RefinedPT - The Path Tracing Performance Overhaul (Remastered)

RefinedPT - The Path Tracing Performance Overhaul (Remastered)

Path Tracing. More FPS. More choice. One simple in-game setting.

RefinedPT is a performance-focused Path Tracing overhaul for The Witcher 3 Remastered DX12, created and tested by Refined.

The goal is simple:

Keep Path Tracing enabled, substantially reduce its performance cost, preserve as much of the original Path Traced presentation as possible — and now, if you have the GPU power to spare, push Path Tracing beyond Vanilla.

With V1. 2, RefinedPT gives you four live Path Tracing profiles directly inside the game.

Settings > Video > Graphics > RefinedPT Mode

and choose exactly how you want Path Tracing to behave.

No external configuration tool.

No collection of shader files.

No technical bounce-count tweaking.

Just one setting.

NEW IN V1. 2 - VANILLA ENHANCED

V1. 2 expands RefinedPT beyond performance optimization alone.

The new Vanilla Enhanced profile pushes the Path Tracing renderer beyond the stock Vanilla configuration by increasing the main geometry Path Tracing bounce depth from 2 to 4, while retaining Vanilla hair Path Tracing and the original radiance behaviour.

That means RefinedPT can now work in both directions:

Recover major performance with Performance or Balanced.

Return to the original renderer with Vanilla.

Push Path Tracing beyond stock with Vanilla Enhanced.

All from one setting.

No reinstalling.

No restarting.

FOUR LIVE PATH TRACING PRESETS

RefinedPT is integrated directly into The Witcher 3's own Graphics menu.

Choose between four live profiles:

Performance - Default

The highest-performance proven RefinedPT profile.

Performance reduces expensive Path Tracing work while retaining RefinedPT's tuned indirect-light compensation to preserve as much of the overall PT presentation as possible.

It is enabled by default on a fresh installation, so you should immediately experience the performance benefit after installing RefinedPT.

This mode is intended for players who want the strongest proven FPS improvement RefinedPT offers while still keeping Path Tracing enabled.

Geometry Path Tracing: 1 bounce

Hair Path Tracing: 1 bounce

Tuned indirect-light compensation: 1. 10

Balanced

Balanced keeps RefinedPT's primary geometry Path Tracing optimization while restoring Vanilla-quality hair Path Tracing.

This is designed for players who want more of the original Path Traced presentation while still retaining a substantial portion of RefinedPT's performance improvement.

Geometry Path Tracing: 1 bounce

Hair Path Tracing: 4 bounces

Tuned indirect-light compensation: 1. 10

Vanilla

Vanilla restores the game's original Path Tracing bounce behaviour and radiance path.

Use this whenever you want the full stock Path Tracing presentation without uninstalling RefinedPT.

Geometry Path Tracing: 2 bounces

Hair Path Tracing: 4 bounces

Original Vanilla radiance behaviour

Vanilla Enhanced

New in V1. 2.

Vanilla Enhanced is for players who want to go in the opposite direction and push Path Tracing beyond the stock game.

It doubles the main geometry Path Tracing bounce depth from Vanilla's 2 bounces to 4, allowing additional Path Tracing work for users who have GPU performance to spare.

Unlike the performance profiles, Vanilla Enhanced does not use RefinedPT's indirect-light compensation.

It performs the additional Path Tracing work directly while retaining the original Vanilla radiance behaviour.

Geometry Path Tracing: 4 bounces

Hair Path Tracing: 4 bounces

Original Vanilla radiance behaviour

This is deliberately the most demanding RefinedPT profile.

It exists for players who want higher-than-stock Path Tracing quality, not higher FPS.

All four presets switch live.

Change the setting, return to gameplay, and the renderer responds immediately.

Your chosen preset is also remembered between game launches.

You can freely move between:

Performance

Balanced

Vanilla

Vanilla Enhanced

whenever you want.

PERFORMANCE

Path Tracing in The Witcher 3 Remastered is extremely demanding, particularly in interiors and scenes with heavy indirect lighting.

RefinedPT targets one of the largest costs in the Path Tracing pipeline while keeping