On PC, open Options → Video → Graphics and set NVIDIA HairWorks to Geralt Only or All. Start with Geralt Only: it adds the effect to the character most players watch most closely, without enabling it across every supported creature. Menu labels can vary between game versions and DirectX modes; consoles do not offer the same selectable HairWorks control.
What HairWorks does
NVIDIA HairWorks is a graphics feature for rendering and animating hair and fur. In The Witcher 3, it can affect Geralt’s hair and beard, Roach’s mane, other horses, and supported monsters and animals. It is not applied to every creature in the game, and it does not change gameplay, character statistics, equipment, or quests.
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The original implementation uses tessellated strands with dynamic movement, lighting, and shadowing. NVIDIA’s technical guide documented roughly 10,000–40,000 strands on enhanced models at combat distances, with higher counts in close-ups; it cited about 30,000 strands for Geralt’s hair and roughly 6,000 for his beard. Those are historical technical specifications, not performance promises for current hardware or game builds. NVIDIA’s Witcher 3 graphics guide explains the feature and its original implementation.
HairWorks is a PC graphics option, not a ray-tracing setting. It is NVIDIA technology, but an NVIDIA graphics card should not be assumed to be mandatory in every game build. Compatibility and performance can differ by GPU, driver, and renderer, so test it on the system you actually use.
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How to turn HairWorks on
- Launch the PC version of The Witcher 3 and open the main menu or pause menu.
- Select Options → Video → Graphics. Depending on the build or language, the route may appear as Options → Video Settings → Graphics or simply Options → Graphics.
- Find NVIDIA HairWorks among the graphics controls. Choose Geralt Only or All.
- If available, set NVIDIA HairWorks AA, then apply the changes and return to the game.
- Compare the result in a close, well-lit view of Geralt or while riding Roach. Use the same scene to judge both image quality and performance.
The graphics menu can differ across classic and next-generation builds, launchers, and DirectX modes. Look in the Graphics subsection rather than expecting one fixed menu layout. The PC manual directs technical questions to CD PROJEKT RED support rather than documenting every graphics control.
What Off, Geralt Only, and All mean
| Setting | Effect | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| Off | Disables HairWorks. | Lowest HairWorks cost, troubleshooting, or prioritizing frame pacing. |
| Geralt Only | Applies HairWorks primarily to Geralt’s hair and beard. | Most players seeking a visible upgrade without the full cost. |
| All | Extends the effect to Geralt, Roach, horses, and supported creatures and monsters. | Systems with spare GPU headroom, or players who value the added detail across supported models. |
NVIDIA documents these three choices in its original configuration guide. “All” means all supported HairWorks models, not every animal, NPC, or monster.
How to choose HairWorks anti-aliasing
NVIDIA HairWorks AA smooths the rendered strands. Start with the in-game default. If the frame rate drops sharply, try 0 or 2; use 4 if the system has headroom and strand shimmer is distracting. The 8 setting is most appropriate for high-end systems or screenshots.
NVIDIA’s historical guide maps the configuration values to HairWorksAALevel= in the [Rendering] section: 8 for 8x MSAA, 4 for 4x, 2 for 2x, and 0 for disabled. Treat that as version-sensitive documentation, not a universal edit recipe: classic and next-generation builds may use different configuration files or locations. Prefer the in-game control. If you need to edit a file, close the game first, identify the configuration for your exact build, and make a backup before changing it.
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HairWorks can be demanding because the game renders and simulates many strands. In original-release testing, NVIDIA reported a little over 10 FPS lost in an open-world scene with Geralt and Roach, around 15–20 FPS in combat scenes with multiple HairWorks-enabled actors, and about 13 FPS associated with a high-detail Geralt close-up. These are NVIDIA’s historical results from the original PC release, not benchmarks for modern GPUs, the next-generation update, or every current patch.
The cost varies with resolution, GPU, driver, game version, DirectX mode, HairWorks AA level, and the number of nearby supported characters. A single Geralt model may be manageable while a fight with several affected creatures is not. Judge the effect by frame-time consistency as well as average FPS.
Which setting should you use?
| Situation | Starting point |
|---|---|
| Low- or mid-range GPU | Off or Geralt Only; reduce HairWorks AA if needed. |
| Modern mainstream GPU | Geralt Only first, then test All in a demanding scene. |
| High-end GPU | Test All, but keep it only if frame times remain acceptable. |
| Laptop or handheld | Start Off; test Geralt Only at your intended frame-rate cap. |
| Ray tracing, high resolution, or high refresh rate is the priority | Consider Off if HairWorks competes with the settings or frame pacing you value more. |
If performance suffers, reduce settings in this order: change All to Geralt Only; lower or disable HairWorks AA; turn HairWorks off if frame pacing is still poor. Only then consider reducing unrelated options such as foliage, shadows, or ray tracing.
How to test whether it is worth keeping
- Load a save near a repeatable location and note your resolution, DirectX mode, ray-tracing state, upscaler and quality mode, and current frame-rate cap.
- In a well-lit area, stand close enough to see Geralt’s hair or beard. Compare HairWorks Off with Geralt Only from the same camera position.
- Test All by riding Roach through an open area, then, if practical, by fighting a creature with visible hair or fur.
- Record average FPS and one-percent-low FPS or frame-time consistency for each pass. Keep the location, weather where possible, camera position, and combat conditions alike.
- Look for more defined strands, movement with wind and motion, and added beard or mane shading. Also watch for lower frame rates or frame-time spikes.
The effect is easiest to judge at close range. Distance, poor lighting, or headgear can make it hard to see, and a menu screenshot alone does not establish how it looks in play.
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HairWorks originated as a DirectX 11-focused GameWorks feature. The next-generation release added a DirectX 12 path and other modern graphics features, but that history does not establish identical HairWorks behavior in both renderers. If the control is missing, broken, or unusually slow in one mode, try the other mode offered by your installation and compare. Renderer behavior can depend on the specific game build and updates.
CD PROJEKT RED’s published PC requirements distinguish DirectX 11 minimum and recommended configurations from higher DirectX 12 tiers. They include, for example, a GTX 660 or Radeon HD 7870 and 6 GB RAM for the listed DX11 minimum, and a GTX 970 or Radeon RX 480 and 8 GB RAM for the listed DX12 High tier. These are overall game requirements, not a HairWorks-specific minimum or proof that the feature will perform well at those tiers. CDPR says Windows 7 and Windows 8 support ended on May 21, 2024.
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CDPR separately describes revised minimum requirements as an upcoming change: Windows 11, 12 GB RAM, a GTX 1660 or Radeon RX 5500 XT 8 GB, 6 GB VRAM, a 70 GB SSD, and DirectX 12 only. The notice labels this as a future change, so do not treat it as the current universal requirement unless CDPR’s notice has since taken effect; check the upcoming requirements notice for its current status.
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HairWorks is missing
- Confirm you are playing on PC; consoles do not expose the same selectable control.
- Check the Graphics subsection, not Display, and allow the menu to load fully.
- Restart the game and check whether the setting appears in another available DirectX mode.
- Temporarily disable graphics-modifying mods. If the control remains absent, verify or repair the game files through your launcher.
- Back up the relevant user graphics configuration before resetting it; file names and locations can differ by build.
The game crashes after enabling it
- Set HairWorks to Off and restart the game.
- Update the graphics driver; CD PROJEKT RED recommends keeping drivers current for hardware compatibility.
- Verify the game files, then temporarily disable overlays, graphics injectors, and graphics mods.
- Test Geralt Only with HairWorks AA disabled. If the issue appears limited to one renderer, test the alternative DirectX mode.
CD PROJEKT RED’s requirements and support page includes its driver guidance.
Hair looks stiff, corrupted, or unchanged
- Confirm the change was applied, then inspect Geralt’s hair or beard close up in good light.
- Test Roach or a known furred creature when using All; not every model supports HairWorks.
- Check whether a graphics mod conflicts, and compare the other available DirectX mode.
- If the visual problem persists with mods disabled and settings reapplied, turn HairWorks off rather than assuming the effect is functioning normally.
Frame rate drops or stutters
Use the same save and scene for Off, Geralt Only, and All. If the loss is largest during combat, that is consistent with the greater number of affected actors in view; NVIDIA’s original testing also found larger costs in multi-actor combat than in its open-world example. Reduce the scope to Geralt Only, lower AA, or disable HairWorks before sacrificing unrelated image-quality settings.
HairWorks is not ray tracing
HairWorks is a hair-and-fur simulation and rendering feature. Ray tracing is a separate rendering system, so turning one on does not automatically enable the other. They can both draw on GPU performance, which is why it is useful to record ray-tracing state when comparing HairWorks settings.
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