More information has been shared on the Switch 2 version of Hogwarts Legacy, including its rendering resolution and other features.
According to a Japanese press release (via4gamer) bySega, which is publishing the Switch 2 version of the game in Japan, the game will render at 1440p resolution while docked, and at the screen’s full 1080p resolution when in handheld mode. Both modes will also support HDR.
The game will also supportNvidia‘s DLSS upscaling technique, making it the second high-profile Switch game confirmed to use it (the first beingCyberpunk 2077).
The game will also feature “improved lighting and shadow quality, anti-aliasing, and much more significantly upgraded graphics for a deeper immersive experience” compared to the original Switch release.
One of the most notable improvements also mentioned is the removal of loading screens during open world exploration. The Switch game was criticised for lengthy loading screens every time the player entered or left a shop in Hogsmeade, but these loading screens have now been removed according to the publisher.
“The performance of theNintendo Switch 2has not only improved the frame rate from theNintendo Switchversion, but also reduced the loading time,” it adds (via machine translation). “you may comfortably fly around the Hogwarts grounds and beyond.”
The Switch 2 version will also support mouse controls, Sega says.
Nvidia officially confirmed last month thatSwitch 2 supports the company’s DLSS upscaling tech, after whichCD Projekt Redconfirmed thatCyberpunk 2077 will make use of it, making it the first Switch 2 game officially confirmed to use it.
DLSS – which stands for Deep Learning Super Sampling – is a suite of tools which can increase a game’s resolution without a significant performance penalty. For example, rather than running a game natively at 4K, which can use up a lot of processing power, a developer may instead choose to run a game at 1080p or even 720p, then use DLSS to upscale that – a process that still uses some power, but nowhere near as much.
Like almost every other third-party launch window game on Switch 2, the physical version ofHogwarts Legacywill be a Game-Key Card, which isNintendo‘s new branding for cartridges that still require the game to be downloaded from the Switch 2 online store before the game can be played. The cartridge doesn’t contain the game data, rather it’s simply a ‘key’ that enables a download.
Response to the use of Game-Key Cards has been mixed, with game preservationssaying their existence is “disheartening” but inevitableas the industry moves closer to an all-digital future.
