@@worsel555 I was so disappointed to see that, and I’ve come to expect a lot more from John. He doesn’t have to like HP, that’s fine - but his tweets were filled with so much hate and condescension. It was disappointing, especially because in all of his videos and interviews he’s always so professional and polite
and in the DF Direct where they clarified if they would cover the game, only Rich talked about it without ANY input from John and Alex, Rich is probably trying to protect the other members from any backlash given some people have been attacked after reviewing or streaming the game, either that or simply nobody else wanted to cover it.
Rich is a top notch reviewer. It’s a shame we don’t get more from him. I trust his editorial viewpoint is maintained in all of the other channel content, but it’s still nice to hear him in his own voice.
@@Cyberdyne12 I would too usually, but if it was they would have called it a Cloud version or let it be known at this point. Also I believe it's getting a boxed release.
Question is, why we still not have any commrnts on Hogwarts Legacy PC topics. This definately should be covered more, considering how much impact this title has.
@@Szydelski they don’t make pc videos anymore they only care about consoles despite the fact that the PC market is the biggest market and has never been as big as it is. Dumb move on their part
@@brucetus I think it is more related to fact Alex is willingly not covering PC port due to his personal attitude to the Hogwarts Legacy. Apparently nobody else in DF was able or wanted to go into PC issues. A bit sad, since Rich is also a PC gamer, right? He could cover it as well.
@@TheKapushon I think they tend to wait for drivers from both AMD and Nvidia to be out so their analysis won't be outdated after said driver updates. Don't think it's a preference thing..
Rich is so far above the others in journalistic and editorial ability. I’d forgotten how good his writing style and analysis are. More from Rich, pease!
Very important! Make sure to turn Camera Acceleration and Aim Acceleration OFF. This will eliminate the artificial Input Lag the game has by Default for some reason…
Of course Rich is loyal to his team but some of the cringe wokerati he employs don't really deserve to be shielded. They made their bed, now they can lie in it. Tom and Rich are the only ones I will listen to now.
@@mimamo he did like elden ring. I think he just dislike the ubi soft open world formula with busywork icons filling the maps killing the exploration aspect. Ur not really exploring the world u just running corridor style to the next icon
13:41 interesting point about the uncapped frame rate option! The game visuals look pretty impressive. I’m watching the Potter movies now because I missed them over the years, then I’ll give the game a go.
@@PetervDam haha yes I did notice that just from watching the second movie. Apparently it gets better and better as the movies progress. I’m only up to the third movie.
Thanks Rich! From the different performance profiles, to just how slow this game progresses to get to a point where you can do your tests, I appreciate the time you put into this. I hope you get a chance to analyze the game for Steam Deck and PC
The Boss steps up and gets the job done. Thanks, i appreciate this. Handled like a pro, not an excuse in sight. This gives me hope, you should handle more performance reviews, your professionalism shines through the sea of bs, no moaing on, pure unbiased reviewing. The way it should be.
Covering all these modes across 3 consoles in 20 minutes is basically a speed run accomplishment 😃. Seriously though...thanks for this Richard. Thanks for staying true to your reporter's integrity amidst the controversy. Much respect and I'm looking forward to the PC version analysis because that one should be very interesting indeed!
I'm running this game on a PS5 on a C2 42 LG OLED in balanced mode. Most of the time it is an absolute stunner! Clearly there were a lot of Harry Potter nerds amongst the development team :)
Richard once said that he could not see any benefit for the 2x faster SSD on the PS5, other than faster load screens. Even now he is blind to the reason behind the glaringly obvious PS5 performance advantage. Does he really not know or is he simply hiding it to place Xbox in a better light. Forget GPU upgrades, CPU bottlenecks and dormant cores. This is not a tflops or porting issue. This is a data throughput issue. The game assets are on the SSD. The game is rapidly streaming the assets from SSD to RAM in real time, so the GPU can render them into frames on the fly. The speed of the SSD transfer is crucial. No tinkering on the XBSX will ever make the performance match the PS5, because you cannot plant the 5,500 MBps PS5 SSD into the 2,500 MBps XBSX.
I'm so happy we live in a world where pre rendered cutscenes have the same clarity as in game footage. Who remembers playing games in 720p - 1080p on 360 then a cutscene would play in 240p absolutely ruining your immersion?
Another thing to mention is that uncapping the framerate on ps5 seems to lower the color bit rate and significantly makes shadows much greyer and ambient occlusion appears much flatter.
I don't care how you spin it, more settings on consoles games is an ABSOLUTE POSITIVE. Give users control over what they find important. The more settings the better. It doesn't matter how "confusing" it might seem, it's 100% a move in the correct direction.
Only thing that makes them confusing to me is the name. They should just have morr technical names like target 4k 30fp, target 1440 60fps or whatever the targets are.
No i disagree it should be settings that one should have not to have to think about at a quality one's comfortable with. i guess granted ngl my mind can be changed i say that because theres a higher variety of screen types and sizes being used more than ever today. But i kinda liked it when its one set of settings because well it says the game is consistent across systems. Idk someone call me a dumbass idc
@@Machariel00 I think the perfect thing is if the game starts, and it asks which 2 out of 3 things you care about: Graphics, Framerate, and Resolution. And then it can determine from that. I think that keeps it simple and allows lots of customization.
Really great review, exposing the highlights and lowlights of the rendering decisions. Performance options are actually understandable for a console, given the variety of monitors capable of high FR and VRR. I really hope DF do PC review, with any extra PC options, and Alex's optimised settings.
Finding myself loving these technical analysis video reviews more and more. These always help in deciding which modes to go with. DF always delivering the content gamers care about. 👏 With that said, anyone else still spend way to long switching between modes to spot the subtle differences? I stay going to random scenic areas in games and will spend exorbitant amounts of time in each mode just to see how the grass looks different in the distance. 🤓🤓
Yay a Rich video! Video was amazingly indepth. Years later watching every video and this channel still blows my mind with the fascinating analysis of games. Cheers guys
@@maxkysl9641 no no, it will be a native Switch version, it's confirmed and there are already preorders available. It's gonna be a massacre though, unless they outsourced it to some magicians.
It is amazing that they are planning to release this title on Nintendo Switch. I mean, this title can give XSX heavy frame drops, and yet, they are crazy enough to think about a Switch release.
@@xboxrules8472 good one. 😂 No really though most people wanting to play this won't be able to afford or get a really good PC or console to run it. That's why it's amazing they even considered relaxing it on the switch. And that they made it a reality. Not everyone CAN. Switch :)❤
A Raging Rich Review! Great job! You should do more of these in the future. Btw, I'm enjoying this game so far at level 23. Looking forward to the last gen breakdown.
@@BespokeSlipp just don't watch the first and second seasons PLEASE. the third is fine, almost like "in the old days", and you don't need to watch 1 and 2 to watch 3, which is a huge plus.
@@teacherfromthejungles6671 I watched the first two episodes of season 1 then abandoned it. After watching the RLM reviews of season 1 and 2 i feel i made the right call. That said, season 3 episode 1 does seem to be an improvement. It's still too dark (lighting) but i'm willing it to give it a shot and keep going.
I have noticed a significant improvement in frame rate (performance mode on the XSX) after the recent patch. Not perfect but definitely better than at launch.
I wish games were released fully functioning regardless of console like the old days. This game couldve been so much better if they took another year to make it work
Rich isn't any better than the other crybabies. He had to make the video because he had no choice, the demand was too high. He admitted this last week on the podcast. Pay close attention to how many times he emphasizes the game is based on the movies, implying that it has nothing to do with the original work made by "evil woman who makes the world a bad place blablabla", it's a coping mechanism.
@@symptomaticblackout bit harsh on rich. Think his point on the movies was simply because of a visual representation in game akin to the films. Maybe you are right but I hope not and I don’t get the same impression from him at least
Crazy how hardware wise, when Ps5 and series X first launched, everyone thought the Xbox was gonna mop the floor with the Ps5. Sony knows how to build a damn good console.
This is still very early in the generation as time goes on the games will get more demanding and Xbox will be ready for the long haul. Their exclusives when released will show the performance difference between the two first.
@@TheDeeboy717Xbox has flaws and bottlenecks, it isn't inherently superior to the PS5, the reduced I/O, split bandwidth and having to design for two SKUs hold back the Series X.
One off. Too many clicks not to cover it, had to be done. Unfortunately, seems like the rest of the staff is more worried about Twitter cred. Leadbetter can’t be bothered, he has a business to grow!
Damn, I'm 70 hours in on PS5, with a 120hz vrr TV. I never would've realized how much xbox was struggling with this game. At the start, I was like, "What's he talking about with performance issues???" Then the ps5 comparison came up, we got it good over here.
I guess the game runs better on PS5? I have both systems, debating buying this game, and for which system. Sounds the PlayStation is the way to go this time.
There are broom upgrades that let you go much faster at a higher altitude. Also I can tell the person playing isn’t holding the left trigger which also lets you go much faster.
Fantastic analysis and very useful for many of us. I dabbled with a variety of modes on my PS5 and wasn’t sure which was best. It’s good to have a firmer picture of how each mode presents.
Amazing game. You can tell the developers have poured thousands of hours into fully realizing the experience and the aesthetic of this universe. Exploring Hogwarts Castle, taking in all the secrets in the environments. It's an absolutely magical experience. This game is nearly perfect in every facet. Definitely the best game of 2023 so far. Runs like a dream on PS5. Honored to have Richard review this masterpiece of a game!
Great analysis, I currently play Hogwarts legacy on Series S in balanced mode and I haven't noticed any of these performance issues mentioned, however I do play on a VRR display.
@@Arconahe assumed it was CPU limitations by the developers, by slowing down the speed it gives time to the CPU to catch up. Yes he didn't use the boost but he gives a great explanation on why it might be the case
This will be fascinating to see running on Switch, and the other last gen consoles. Certainly glad I've got a PS5. Hopefully soon I will make a purchase and get some time to play.
Nah, Xbox Series X packs a punch above the PS5 in most games, including demanding ones like Dead Space and Cyberpunk. With Hogwarts Legacy you can tell Sony's bribe money worked to make Avalanche focus on optimizing it more. Ironic the Metacritic Must-Play is the Xbox version, lol.
@@OneLastScholarNo it dosen't. Dead space was fixed on PS5. most games run better on PS5. some games have a slightly higher rez on some xbox versions, but worse fps. PS5 has a 12lane ssd with cache scrubbers, has the fastest input/output os. That's why series x is struggling to move that amount of data like the PS5.
@@OneLastScholar No it doesn't 🤦. I literally watch every digital foundry comparison. The ps5 version is usually the better of the 2... Sorry that you can't accept that.
hoping to see more and more of Rich actually back reviewing technical stuff about games like he did back in the 2010s professional, direct, and unbiased unlike some of the childish and biased folks of his team
For me its running very Stable now on pc at 4k ultra with rtx ultra on 30-40fps, without Reflections rt i could get 60 nur they look to good 🙈 so i now went down to dlss balanced which works fine
@@cured_bacon647 My point is that they are continuously putting patches out that is improving optimization so maybe retuning to it in a few months would be a good idea
I liked Fidelity with RT at first on the Series X but after trying it on High Performance Mode, I couldn’t go back. I noticed a lot of the reflections were still present on HPM and navigating through Hogwarts felt sooooo smooth. Omg it’s such a difference. I also noticed that this game has a lot of “haze” in the environments. Even on my OLED tv, I can see it. Can only imagine how bad it is on a LED
@@symptomaticblackout too bad... DF should consider stop reviewing Nintendo's games as well, cause J.K. Rowling owns a bunch of Nintendo stocks... Just sayin'😏
don`t hold your breath, looking on steam forums and reviews it runs like shit on PC right now, and as Richard kindly explained in the beginning of this video - until it's fixed , they are not allowed (or rather being paid by WB) to show anything
“You can see the information provided by them and get to your own conclusions….” Sure I agree, but I really like when DF suggests their preferred graphical settings for each system. Makes it a lot simpler when booting up a new game. But for the PS5 players, I can say I’ve been playing it on balanced mode (with a 120Hz screen), capped frame rate, and it has been amazing for the most part. Very few hiccups. That would be my recommendation :)
Yeah, no, recommendations like that are useless. To my eyes, 40fps is still a juddery mess. Thanks to the Steam Deck I’ve discovered that my personal smoothness threshold is a stable 45fps. I remember John saying he preferred 30fps fidelity mode for Horizon Forbidden West back at launch, and I’m sure there’s lots of people who will adjust to that while playing, but it just doesn’t work like that for every set of eyes.
@@arrowknee7356 The flickering while moving the camera and the temporal AA acting up and causing shimmering were horrible, but IIRC John missed that in his initial analysis. Both issues were more noticeable on oleds, and apparently he wasn’t using one for the review. At least that’s how I remember it. But maybe he did mention the shimmering?
Calling this game a movie tie-in is a mistake. It wasn't the plan whatsoever. Avalanche created the world following the book and the book's author descriptions but using some well established looks from the movie series. The world around us is the same, obviously but rhe plot and the narrative is entirely new
@@latinochicoall of the modes can be uncapped. So potentially even on a PS5 Pro (if it exists), the balanced mode could be 60fps. Or the fidelity modes could be 40+, etc.
Been waiting for the definitive DF tech review of this game. I can now purchase the best version for me (PS5) with total confidence. Thank you. BTW, think Rich should do more of these type of tech reviews.
I play on fidelity mode on series x n have not seen one screen tear or anything . A little level of detail effects pop in and out but that instaLOD tech is so nice.
I rarely get the 2D loading symbol on the Series X like he's saying. Like it's probably happened a couple of times. And I am dozens of hours in. Weird.
Thank you for bringing up the fog effects. There’s nothing more jarring that opening a door to walk outside, only to see all of that colourful landscape get suddenly covered in a layer of fog.
Do a video about technical reasons, why PS5 seems to have always better framerate, than Series X? So, is higher GPU frequency much better in the end, than more teraflops? Thanks, this puzzles me a lot
Such a good game. I’m on Xbox and hoping for better optimisation soon. It seems that you pretty much have to wait up to a month from release to get a decent version of a game these days.
@@McobraR xbox was a main development platform what are you talking about. If ps5 was the main platform to develop for the ps5 release would not have been at the same time as xbox. Its literally what has happened with almost all multiplatform game releases so far. 90% of the time they run worse on xbox day one because its harder to develop for and this will always be the case.
@@matjakobs8612 or don’t play on xbox. performance targets are much harder to hit when developing for xbox and all it’s different hardware that developers are required to make their games compatible for
@@joeydirt420 doesn't explain why some games can perform better on xbox than on ps5. E.G. PC platform shows graphics cards with lower clockspeed but higher cuda cores top the gaming charts. The only way games perform better on ps5 than on xsx is IF the devs focus on clockspeed over cuda core counts, as why you will occasionally see the xbox stretch its legs from time to time.
Appreciate this review, Rich! I'm curious if you have any analysis on HDR here? I've heard from a few people that it's best to leave it off for this game.
One of my biggest Issues with Hogwarts Legacy, that few people will experience is its weird Dolby Atmos mix, the environment is in surround sound, but the voice acting is in stereo, it doesn't matter if you have you back to somebody talking to you their voices always come out of the L and R speaker, I don't agree with this mixing choice and I think it sounds weird and disconnected from the game environment.
Love your analysis as it helps me decide which console version I choose. Seems like, despite lower raw horsepower, PS5 often performs better in games. I play both my consoles but tend to play anything not on GamePass on the PS5. Thanks for all your hard work!
It's ridiculous. You would think developers would optimize the game to be best possible experience for the console, thus meaning the Series X version would rule but sadly that doesn't seem to be the case.
Yeah I wonder what the deal is with that? In any case it's made me glad that I picked the PS5 as my console of choice to compliment my PC. Perhaps it's purely down to resources? Microsoft's approach with having two different performance tiers for the series consoles means developers have to do two different builds compared to the one for PS5. Then factor in the significantly larger install base of the PS5 and I can see why perhaps it ends up with the better end result, despite technically being a bit slower.
instead of having 2 consoles or 1pc 1 console, u can buy 1 powerful PC, bcz as he said in video consoles use amds old fsr1 card. very weak. no use. nowadays playstion relese exclusive games to pc also. so no need to have console
@@coolmonkey5269 The PC version has Denuvo DRM. Hurts performance amd makes your singleplayer game online-only. Unacceptable in my book. Games like this are why we need consoles. No garbage anti-consumer DRM.
FINALLY! Great video and analysis. You guys always nail it. I was very anticipating this video because of all the various options settings for visuals and the fact that it doesn't really tell you the FPS in the game..
Amazing to see Rich once again reviewing. His way with words are just amazing. We need more analysis from him.
We need more of his reviews, as someone said here, he s the David Attenborough of games.
@@carlosdonizetti9573 I could probably watch 40 more years of videos from him
Such a relaxing voice.
He had to, because John and Alex were facing hate on REEEEEEEEEE had they reviewed the game.
He’s just so genuine in how he talks unlike John or Oliver
Don't think I've seen a DF game review from Rich in a while, this is a nice surprise indeed. Keep up the good work guys.
Well that's because someone had a meltdown on Twitter over this game and deleted his tweet, so Rich stepped up.
@@worsel555 precisely lol
@@STRHYKKER rich isn't John
@@worsel555 I was so disappointed to see that, and I’ve come to expect a lot more from John. He doesn’t have to like HP, that’s fine - but his tweets were filled with so much hate and condescension. It was disappointing, especially because in all of his videos and interviews he’s always so professional and polite
and in the DF Direct where they clarified if they would cover the game, only Rich talked about it without ANY input from John and Alex, Rich is probably trying to protect the other members from any backlash given some people have been attacked after reviewing or streaming the game, either that or simply nobody else wanted to cover it.
This is super impressive stuff for a studio that hasn't made a AAA game before. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what they'll do in the future.
Avalanche has been in the game a long time. Their main AAA franchise from back in the day was Just Cause.
@@mrjuanchoca4294 Different Avalanche.
@@TheAbsol7448I stand corrected
Rich is a top notch reviewer. It’s a shame we don’t get more from him. I trust his editorial viewpoint is maintained in all of the other channel content, but it’s still nice to hear him in his own voice.
What do you mean by "his own voice"? He sounds the same as always; what you probably meant to say is that "it's nice to hear him on his own/alone".
@@notsyzagts7967 They mean hear it directly from him, not just through his editorial oversight for the other Digital Foundry journalists.
@@notsyzagts7967 get a load of this guy, going around correcting people while he doesn’t even understand basic English.
Rich is decidedly unwoke or does not let it influence his work at all. The same cannot be said for a couple of the others in the team.
@@SaigonBrit You speak words you don't even understand.
I am so fascinated to see how the Switch version will end up because that's an "impossible port" if I've ever heard one
Hopefully it turns out well since I got it ordered with a discount lol.
Hopefully it's 720p most of the time when docked...
Releases right after the Outer Wilds Switch Version
I predict that it will be streamed...
@@Cyberdyne12 I would too usually, but if it was they would have called it a Cloud version or let it be known at this point. Also I believe it's getting a boxed release.
Glad we got this guy to do this video, he literally is digital foundry
Question is, why we still not have any commrnts on Hogwarts Legacy PC topics. This definately should be covered more, considering how much impact this title has.
@@Szydelski they don’t make pc videos anymore they only care about consoles despite the fact that the PC market is the biggest market and has never been as big as it is. Dumb move on their part
@@brucetus I think it is more related to fact Alex is willingly not covering PC port due to his personal attitude to the Hogwarts Legacy. Apparently nobody else in DF was able or wanted to go into PC issues. A bit sad, since Rich is also a PC gamer, right? He could cover it as well.
@@brucetuscorrection: the mobile gaming market is the biggest, bigger than pc and console combined.
PC version definitely needs analysis
Not going to happen until Nvidia fixes their drivers, since DF will never publish analysis where AMD is beating their favourite company
They usually do PC after console
@@TheKapushon Big if true
When it works I bet
@@TheKapushon I think they tend to wait for drivers from both AMD and Nvidia to be out so their analysis won't be outdated after said driver updates. Don't think it's a preference thing..
Rich doesn't often review games anymore, but in the here and now I'm really enjoying the odd analysis done by him. Clearly still the master at it.
Notionally the best reviewer. Clearly a gen on gen improvement on anyone else 😆
Well, let's just say that John reviewing this was an unlikely scenario.
@@bbbazzinga John wouldn't have done as good of a job anyway. Rich has more video game technical prowess and knowledge than John.
I’ll take a bespoke Rich review in the here and now anytime.
@@vgnvideogameninja2930 That's not the point
Man, I forgot how much I love Rich’s analysis. So thorough! Is it possible to get a rare Rich PC analysis of Hogwarts Legacy?! 🤩
Yes please rich!
Isn't PC Alex Battaglia's domain? I just wish he were into the Steam Deck a little more...
Steam Deck: No Nvidia Hardware 😉
He's the only one who would do it.
Richard Leadbetter needs to be heard from with more regularity. Awesome review!
Indeed. He's so much better at it than (know nothing) John or Alex - imo.
@@vgnvideogameninja2930 I mean decades of experience, so yeah.
I wouldn't be surprised if this was brought about by the controversy around John and not liking kids games.
He's my favorite !! I love Alex and John too, but Rich is the BEST !!
John needs more tantrums in order for that to happen
Super nostalgic getting an analysis from Rich. 😌 Just like the old day
Rich is so far above the others in journalistic and editorial ability. I’d forgotten how good his writing style and analysis are. More from Rich, pease!
And so professional by keeping away from the drama instead of feeding into it like others.
Very important! Make sure to turn Camera Acceleration and Aim Acceleration OFF.
This will eliminate the artificial Input Lag the game has by Default for some reason…
interesting
That has to be a glitch right? Turning both of those up usually makes a game feel MORE responsive.
@@JeffZ1028 He said ACCELERATION not SENSITIVITY.
Thank you, makes difference!
Thanks for this.
Extremely noble of Richard to step up to the plate on this one, shielding his colleagues from the inevitable onslaught. Much respect.
Don't give a very vocal online mob of bullies and people caught up in the wake of their witch hunt of the month any power.
@@sellingacoerwa8318 so true ❤
Of course Rich is loyal to his team but some of the cringe wokerati he employs don't really deserve to be shielded. They made their bed, now they can lie in it. Tom and Rich are the only ones I will listen to now.
John: Nah, I hate open world games all of the sudden.
Alex: 🗿
Richard: Fine I'll do it myself, then.
John suddenly hates open world games, right... Not too long ago he was still gushing about Horizon Forbidden West.
@@mimamo John's a redneck hack.
@@mimamo he did like elden ring. I think he just dislike the ubi soft open world formula with busywork icons filling the maps killing the exploration aspect. Ur not really exploring the world u just running corridor style to the next icon
@@dante19890 He's obviously terrified of blowback from woke idiots on Twitter (people like Alex)
I think Alex isn't touching this game because he doesn't want to be banned from Resetera.
Very nice to see a game performance and visual tech review from Richard. Hopefully we will see more.
Been a long time since a Rich tech breakdown, such a clear and well-spoken review!
13:41 interesting point about the uncapped frame rate option! The game visuals look pretty impressive. I’m watching the Potter movies now because I missed them over the years, then I’ll give the game a go.
Hope to see a Potter movie franchise review video on your channel. All about your travels in the Wizarding world! 😆
Expect lower graphics in the first movie compared to the game 😅
@@PetervDam haha yes I did notice that just from watching the second movie. Apparently it gets better and better as the movies progress. I’m only up to the third movie.
Hello Pewdiepie, can't wait for you to try the game :)
Bonnie Wright yummy
Thanks Rich! From the different performance profiles, to just how slow this game progresses to get to a point where you can do your tests, I appreciate the time you put into this. I hope you get a chance to analyze the game for Steam Deck and PC
"stand aside, I'll handle this" -Rich to the DF staff 💪
Nice to see someone remembered they have a job to do instead of just calling this game "kids bullshit" and throwing a tantrum on twitter
The Boss steps up and gets the job done. Thanks, i appreciate this. Handled like a pro, not an excuse in sight. This gives me hope, you should handle more performance reviews, your professionalism shines through the sea of bs, no moaing on, pure unbiased reviewing. The way it should be.
What are you talking about? Gets the job done? They're reviews are always spot on. Nothing new here. Don't be such a suck-up.
@@megacurlerer the others refused to cover the game because of tranny brain rot
@@megacurlerer He means no one else wanted to do the review.
You get broom speed upgrades later through side quests.
And a hippogriff mount that is also faster
He also wasn't boosting during that footage which makes it look a lot slower
@@undertone8367 yep. seems like he spent more time analysing the graphics than progressing the story these past 12 days
& a Thestral that’s even faster than the Hippogriff. If you have the Deluxe Edition.
With the 3rd upgrade ($7500 yikes) you are zooming hard.
@@rooo1ono shit it’s a tech review
Covering all these modes across 3 consoles in 20 minutes is basically a speed run accomplishment 😃.
Seriously though...thanks for this Richard. Thanks for staying true to your reporter's integrity amidst the controversy. Much respect and I'm looking forward to the PC version analysis because that one should be very interesting indeed!
I'm running this game on a PS5 on a C2 42 LG OLED in balanced mode. Most of the time it is an absolute stunner! Clearly there were a lot of Harry Potter nerds amongst the development team :)
I'm doing the exact same.
Make sure you keep fps lock on.
@@Cyberdyne12 uncapped FPS mode is awful on my TV. I’m using an OLED so I don’t know if that matters?
@@thelargenugget3458 Doesn't your OLED have GSync?
@@Cyberdyne12 Why?
I’m using Sony A90j with Ps5 still not sure which one is the best mode.
Thanks Rich!! You’re an absolute wizard when it comes to reviews!!
I see what you did there.
Richard once said that he could not see any benefit for the 2x faster SSD on the PS5, other than faster load screens. Even now he is blind to the reason behind the glaringly obvious PS5 performance advantage. Does he really not know or is he simply hiding it to place Xbox in a better light. Forget GPU upgrades, CPU bottlenecks and dormant cores.
This is not a tflops or porting issue. This is a data throughput issue. The game assets are on the SSD. The game is rapidly streaming the assets from SSD to RAM in real time, so the GPU can render them into frames on the fly. The speed of the SSD transfer is crucial. No tinkering on the XBSX will ever make the performance match the PS5, because you cannot plant the 5,500 MBps PS5 SSD into the 2,500 MBps XBSX.
Gotta love Richard Leadbetter's work. Always excellent.
Yeah, and he actually has true journalistic integrity - Unlike some....
It's clear that Rich did the review to protect his staff from harassment.
I'm so happy we live in a world where pre rendered cutscenes have the same clarity as in game footage.
Who remembers playing games in 720p - 1080p on 360 then a cutscene would play in 240p absolutely ruining your immersion?
This is true
Another thing to mention is that uncapping the framerate on ps5 seems to lower the color bit rate and significantly makes shadows much greyer and ambient occlusion appears much flatter.
Do you have LG C9?
I don't care how you spin it, more settings on consoles games is an ABSOLUTE POSITIVE. Give users control over what they find important. The more settings the better. It doesn't matter how "confusing" it might seem, it's 100% a move in the correct direction.
Now if they only would have gotten the performance right...
Only thing that makes them confusing to me is the name. They should just have morr technical names like target 4k 30fp, target 1440 60fps or whatever the targets are.
No i disagree it should be settings that one should have not to have to think about at a quality one's comfortable with. i guess granted ngl my mind can be changed i say that because theres a higher variety of screen types and sizes being used more than ever today. But i kinda liked it when its one set of settings because well it says the game is consistent across systems. Idk someone call me a dumbass idc
@@Machariel00 I think the perfect thing is if the game starts, and it asks which 2 out of 3 things you care about: Graphics, Framerate, and Resolution. And then it can determine from that. I think that keeps it simple and allows lots of customization.
Df: Consoles need more options
Dev gives options
DF: its too much
Rich showing why he is the "Mr Digital Foundry Himself"
Didn’t the guy start the company I would hope so 😂
Really great review, exposing the highlights and lowlights of the rendering decisions. Performance options are actually understandable for a console, given the variety of monitors capable of high FR and VRR.
I really hope DF do PC review, with any extra PC options, and Alex's optimised settings.
Yeah, lack of any comment regarding PC Hogwarts Legacy for so much time seems annoying.
Finding myself loving these technical analysis video reviews more and more. These always help in deciding which modes to go with. DF always delivering the content gamers care about. 👏
With that said, anyone else still spend way to long switching between modes to spot the subtle differences? I stay going to random scenic areas in games and will spend exorbitant amounts of time in each mode just to see how the grass looks different in the distance. 🤓🤓
I was happy to see this post and see I wasn't the only weirdo who did that with the modes. 😄
@@hyperspeed_心猿 bro, its definitely a thing 😆 🤣
Thank you for having a spine, Rich. Analysis was done well
And didn't pointlessly mention something like you are a hero doing good for mentioning it.
Well done to Rich for being the only grown up left in the room. Big game, we wanna see the DF treatment.
Glad you did a review, Rich. It's been a while, good to hear from you again. 🙂
Yay a Rich video! Video was amazingly indepth. Years later watching every video and this channel still blows my mind with the fascinating analysis of games. Cheers guys
How can you run past all those cats wthout petting them? I personally find that impossible.
The review none of the team wanted to do and...the game turned out great! 😁
Looking forward to seeing the comparisons when the Switch version finally releases!
probably gonna be cloud version
@@maxkysl9641 they confirmed its running locally
@@maxkysl9641 no no, it will be a native Switch version, it's confirmed and there are already preorders available. It's gonna be a massacre though, unless they outsourced it to some magicians.
Why on earth would you play this on a switch
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 switch might as well play it on gamecube
It is amazing that they are planning to release this title on Nintendo Switch. I mean, this title can give XSX heavy frame drops, and yet, they are crazy enough to think about a Switch release.
I'm down for a retro PS1 inspired version of the game.
I'm not even joking, it'd be cool as hell lol
It's named switch because that is what you'll want to do.
@@xboxrules8472 good one. 😂 No really though most people wanting to play this won't be able to afford or get a really good PC or console to run it. That's why it's amazing they even considered relaxing it on the switch. And that they made it a reality. Not everyone CAN. Switch :)❤
@@IDrawToothpicks Most people have already played it. I couldn't even imagine "trying" to play it with specs that laughable.
Loving the amount of choice and options making their way to console games. As always, great video comparing all these options to help us decide.
Thank you for covering this Richard!
Witchard*
@@ChrisThePlayer777 i like it!
Good to see Mr Leadbetter back on game reviews.
A Raging Rich Review! Great job! You should do more of these in the future. Btw, I'm enjoying this game so far at level 23. Looking forward to the last gen breakdown.
Rich taking the lead on this one reminds me of the episode of TNG when Picard takes the helm to navigate them out of the Booby Trap.
Yes!!! I want to rewatch Next Generation now, and maybe I’ll finally get around to the new Picard show on Paramount
@@BespokeSlipp just don't watch the first and second seasons PLEASE. the third is fine, almost like "in the old days", and you don't need to watch 1 and 2 to watch 3, which is a huge plus.
Boobie Trans Trance
@@teacherfromthejungles6671 I watched the first two episodes of season 1 then abandoned it. After watching the RLM reviews of season 1 and 2 i feel i made the right call. That said, season 3 episode 1 does seem to be an improvement. It's still too dark (lighting) but i'm willing it to give it a shot and keep going.
I have noticed a significant improvement in frame rate (performance mode on the XSX) after the recent patch. Not perfect but definitely better than at launch.
Which patch?
This is Sonys “marketing deal” doing its magic in making sure xbox ports perform worse.
@@b3at2 🤣 keep telling yourself that!
Wah wah wah!
@@Arranc49 class action lawsuit incoming.
@@davidpliskin3330 Patch 1120320 which was released last week. The PS5 received a similar patch a few days later.
I wish games were released fully functioning regardless of console like the old days. This game couldve been so much better if they took another year to make it work
Great to see Richard stepping in as the big man for the big occasion on this one. Amazing analysis as always from the Digital Foundry team.
Rich is the man for our time
Well it definitely wasn't going to be John after seeing that tweet
Rich isn't any better than the other crybabies. He had to make the video because he had no choice, the demand was too high. He admitted this last week on the podcast. Pay close attention to how many times he emphasizes the game is based on the movies, implying that it has nothing to do with the original work made by "evil woman who makes the world a bad place blablabla", it's a coping mechanism.
@@symptomaticblackout You got your video - now quit whining you little snowflake.
@@symptomaticblackout bit harsh on rich. Think his point on the movies was simply because of a visual representation in game akin to the films. Maybe you are right but I hope not and I don’t get the same impression from him at least
I'm playing it on PS5 in Balanced capped at 40 FPS and it looks and runs great.
Same here! Zero frame rate issues, it’s buttery smooth!
That's the mode I'm playing too but with uncapped frame rate. Runs above 40 fps
@@swoosh26 thats not to recommend. You get a lot more stuttering cuz you cant use VRR under 48 fps on the ps5.
Mostly solid but there are some moments towards the end of the campaign where the FPS plummeted in balanced mode on ps5 C2
Series X is great as well.
I come back to this video not because I’m into Harry Potter, but because Richard’s videos are top tier.
Crazy how hardware wise, when Ps5 and series X first launched, everyone thought the Xbox was gonna mop the floor with the Ps5. Sony knows how to build a damn good console.
Sony knows clock speed is king
This is still very early in the generation as time goes on the games will get more demanding and Xbox will be ready for the long haul. Their exclusives when released will show the performance difference between the two first.
@@TheDeeboy717 there is zero reason to own an xbox. Every single game can be played on pc.
@@DENTSHAVEMENTALILLNES you’re still giving MS your money so have at it
@@TheDeeboy717Xbox has flaws and bottlenecks, it isn't inherently superior to the PS5, the reduced I/O, split bandwidth and having to design for two SKUs hold back the Series X.
Nice to have Richard back doing tech reviews on games.
Probably a one time think since others would not cover this
One off. Too many clicks not to cover it, had to be done.
Unfortunately, seems like the rest of the staff is more worried about Twitter cred.
Leadbetter can’t be bothered, he has a business to grow!
@@kaikiske7436 How do you know the other staff didn't want to cover it?
@@fourlights I only know John didn't. But Lead better talked about it in the weekly DF Direct and his tone made it seem like that was the case.
Damn, I'm 70 hours in on PS5, with a 120hz vrr TV. I never would've realized how much xbox was struggling with this game. At the start, I was like, "What's he talking about with performance issues???" Then the ps5 comparison came up, we got it good over here.
So we're never going to get a pc analysis ? It was the most important one because that's where there are most of the problems...
Great job on the video Rich, nice to see you back on a performance analysis review. Thanks for all the hard work you do! We really appreciate it.
19:56 he said “allegedly instant” notifications, lol. I love this channel 😊
Played it on regular Fidelity mode on my series x and really enjoyed it.
When you hear Rich you know it’s a great video.
He's simply the best. There's lots like John and Alex around, but there's only one Rich. One of a kind!
Richard the boss, showing the kids how it's done!
for note being a gamer he pulled it off pretty well
This is disrespectful to all other members of DF. They all work hard and do great work.
@@dominik6602 Its not disrespectful cuz lil Richi is the actual boss
@@dominik6602 it's just a joke. I like the other members too.
@@dominik6602other DF members basically disrepected their boss by saying they didn't to make an analysis of the game. Especially cry baby linneman
Thank you Rich for your professional and always excellent analysis of these games!
I guess the game runs better on PS5? I have both systems, debating buying this game, and for which system. Sounds the PlayStation is the way to go this time.
There are broom upgrades that let you go much faster at a higher altitude. Also I can tell the person playing isn’t holding the left trigger which also lets you go much faster.
I thought is was the right trigger, or can you hold both? Looks like they were going fast though because that blurring effect was being shown.
It just appears faster with the left trigger, but the distance travelled is the same
Thanks Rich for taking the time and giving us an awesome review.
Fidelity with ray tracing performing a lot better now after todays update on PS5
what about performance mode on PS5? is it stable? I plan to buy the PS5 version
Been using RT and no big issues. I notice it is not as smooth as performance mode but this type of game does not require it.
@@seidogamerz3701 Performance mode is almost perfect. You'll be fine.
@@seidogamerz3701 very solid so far about 15 hours in, little stutters when loading every once in a while.
Yeah that's been my go-to mode since day 1. It's the best mode to play imo
I was actually impressed with the combat. I didn’t think it would be as good as it is.
Fantastic analysis and very useful for many of us. I dabbled with a variety of modes on my PS5 and wasn’t sure which was best. It’s good to have a firmer picture of how each mode presents.
Amazing game. You can tell the developers have poured thousands of hours into fully realizing the experience and the aesthetic of this universe. Exploring Hogwarts Castle, taking in all the secrets in the environments. It's an absolutely magical experience. This game is nearly perfect in every facet. Definitely the best game of 2023 so far. Runs like a dream on PS5. Honored to have Richard review this masterpiece of a game!
Great analysis, I currently play Hogwarts legacy on Series S in balanced mode and I haven't noticed any of these performance issues mentioned, however I do play on a VRR display.
What's the common resolution?
I disagree, the broomstick is incredibly fast. You weren't using the charge speed in that clip and the broom speed can even be upgraded 3 times.
Yeah, and instead he said it was a cpu limitation lol.
Surprised he never knew he could speed boost. I couldve sworn the broom stick tutorial tells you this pretty clearly.
@@SilverInterpolFire it does state it, but it's not required for you to actually use it. It's more glazed over while you skip class.
@@Arconahe assumed it was CPU limitations by the developers, by slowing down the speed it gives time to the CPU to catch up. Yes he didn't use the boost but he gives a great explanation on why it might be the case
Well he had to rush this probably since nobody else at df had the balls to touch this game:)
This will be fascinating to see running on Switch, and the other last gen consoles. Certainly glad I've got a PS5. Hopefully soon I will make a purchase and get some time to play.
Yeah the ps5 definitely ended up being the better console this generation.
Nah, Xbox Series X packs a punch above the PS5 in most games, including demanding ones like Dead Space and Cyberpunk. With Hogwarts Legacy you can tell Sony's bribe money worked to make Avalanche focus on optimizing it more. Ironic the Metacritic Must-Play is the Xbox version, lol.
@@OneLastScholar cope
@@OneLastScholarNo it dosen't. Dead space was fixed on PS5. most games run better on PS5. some games have a slightly higher rez on some xbox versions, but worse fps.
PS5 has a 12lane ssd with cache scrubbers, has the fastest input/output os. That's why series x is struggling to move that amount of data like the PS5.
@@OneLastScholar No it doesn't 🤦. I literally watch every digital foundry comparison. The ps5 version is usually the better of the 2... Sorry that you can't accept that.
hoping to see more and more of Rich actually back reviewing technical stuff about games like he did back in the 2010s
professional, direct, and unbiased
unlike some of the childish and biased folks of his team
This might be one to keep coming back to as the recent patch that came out on Friday improved performance for many
For me its running very Stable now on pc at 4k ultra with rtx ultra on 30-40fps, without Reflections rt i could get 60 nur they look to good 🙈 so i now went down to dlss balanced which works fine
Did you even watch the video? This review is with the latest patch
And it mostly addressed PC issues, not console.
@@kewa_design which card
@@cured_bacon647 My point is that they are continuously putting patches out that is improving optimization so maybe retuning to it in a few months would be a good idea
I liked Fidelity with RT at first on the Series X but after trying it on High Performance Mode, I couldn’t go back. I noticed a lot of the reflections were still present on HPM and navigating through Hogwarts felt sooooo smooth. Omg it’s such a difference.
I also noticed that this game has a lot of “haze” in the environments. Even on my OLED tv, I can see it. Can only imagine how bad it is on a LED
Don't worry your teraflops will help you 😂
@@SolarErazer I’ve got something floppy for you 😉
I turned down the HDR brightness to 18 and that negates the haziness
@@VC777 I turned it down to 22 but I’ll try 18. Thanks! 🙏
About 10-12 days late…
Well at least better late than never. And love to hear Rich back in the chair.
The backlash for not doing it was bigger than the one for doing it.
Awesome DF review/analysis. Looking forward to the analysis of the PC version.
won't happen, alex is too woke.
@@symptomaticblackout too bad... DF should consider stop reviewing Nintendo's games as well, cause J.K. Rowling owns a bunch of Nintendo stocks... Just sayin'😏
@@symptomaticblackout How do you know?
Journalists, just bring the news, i don't want to know your personal opinions. Thanks Richard for being a professional!!!!
Such a well put together video. Can't wait for PC analysis
don`t hold your breath, looking on steam forums and reviews it runs like shit on PC right now, and as Richard kindly explained in the beginning of this video - until it's fixed , they are not allowed (or rather being paid by WB) to show anything
I love thta you can uncap the framrate in all those modes. It makes the game future proof.
IMHO all games these days should have an uncapped mode for future-proofing.
why not port the pc version to consoles for future proof
“You can see the information provided by them and get to your own conclusions….” Sure I agree, but I really like when DF suggests their preferred graphical settings for each system. Makes it a lot simpler when booting up a new game. But for the PS5 players, I can say I’ve been playing it on balanced mode (with a 120Hz screen), capped frame rate, and it has been amazing for the most part. Very few hiccups. That would be my recommendation :)
Yeah, no, recommendations like that are useless. To my eyes, 40fps is still a juddery mess. Thanks to the Steam Deck I’ve discovered that my personal smoothness threshold is a stable 45fps.
I remember John saying he preferred 30fps fidelity mode for Horizon Forbidden West back at launch, and I’m sure there’s lots of people who will adjust to that while playing, but it just doesn’t work like that for every set of eyes.
The 60 fps mode has too much obvious visual cutback. So I switched to balanced mode as well. Can't play at 30 fps.
@@jaspelino1963 That was more due to the flickering present at launch in that game in performance mode which has since been fixed. v:)
@@arrowknee7356 The flickering while moving the camera and the temporal AA acting up and causing shimmering were horrible, but IIRC John missed that in his initial analysis. Both issues were more noticeable on oleds, and apparently he wasn’t using one for the review.
At least that’s how I remember it. But maybe he did mention the shimmering?
Balance is my go to as well with this game on my series x. Should try it uncapped with my VRR display
Calling this game a movie tie-in is a mistake. It wasn't the plan whatsoever. Avalanche created the world following the book and the book's author descriptions but using some well established looks from the movie series. The world around us is the same, obviously but rhe plot and the narrative is entirely new
You can upgrade your broom twice and use the left trigger for a temporary speed boost
*3 times
@@Cyberdyne12 right, whoops
Shame there aren’t different types of broom, like the Firebolt. I wonder why they didn’t do this? A missed opportunity
I appreciate DF not jumping on the bandwagon. It's completely unfair to penalize the developers who have worked tirelessly on a pretty decent game.
That john guy is scared of transvestites though
This is the perfect kind of game to go back to and revisit for PS5 Pro and PS6
Why?
@@latinochicoall of the modes can be uncapped. So potentially even on a PS5 Pro (if it exists), the balanced mode could be 60fps. Or the fidelity modes could be 40+, etc.
Been waiting for the definitive DF tech review of this game. I can now purchase the best version for me (PS5) with total confidence. Thank you. BTW, think Rich should do more of these type of tech reviews.
I’m playing ps5 oled c2 balanced mode and it feels very good and I’m super impressed
*thanos breathes heavily*
On Series X it runs really good as well.
I play on fidelity mode on series x n have not seen one screen tear or anything . A little level of detail effects pop in and out but that instaLOD tech is so nice.
I rarely get the 2D loading symbol on the Series X like he's saying. Like it's probably happened a couple of times. And I am dozens of hours in. Weird.
Thank you for bringing up the fog effects. There’s nothing more jarring that opening a door to walk outside, only to see all of that colourful landscape get suddenly covered in a layer of fog.
Awesome to hear a game analysis fro Rich! It's been a while but this was great.
Do a video about technical reasons, why PS5 seems to have always better framerate, than Series X? So, is higher GPU frequency much better in the end, than more teraflops? Thanks, this puzzles me a lot
Such a good game. I’m on Xbox and hoping for better optimisation soon. It seems that you pretty much have to wait up to a month from release to get a decent version of a game these days.
Easy fix. Don't buy at launch
Yeh that's the downside when playing on a platform that isn't the main development platform. Can only hope they better optimise the game for Xbox.
@@McobraR xbox was a main development platform what are you talking about. If ps5 was the main platform to develop for the ps5 release would not have been at the same time as xbox. Its literally what has happened with almost all multiplatform game releases so far. 90% of the time they run worse on xbox day one because its harder to develop for and this will always be the case.
@@matjakobs8612 or don’t play on xbox. performance targets are much harder to hit when developing for xbox and all it’s different hardware that developers are required to make their games compatible for
@@joeydirt420 doesn't explain why some games can perform better on xbox than on ps5. E.G. PC platform shows graphics cards with lower clockspeed but higher cuda cores top the gaming charts. The only way games perform better on ps5 than on xsx is IF the devs focus on clockspeed over cuda core counts, as why you will occasionally see the xbox stretch its legs from time to time.
Appreciate this review, Rich! I'm curious if you have any analysis on HDR here? I've heard from a few people that it's best to leave it off for this game.
I’ve thought the HDR looks pretty great in my experience
If someone says to leave it off, then they just don't know what they're doing while configuring. It works great on PS5 with HGIG on an OLED
One of my biggest Issues with Hogwarts Legacy, that few people will experience is its weird Dolby Atmos mix, the environment is in surround sound, but the voice acting is in stereo, it doesn't matter if you have you back to somebody talking to you their voices always come out of the L and R speaker, I don't agree with this mixing choice and I think it sounds weird and disconnected from the game environment.
Not complaining but the only reason we get rich in this review is because the other guy was against this game.
Can you explain?
@@ruffrida100Maybe it was because of the boycott of J.K. Rowling after her « transphobic message »
Love your analysis as it helps me decide which console version I choose. Seems like, despite lower raw horsepower, PS5 often performs better in games. I play both my consoles but tend to play anything not on GamePass on the PS5. Thanks for all your hard work!
It's ridiculous. You would think developers would optimize the game to be best possible experience for the console, thus meaning the Series X version would rule but sadly that doesn't seem to be the case.
Yeah I wonder what the deal is with that? In any case it's made me glad that I picked the PS5 as my console of choice to compliment my PC.
Perhaps it's purely down to resources? Microsoft's approach with having two different performance tiers for the series consoles means developers have to do two different builds compared to the one for PS5. Then factor in the significantly larger install base of the PS5 and I can see why perhaps it ends up with the better end result, despite technically being a bit slower.
instead of having 2 consoles or 1pc 1 console, u can buy 1 powerful PC, bcz as he said in video consoles use amds old fsr1 card. very weak. no use. nowadays playstion relese exclusive games to pc also. so no need to have console
@@coolmonkey5269 The PC version has Denuvo DRM. Hurts performance amd makes your singleplayer game online-only. Unacceptable in my book. Games like this are why we need consoles. No garbage anti-consumer DRM.
Higher gpu clockrate as ps5 harsware senior engineer said
John is traumatized by Harry Potter
He wanted it to be Hairy Pozzer
FINALLY! Great video and analysis. You guys always nail it. I was very anticipating this video because of all the various options settings for visuals and the fact that it doesn't really tell you the FPS in the game..