Hogwarts Legacy, undoubtedly one of the most successful game launches of the year, has finally launched on the last-gen console, almost three months after the game’s initial release.
Many were previously skeptical about the last-gen port and how it would hold up compared to the game on PS5 and Xbox Series S|X consoles. However, fans can rest assured that Avalanche Software has done a great job with the port, and it runs well on the PS4.
Why It Matters: The PS4 console was released nearly 10 years ago. As such, the hardware can struggle with modern games due to its limitations. Games like Cyberpunk 2077 were hardly playable on the PS4 at launch due to these limitations.
The PlayStation 4 runs the game at a native resolution of 1600x900p at 30FPS, while the PlayStation 4 Pro runs it natively at 1920X1080p at 30FPS. Both consoles maintain this target frame rate, and also have the ability to unlock frames.
The consoles can achieve better frame rates while inside Hogwarts Castle. However, outside the castle, the frame rate may struggle to surpass 45FPS. Nonetheless, the PS4 Pro is better suited to unlocked frame rates, with the FPS cap being a better option for the base PS4.
As anticipated, the difference in graphics between the PS4 and the PS5 is noticeable. However, the PS4 version of the game still manages to impress with visuals that immerse the players into the RPG.
Foliage takes a hit on the last-gen consoles, in addition to shadow quality. Hogwarts Legacy also supports ray tracing on current-gen consoles, which can add to the visual gap between the two platforms.
The most noticeable drawback of playing Hogwarts Legacy on the PS4 comes with the loading times, with the game loading much slower than the PS5 counterpart. But this is to be expected since the PS4 runs on a traditional HDD instead of an SSD.
Nevertheless, Avalanche Software has done an impressive job with the last-gen version of the game. It runs at a decent resolution and maintains a playable framerate without compromising on visuals too much.
The three extra months of development appear to have been worthwhile for those looking to try Hogwarts Legacy on older hardware. How do you feel about the performance on the PS4? Are you planning to purchase the last-gen ports?
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