Some very unofficial Hogwarts Legacy Switch gameplay has leaked, and everyone's wondering what sort of Dark Magic is being used to make it look so good.
As is being discussed on Reddit, someone managed to get their hands on a copy of Hogwarts Legacy on Switch ahead of its November 14 release date, and they recorded a video of the open-world behemoth running shockingly smoothly on Nintendo's mobile hardware. Check it out:
Granted, the footage wasn't recorded directly from the Switch, potentially making it easier to gloss right over frame rate dips and other technical issues, but this is a flattering video for Hogwarts Legacy's Switch port regardless. In fact, I'd argue this is a moment of redemption for the Switch version after it was mercilessly mocked with comparisons to the PS1 Hagrid meme.
Switch ports of big AAA games are wildly unpredictable things. Recently, Rockstar's Red Dead Redemption introduction on Switch was slammed for charging fans $50 for a basic port, while Mortal Kombat 1 on Switch was skewered at launch over a variety of technical issues. Meanwhile, games like Alien: Isolation, Dragon Quest 11, and The Witcher 3 run beautifully on Switch despite the dips in visual fidelity.
"Kinda reminds me of Witcher 3 or Doom 2016 in the 'what black magic did they pull to get this running' category of Switch games," says whatnameisnttaken098.
"I've always felt that the fact they didn't rush it out with the other versions was a positive sign that they were willing to put in the time to get it to work with the Switch's limitations," says NotTakenGreatName.
"That looks... good? Honestly can't believe it's running at all," says risingsynth.
And so on. Hogwarts Legacy on Switch still has a lot to prove, and the ultimate test will be when it launches next week, but for now there's a lot of reason for Wizarding World fans to be optimistic for the first mobile version of the game.
The release of Hogwarts Legacy has been the subject of criticism and debate due to J.K. Rowling's public stance on gender identity, which continues to challenge the inclusivity at the heart of the Harry Potter community. Here is our explainer on the Hogwarts Legacy controversy. If you'd like to offer your support to the communities affected by Rowling's rhetoric, consider donating to the National Center for Transgender Equality in the US, or Mermaids in the UK.
