No one is currently running Hairworks in Witcher 3 after the latest update.
No one is currently running Hairworks in Witcher 3 after the latest update.
You're observing some interesting differences with your setup. It seems the more detailed settings like overall quality and AA perform better on your AMD card, while disabling them causes performance drops. Turning off Hairworks AA appears to impact stability or visuals noticeably. Others have shared similar experiences—do you want to discuss possible reasons or workarounds?
They expanded the configuration choices so users who struggled with Hairworks before due to performance issues can now access some advantages. I test all settings at full capacity, but it doesn’t impact my stats since I’m using a 980Ti. One change that affected me was enabling v sync after the update—it caused a sudden drop to around 40fps in busy sections, then switched off v sync and reached 60fps or higher consistently.
Hairworks appears best on a high-resolution screen when you disable AA. The strands look too delicate for a 1080p display, making it seem quite poor quality. However, when I run it with high settings and my overclocked graphics card, I get around 50+ frames per second, especially for games like Witcher at full resolution. Turning on Hairworks slows down the game to about 12fps during scenes with Geralt, which is still not ideal but manageable.
No, I did not alter the tessellation in the catalyst control center.
I really appreciate the additional options that came with the update. I pushed everything to its limit and turned off all AA features on a 4K display. I wasn’t expecting any change, but they definitely enhanced the visuals. Still, my average performance remains around 50 FPS on 4K.
I applied it on my 770, but at low or medium levels without AA it seems to not work well.
It doesn't just appear less attractive than Hairworks—it also lowers your performance. I'm one of the slowest players ever; after 47 hours I finally completed White Orchid+ Vizima castle.
I've only observed significant problems in specific lighting situations.
The updated Hairworks settings don't improve upon the original version. It only lets you adjust the AA or Preset levels. Even at full capacity, it behaves the same as before. I personally don't like the standard hair styles. Hairworks makes a significant impact on characters like Geralt, animals, and monsters. For AMD graphics cards, I recommend checking the Catalyst Control Centre and setting Tessellation to x16 instead of x64—it should be nearly identical yet offer better performance. Video examples show Hairworks applied to a Cyclops and a Pack of Wolves. This feature was available on an older Patch 1.04 version.