Hogwarts Legacy–the massive open-world RPG set in the Harry Potter universe–has finally arrived on the Nintendo Switch. But unfortunately, it seems that players exploring Hogwarts Castle and the rest of the game’s detailed environs aren’t quite feeling the magic, in part because of a major gameplay limitation that’s exclusive to the Switch version of the game: The open-world isn’t actually open.
One of the game’s biggest selling points when it launched for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC earlier this year was its near-seamless open-world exploration, but anyone playing the game on Switch will be met with a vastly different experience than players on other platforms. Switch players are reportedly experiencing a large number of loading screens when traveling from place to place. Even the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game (which launched back in May) don’t have these limitations in place, so Switch players are understandably frustrated. They’re also experiencing other issues, like dialogue lines not playing correctly and subtitles disappearing.
The SwitchUp YouTube channel posted a side-by-side gameplay comparison to give players a better idea of how the Hogwarts Legacy’s Switch port holds up against its performance on other platforms. The comparison revealed that Switch players will encounter a loading screen every single time they attempt to visit the nearby village of Hogsmeade, enter a shop, or otherwise leave the main gameplay area, with these loading screens lasting anywhere from 30 seconds to nearly a minute. Still, all the other core gameplay elements are there, so patient players (or those who simply prefer to use a Switch) may find that the loading screens don’t put too much of a damper on their gameplay experience.
Poorly performing Switch ports are nothing new–the hardware has its limitations, and developers often have to sacrifice one feature to save another, especially when porting large open-world games to Nintendo’s popular, versatile console. It seems that Hogwarts Legacy was no exception to this rule, and all things considered, loading screens are a fairly small price to pay for decent-looking graphics. Overall, the game seems to perform fairly well on the Switch, and one look at the Mortal Kombat 1 Switch port is all it takes to see that things certainly could have been worse.
Hogwarts Legacy is developed by Avalanche Software, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The game has been embroiled in controversy due to transphobic remarks from Harry Potter author JK Rowling. Although she is not personally involved with its development, she stands to profit from its success. For more, read our in-depth article on how Rowling’s comments have impacted the trans community. In this article, you will also find links to trans creators you can support, as well as charities you can donate to.
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