"The Witcher" fans rejoice, CD Projekt Red is developing a next-generation version of The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt for PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. Even better, the game will be free to anyone who owns the PC, Xbox One, or PS4 versions of the game.

The Polish game developer, which is currently working on "Cyberpunk 2077," has announced that the next-generation console version of its hit open-world medieval fantasy role-playing game will include ray tracing to improve loading times. That means taking advantage of the powerful hardware of next-generation game consoles and powerful PCs with Nvidia's GeForce RTX 3080.

The Witcher 3, released in 2015, was a stunningly beautiful game. In recent years, games like "Red Dead Redemption 2" have surpassed it, but it still looks great today.

But a year earlier, at E3 2014, "The Witcher 3" looked even better when it was shown in a "vertical cut" demo. However, such demos are separate from the full game and are often used to showcase an idealized version of the game.

With enhanced graphics and ray tracing, the next-generation version of The Witcher 3 could achieve the visual splendor of the virtual slice demo. As a free upgrade to those who already own the game, it is an attractive prospect.

CD Projekt Red plans to do the same with "Cyberpunk 2077" for the PS5 and Xbox Series X: those who purchase the game for the current consoles this fall will also receive a free upgrade.

No word yet on when this new version of "The Witcher 3" will be available. However, it will most likely be released after Cyberpunk 2077, which is scheduled for release on November 19. In other words, an upgraded version of The Witcher 3 is expected to appear in the first half of 2021.