Hello, Title pretty much says it all.

I'm thinking of buying a gog.com key of the game from a local shop. Can I use this key to download the game and keep it updated with patches and DLC from Steam? Or do I do all that from gog.com?

If all of that is done through gog.com, can i atleast add the game to Steam to see how many hours I've played the game and to talk to my friends with the Steam overlay etc.?

Also, how does one update the game through gog.com when all I get is an .exe file for the game?

Thank you kindly
Daniel

Since very recently, GOG has an optional client, called Galaxy. The client is still in beta stage and not perfect yet but will update your game and measure the time you play just like Steam. You should still be able to add the game to Steam so you can use its overlay, just like you'd do with any other non-Steam game, but you won't get the updates via Steam, of course.

If you're unsure about using GOG's client, you could download Galaxy and a few of GOG's free games to test it before buying The Witcher 3. If you buy the game on GOG but don't want to use the client, you will have to download all updates manually via your browser or download manager directly from the website (see example in the attached screenshot below). If you buy a GOG key from somewhere else than GOG, use caution, as GOG usually doesn't distribute keys to other sellers and there are currently fraudulent activities going on that made GOG disable the gifting option for Witcher 3 (not sure, but it could affect redeeming your key here, possibly preventing it for the time being).

Welcome to gog.com. I hope you decide to stay and purchase more video games from gog.com, gog.com sells 100% Digital Rights Management (DRM) free PC versions of video games, which you do not rent like on Steam.

You can add any non-steam game to the Steam Client and launch it from there.

That way you will have the steam overlay and talk to friends.

I don't know if it records play time.

Witcher 3 will be updated via GoG, though the game may update itself (guys help me out here)

There is the GoG galaxy client in beta, which will work like the Steam client and update games for you.

You are better off with Witcher from GoG, it is directly linked to the developers and will help release the strangle hold Valve has on the PC market.

Also we're nicer here... and have cake

You download the game and keep it update and all from gog
You can "add a non-steam game" to steam, allowing you to use the overlay. I don't think it will track the time play though, but I haven't use steam in years, so I may be mistaken
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=2219-YDJV-5557
As for updates, you do it the same way you could update most games until a few years ago: you download a patch file, run it, and it's done. Alternatively, you can use galaxy to do that the same way steam does - automatically, although galaxy is in beta, which means their may be bugs.

I don't think it has any in-game update option, if that's what you are asking. (I think some earlier Witcher game had that, at least at first?)

So the options to update the GOG version will be either to update it through the Galaxy client, or download and apply any patches manually that GOG will provide,

Then again, I am unsure if GOG will provide separate patch installers for the non-Galaxy version, or if they simply provide the whole installer updated to the latest patch level? Which might mean you'd have to reinstall the whole game in order to get the latest fixes, if you don't want to use Galaxy. Has there been any confirmation about this yet?

Then again, the prelaunch patch was provided as a separate patch, so maybe they'll keep churning out manual patch installers too. But there are some other GOG games that didn't receive separate patches, but the whole installer was updated instead.

Thanks for the quick replies!

I'm probably going to try the galaxy client a bit.

The problem, not really a problem I guess but still, is that I have all my other games and my friends I play with on Steam.
I would really like to be able to use only one platform/client for all my games, it's just easier for me to have everything and all in one long list in one place.
Ohh and I want to get the achievements for The Witcher 3 too!

But as said, I will try the galaxy client with a few games now, who knows, maybe I like it!

Oh wait, what if I would buy the physical deluxe version of the game? Where do I activate that key, steam, gog?

I'm not gonna buy a key from a shop then if it may be fraudulent. Not worth risking it.

Thanks a ton, again!

GOG (meaning, you get an additional GOG key for the downloadable version). I am not aware of an option to activate the retail version on Steam.

You can keep playing the video games you purchased from Steam on Steam. People are not forcing you to use gog.com and GoG Galaxy exclusively, but we need to break Steam's monopoly it will get worse if all PC versions of video games are sold on Steam only.

It might be hard to get used to using 2 clients or 3 clients, but we cannot allow Steam to sell all PC versions of video games exclusively

You will start loving using gog.com. I have been using gog.com since 2011. You actually feel like you own the PC versions of video games that you purchase from gog.com. On Steam you only rent video games that you purchase. On gog.com you actually own them all.

The physical boxed version of the PC version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt comes with a gog.com key. There is no Steam key.

Tell all of your friends about gog.com.

Galaxy supports achievements. So far only the Witcher games have them (except Witcher 1), but more will likely be added as more features are added to Galaxy and it moves out of beta.

Alright, I've made up my mind-

Buying the game here and using it with the galaxy client.

Thanks for all the kind replies! Very much appriciated!

Some people have trouble with Galaxy, maybe go for the standalone installers instead?

Excellent :)

Just don't forget to launch the client before playing to track time (since it is not required, it won't start automatically like Steam would)

You can add it to the steam client but it WON'T track game time.