It’s shocking to realise that Hogwarts Legacy was released more than two years ago. For a game with so much chatter and hype around it, it went rather quiet after the first month or so. Now, it’s time for a small resurgence with the release of a version for Nintendo Switch 2… maybe. Hogwarts Legacy played well enough on the original Nintendo Switch, but with plenty of limitations that the original console brought, much like Pokémon Scarlet/Violet.

I’ve played Hogwarts Legacy on Xbox Series X as well, so it was only fitting to see how the new console managed to handle it, and was it worth playing on the new console. The short answer is yes. That may be a bit of a spoiler, but I’m not going to beat around the bush with a port of a two year old game. So, let’s talk about why I believe it’s worth it. I want to tackle some of the key parts first, like how it plays differently than the Nintendo Switch, and how it compares to the modern generation consoles.

First of all, the actual controls. One of the biggest hassles with Nintendo Switch was that any sort of fast-paced “shooter” didn’t lend itself well to the Joy-Con. Hogwarts Legacy wasn’t an issue in terms of precision, the same way an FPS was like Borderlands 3. Instead, it was the fact that to be effective, you needed to turn down the sensitivity a fair bit because it was hard to keep your focus on one enemy during a battle. This was extra difficult in handheld, it was just because of the limitations on the movement of the thumbsticks on the original Joy-Cons, but this issue isn’t anywhere near as annoying now with the Nintendo Switch 2. On top of this, you can use the Nintendo Switch 2 mouse controls to have even more control over the camera.

Visually, Hogwarts Legacy received a massive overhaul. From a game that could barely manage to load with low-res characters looking like goblins, and goblins looking like.. Well, nothing really. The fact that this feels a lot more on par, both in how it looks and how quickly it can load, with the current generation makes this a completely viable and justifiable version of the game to buy. Of course, the music and voices are still absolutely top tier; you wouldn’t expect anything less from a series as big as this. This goes for playing handheld as well; it still looks great with what feels like nearly no difference from my TV and playing very comfortably, although slightly limited by the Switch 2 battery.

To summerise, this may have been a rather quick run-through of this updated version of Hogwarts Legacy, but it’s hard to say much; this is the game as it was meant to be played. It’s not perfect, it never was on any console, but this is the perfect version to play if it’s your only option, and if you struggled through it on Switch, it will feel like an entirely different game on Switch 2. A great port that can easily breathe new life into a very fun game.

 

Graphics: 8.0 There are some small, slightly lower resolution segments that pop up throughout the game on any console, but for the most part, this is on par with the best experience visually that Hogwarts Legacy can offer on any console.	Gameplay: 9.5 Load times? Fixed. Joy-con limitations? Non-existent. A ton of fun? Absolutely! Everything you need for the full experience that all other consoles have had is right here.
Sound: 10 The voice acting, music, and ambient sounds were already outstanding; there’s no real change here and nothing to complain about.	Fun Factor: 9.0 If you want to experience this massive world at home, on the go, on the sofa, in the bathroom, and anywhere else, the definitive experience is finally available with the Switch 2.
Final Verdict: 9.0

Hogwarts Legacy is available now on Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S.

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch 2.

A copy of Hogwarts Legacy was provided by the publisher.