Hogwarts Legacy

Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world role-playing game set in the magical world of the 19th century. A custom character attends Hogwarts and explores the castle, surroundings and magical secrets. Learning, magic duels and quests in a freely explorable game world are at the core of the game.

Hogwarts Legacy was released on Feb 10, 2023. Further versions followed for older consoles and two Nintendo systems. Since June 2025, there has been a version for the Switch 2.

Native versions have been released for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The Switch 2 version is standalone and technically improved.

The player character attends Hogwarts, learns spells, brews potions and explores the open game world. Combat, puzzles and developing your own abilities are part of the game.

Additional game content includes the Dark Arts Pack and cosmetic items. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes the add-on pack. After the original release, a photo mode and the option to reset talents were added.

Steam lists minimum requirements as Core i5-6600 or Ryzen 5 1400, 16 GB RAM, GTX 960 (4 GB) or Radeon RX 470, and 85 GB storage. For 1080p at high settings, the store recommends Core i7-8700 or Ryzen 5 3600 and GTX 1080 Ti, RX 5700 XT or Arc A770. DirectX 12 is required, and an SSD is recommended.

The custom main character starts Hogwarts unusually late, in fifth year. They have a connection to ancient magic and investigate a secret that could endanger the wizarding world. Allies, lessons and conflicts with dark wizards accompany the story.

Combat is based on learned spells and how they are combined. During the adventure, the main character encounters trolls, dark wizards and goblins, among others. Talents expand abilities and open up different playstyles.

Hogwarts Castle, Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest and the surrounding highlands form one connected open world. Beyond the main story, you can discover new places, quests and secrets. The school of magic is therefore more than just a backdrop.

The player character is sorted into one of the four Hogwarts houses and learns new magic in class. Potion making, plants and caring for magical creatures complement exploration and combat. A talent system allows you to specialize your own playstyle.

The Switch 2 version, released on June 5, 2025, uses DLSS, improved lighting and enhanced animations, according to WB Games. Shorter loading times, smoother transitions to Hogsmeade, faster broom flights and mouse controls with Joy-Con 2 set it apart from the original Switch version. Save data can be transferred from Switch to Switch 2 once.

Since early 2025, the PC version has officially supported mods. Players can use community-made content or create their own via the built-in mod browser and a separate Creator Kit. The officially announced modding support applies to the PC version, not the console versions.

The RPG is designed for one player and has no regular co-op or online multiplayer mode. On PC, Steam lists German text and German voice-over as well as many other languages. The Switch 2 version also supports German and can be played in handheld or TV mode.

Character development involves more than learning new attack spells. Players brew potions, grow magical plants and look after creatures. Brooms can be used to explore the landscape. These systems complement combat and form a core part of the exploration and progression system.

The Standard Edition includes the full base game. The Digital Deluxe Edition combines the game with additional cosmetic items and a special combat arena. The add-on pack is also offered separately, depending on the platform.

The PC version offers adjustable font sizes, camera comfort options, separate volume sliders and voiced menus. Gamepad control is also supported. The systems allow the presentation and controls to be adapted to different needs.

An update with NVIDIA DLSS 5 and 3D-Guided Neural Rendering is announced for the PC version on Nov 5, 2026. According to NVIDIA, the technology adds lighting and material detail based on data supplied by the game engine. Avalanche Software can fine-tune the visuals using SDK tools.

NVIDIA lists GeForce RTX 50, GeForce NOW and RTX Spark as supported environments. At the same time, existing DLSS features are to be refreshed. The images and performance figures come from the manufacturer; independent test results for the update were not yet available at the time of announcement.