The Witcher 3 Remastered launched on September 29 across PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 as a free upgrade for existing owners, but it seems like you may not need to own a copy to grab it on Switch 2. Reddit user Erik_REF posted on r/gaming claiming that they inserted an original physical Switch cartridge of The Witcher 3 into a Switch 2, got the free remastered upgrade, and then gave the same cartridge to their brother, who was able to claim his own free digital copy.
X user Wario64 made the trick popular, and other players on Reddit forums like r/NintendoSwitch2 have since tested and verified that it works. On top of that, once the remaster is claimed, the original cartridge is no longer required to play it, meaning the digital upgrade stays permanently on your Switch 2. Effectively, that means the cartridge could be borrowed, claimed, and passed along to anyone else, no matter how many times, with each new borrower able to claim their own digital copy.
CD Projekt Red hasn't made any statement on the behaviour, and it seems very unlikely that it will be patched out given how the entitlement system for the free upgrade works. That said, the Witcher 3 remastered is not a simple visual enhancement. CD Projekt Red updated the skill system, animations, combat, and the game's overall feel.
The reworked game broke The Witcher 3's all-time Steam concurrent player record within hours of launch, reaching over 120,000 concurrent players and surpassing the previous peak set in January 2020 after Netflix's Witcher series premiere. Additionally, the remaster also sets up Songs of the Past, a paid $40 expansion CD Projekt Red has confirmed for next year.
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For now, there is no news of the trick being patched, meaning anyone with access to an old physical Switch copy of the game has a pretty simple way to add the remastered version to their library and share it for free with others.
