Hogwarts Legacyis enjoying a great deal of praise when it comes to the PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X versions of the game, but the upcoming PS4, Switch, and Xbox One versions may struggle due to outdated hardware.Hogwarts Legacyreviewshave been largely positive, with the game available to play now in early access and enjoying its full release on PC and next-gen platforms beginning February 10.
The original plan was for all versions ofHogwarts Legacyto release on the same day, but then the decision was made to delay the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One versions of theopen worldHarry Pottergame. This way, the developers could focus on ensuring that all versions of the game lived up to expectations. Because of the delay, PS4 and Xbox One gamers have to wait until April 4 to playHogwarts Legacy, while those on Switch have to wait all the way until July 25 to get their hands on the game.
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The versions ofHogwarts Legacycoming to older hardware are going to have a major obstacle ahead of them: the load times.Hogwarts Legacyis designed in a way that encourages players to fast-travel frequently.Hogwarts Legacyhas dozens of fast-travel pointsand players often need to zip from one to the other to talk to different characters and reach areas to progress quests. Every time one fast-travels inHogwarts Legacy, it triggers a loading screen. This isn’t a big deal on PS5 and Xbox Series X hardware because of their lightning-fast load times, but it could prove to be a huge problem when the game comes to PS4, Switch, and Xbox One later this year.
Now, that doesn’t mean that the load times inHogwarts Legacyare guaranteed to be a problem when the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One versions of the game launch later in 2023. It’s entirely possible that the ports ofHogwarts Legacyon older consoles will run perfectly fine. However, it’s hard to see how it’s going to accomplish this without making some serious concessions, whether that includes a graphics downgrade or some other change.
Perhaps theHogwarts Legacyrelease date delayfor the PS4, Switch, and Xbox One versions of the game will allow it to avoid having too many issues with fast-traveling and load times, but that remains to be seen. Fans that want a guaranteed smooth experience withHogwarts Legacywill want to consider picking up the PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X version of the game instead if they have the means.
Hogwarts Legacylaunches February 10 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X, April 4 for PS4 and Xbox One, and July 25 for Switch.
