Playing Hogwarts Legacy? Know the RIGHT graphics option on Xbox and PS5

On February 10, the highly-anticipated action role-playing game (RPG) Hogwarts Legacy was launched on Xbox X/S and PlayStation 5 (PS5). Developed by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Bros. Games under its Portkey Games label, Hogwarts Legacy is set in the wizarding world based on the Harry Potter series. The game runs on Unreal Engine 4 and offers visually stunning graphics and an open world to explore. But unlike most console games which usually have a set graphics, this game comes with five different graphics presets. But which one is right for you? Find out.

The perfect Hogwarts Legacy graphics option

The main reason why the game comes with multiple graphics settings is because now consoles have begun diverging into different hardware suites and to fit them all and still run perfectly, console games are also emphasizing on graphics adaptability. Notably, Hogwarts Legacy will be released for PS4 and Xbox One on April 4 and for Nintendo Switch on July 25.

Hogwarts Legacy comes with the following graphics choices: Fidelity mode, Fidelity mode with raytracing, Performance mode, Balanced mode and HFR (high frame rate) mode. While there is no perfect mode, the selection should largely be based on your preference and whether your Television supports HDR and VRR (variable refresh rate).

First, you should understand what each graphics mode does. Fidelity mode heavily focuses on the graphics at the cost of frame rate. So you will get some choppy gameplay but you can enjoy the increased resolution and more details. It is the highest level of graphics and lowest level of frame rate you can get. Fidelity mode with ray tracing further improves the graphics, notably reflections on PS5, and further degrades the frame rate.

Performance mode reduces the graphics somewhat to give you a higher frame rate. With this mode, you can get about 60 FPS in most situations. HFR mode takes things to the other extreme and while you will get extremely smooth gameplay (provided your TV can support it), you will lose out on much of the details and high resolution graphics. Finally Balanced mode is quite in-between and lets you enjoy the best of both worlds.

For this game, you can make your choice based on the description provided. Since the game is largely exploratory, you can choose either Fidelity mode or Balanced mode and get the most out of it. There are no fast gameplay moments, so a higher frame-per-second is not really necessary.