Hogwarts Legacy shouldn't have released on Nintendo Switch, players say

The debate over whether large games should be released on the Switch continues, having been reignited by Hogwarts Legacy.

Although Hogwarts Legacy is officially the number one selling new game of 2023, that doesn’t mean it offers a seamless experience. Unfortunately, it seems that, by being across all platforms, the game has had its limits well and truly highlighted under an unforgiving lens.

How do you think Hogwarts Legacy looks on the Switch in its launch trailer?

Switch players have reported a loss of seamless open-world exploration when compared to their PlayStation, Xbox, and PC counterparts, leading some fans to create Reddit threads to categorically say that HL shouldn’t have enrolled on the Switch.

“All of the charm is lost on the Switch version. Exploring a fully detailed and immersive Hogwarts and the surrounding world just isn't the same,” shares DrunkBreadGuy on one such Reddit thread. “The Switch is capable of some amazing feats. The fact that we have games like The Witcher [3], Skyrim, RDR, etc on it is impressive, and they retain all the atmosphere of the original releases. Sadly that's not the case with this game. There is a very clear and drastic drop in quality.”

On another thread, a gamer opens by saying that they “hate to be that guy”, before telling a woeful tale of postponing their playthrough on the PC version of HL to play it on the Switch instead. “Got it [Hogwarts Legacy] today, and this simply shouldn't have been released on Switch if this is the best they can make it look. It's so blurry/grainy that it actually hurts my eyes after a while of playing.” They also added how “shocked” they are that the Switch reviews have been so favourable thus far.

Seeing the fans so at odds with one another is made all the more interesting because of how annoyed some impassioned players have been because of the Game Awards essentially snubbing Hogwarts Legacy. One streamer was so upset they went on a rant, one which fans have shared far and wide, both in agreement and for their own amusement. But if the game truly is as poor as Switch players are saying, then Hogwarts Legacy deserves to be the losing House in the GOTY nominations.