALevel=8 [lower this if you have decreased hardware performance in hairworks]
TerrainReadAheadDistance=600.0f
MeshLodGameplayDownscale=0
CharacterLodGameplayDownscale=0
DecalsHideDistance=100
StripeHideDistance=120
SwarmHideDistance=400
DimmerHideDistance=260
DecalBudget=200
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\The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt\bin\config\base\visuals.ini
[will take longer to load if your gpu isn't fast enough]
MovieFramerate=60.0
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After change of this file I recommend making it read-only as full screen mode is buggy sometimes and it will switch to borderless, this way you don't have to come back and change settings again -> each time you update you need to make writable again...
C:\Users[username]\Documents\The Witcher 3\user.settings
VSync=false
FullScreenMode=2 [many people will have 1 = borderless, this decreases performance dramatically]
VSyncThreshold=0
SpawnedLimit=200
cvMaxAllowedLightsShadowTime=3
cvMaxAllowedGrass=60000
cvMaxAllowedDecalsDynamic=20
cvMaxAllowedDynMeshes=107857600
cvMaxAllowedChunksSkinnedTime=3.5
cvMaxAllowedTrianglesSkinned=100000
cvMaxAllowedLightsShadow=5
cvMaxAllowedActiveEnvProbesTime=0.3
cvMaxAllowedStatTextures=514572800
cvMaxAllowedSpeedTree=5000
cvMaxAllowedLightsNonShadowsTime=0.2
cvMaxAllowedChunksStatic=1500
cvMaxAllowedTrianglesStatic=500000
cvMaxAllowedHiresChunks=25
cvMaxAllowedDecalsDynamicTime=0.5
cvMaxAllowedLightsNonShadows=40
cvMaxAllowedChunksStaticTime=1.5
cvMaxAllowedChunksSkinned=400
cvMaxAllowedApexDestroTicked=40
cvMaxAllowedStatMeshes=409715200
cvMaxAllowedHiresChunksTime=0.2
cvMaxAllowedApexTickedTime=0.5
cvMaxAllowedCharTextures=209715200
cvMaxAllowedParticlesCountTime=0.2
cvMaxAllowedParticlesCount=2000
cvMaxAllowedGrassTime=1.5
OcclusionQueryAdditionalMemory=20
cvMaxAllowedDecalsSS=160
GrassDensity=3400
DecalsSpawnDistanceCutoff=20
TextureStreamingHeadsDistanceLimit=20
GlobalOceanTesselationFactor=128
TextureStreamingCharacterDistanceLimit=70
CascadeShadowFadeTreshold=1
CascadeShadowDistanceScale2=1.5
TextureStreamingDistanceLimit=60000
MaxCascadeCount=4
TextureMemoryBudget=2400
CascadeShadowDistanceScale3=1.5
MeshLODDistanceScale=0
ScaleformTextureUnstreamDelay=2.5
DecalsChance=1
TerrainReadAheadDistance=600
HairWorksLevel=2
TerrainScreenSpaceErrorThreshold=1.6
MaxTerrainShadowAtlasCount=4
TextureInFlightCountBudget=12
TerrainErrorMetricMultiplier=4
CascadeShadowmapSize=3072
CascadeShadowDistanceScale0=1
MeshRenderingDistanceScale=1
CascadeShadowQuality=1
CascadeShadowDistanceScale1=1
UseDynamicWaterSimulation=true
LimitFPS=0
GrassGenerationEfficiency=0.075
GrassDistanceScale=1
FoliageDistanceScale=1
FoliageShadowDistanceScale=64
GrassRingSize=16777216
MaxVisibilityDepth=24
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