What is the best settings for Hogwarts Legacy on Xbox Series X|S and PS5?

WB Games' upcoming fantasy role-playing game, Hogwarts Legacy, is easily one of, if not the, most highly anticipated games of 2023. Fans have been asking for a mainline Potterverse title for more than a decade, and while there have been a few movie tie-in Harry Potter games in the past, nothing comes close to matching the scope and ambition of Hogwarts Legacy.

Avalanche Games developed Hogwarts Legacy and, despite sharing the same setting as the Potterverse novels (Harry Potter and the spin-off, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), is set a hundred years before the events depicted in the books. As such, players will be able to visit the Wizarding World of the past, with lush green valleys, bustling towns, and a labyrinthine Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Hogwarts Legacy also has the advantage of releasing on the new current-generation consoles alongside PC, allowing the game to deliver some truly breathtaking visuals, even on the compact and relatively low-powered Xbox Series S. Here's a comprehensive guide breaking down all the graphics and performance options for Hogwarts Legacy on consoles as well as the best settings to enjoy your adventure in the Wizarding World.

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All Hogwarts Legacy graphics options available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S

In contrast to certain recent open-world games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Dying Light 2, which offer varying graphical settings based on console hardware, Hogwarts Legacy stands out by providing consistent graphical options across all three current-generation consoles.

Whether playing on the Xbox Series S, PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X, players can enjoy the same range of five graphical settings. This approach ensures that players on different consoles have access to a comparable visual experience, promoting a more inclusive gaming environment. Hogwarts Legacy sets a standard of graphical parity among consoles, prioritizing consistent gameplay and visual quality for all players.

Graphics modes on Xbox Series S (Image via Avalanche Games)

The five graphics options available to players are as follows:

• Fidelity Mode: A high-fidelity rendering mode favoring resolution and graphical quality.
• Fidelity With Raytracing: A higher-fidelity rendering mode featuring Raytracing.
• Performance: A high-framerate mode favoring performance.
• Balanced: A rendering mode that balances resolution, graphical quality, and performance. It will only work on supported monitors with VRR.
• HFR Performance: An ultra-high framerate mode favoring maximum performance. It will only work on supported monitors with VRR.

Suffice it to say, players on the newer consoles have many options to play around with, giving them complete control over how they want to experience the mystical world of Hogwarts. By default, the game starts in the "Fidelity" mode, which locks the framerate to 30fps, but bumps up the output resolution to 1800p (with upsampling) on PS5 and Xbox Series X and 1188p on Xbox Series S.

PlayStation 5 graphics modes (Image via Avalanche Games)

The Fidelity mode is best for players who do not want to compromise the game's visual clarity and are comfortable with a locked 30fps experience. Switching to "Balanced" mode, the framerate is bumped up to 40fps, locked on Xbox Series X and PS5 with the resolution locked at 1800p, whereas, on Xbox Series S, the resolution is knocked down to 1080p (with upscaling) with a somewhat unstable 40fps.

The Balanced mode is an excellent alternative for players who want a slightly better framerate but at the cost of losing a bit of visual clarity. In "Performance" mode, all consoles target 60fps, with the resolution taking a massive hit, getting knocked down to 1440p on PS5 and Series X, whereas 900p on Series S. making it the best setting for players who prioritize performance over anything else.

The game also supports HFR (high frame rate) modes, but only on PS5 and Xbox Series X, for VRR (variable refresh rate) capable displays, allowing players to achieve higher framerates without sacrificing much in terms of visuals. With "HFR Performance," players can expect to be above 60fps (~80fps average) at 1080p (without dynamic resolution).

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Hogwarts Legacy is scheduled to release on February 10, 2023, with early access for Deluxe Edition owners already live on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store). The last-generation console, i.e., the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Hogwarts Legacy, are due for release on April 4, 2023.