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Start with Settings → Graphics Options → Run Benchmark, apply the recommended global preset, then test in the resolution and game areas where you want smooth performance. For a concrete performance-oriented baseline, use the settings below as a starting point—not a guarantee of a particular frame rate. Hogwarts Legacy’s benchmark recommends a preset but does not report FPS.
Start with the in-game benchmark
- Open Settings → Graphics Options → Run Benchmark.
- Apply the global quality preset the benchmark recommends. It analyzes your hardware and selects a starting preset; you can still adjust individual graphics settings across Ultra, High, Medium, and Low.
- Test in your target resolution and in the areas where you actually play. A recommended preset is not an FPS measurement, and performance can vary between locations.
The game defaults to your active display resolution. Resolution and graphics options can affect GPU and CPU performance or VRAM use, so tune against your own system rather than assuming a particular option is always the bottleneck. Portkey Games Support’s PC Features FAQ explains the benchmark, settings, and display options.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Hogwarts Legacy | $38.95 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
|
Hogwarts Legacy Collector's Edition - PC | $345.45 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Hogwarts Legacy: The Official Game Guide (Companion Book) (Portkey Games) | $12.28 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
|
Hogwarts Legacy | $42.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
The Art and Making of Hogwarts Legacy: Exploring the Unwritten Wizarding World | $29.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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A published performance-oriented starting preset
PCGamesN’s guide, updated August 14, 2025, recommends the following configuration. The outlet says it developed its recommendations through a repeatable in-game sequence and disclosed a test PC with an Intel Core i7-11700F, GeForce RTX 4060, and 32 GB of RAM. Treat it as one tested starting point, not an official universal preset.
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|---|---|
| Upscale Type | NVIDIA DLSS or AMD FSR 2 |
| Upscale Mode | DLSS Auto or FSR 2 Quality |
| Frame Generation | On, if supported |
| NVIDIA Reflex Low Latency | On, if supported |
| VSync | Off |
| Frame rate limit | Uncapped |
| Effects, Material, Post Process, Texture, and Population Quality | High |
| Fog, Sky, Foliage, Shadow, and View Distance Quality | Medium |
| Ray Tracing Reflections, Shadows, and Ambient Occlusion | Off |
Options can depend on hardware and the game’s current feature support. The game lists NVIDIA DLSS, AMD FSR, and Intel XeSS upscaling; it also supports NVIDIA DLSS Frame Generation. If you are not using upscaling, the FAQ lists TAA High, TAA Low, and NVIDIA DLAA as anti-aliasing options. There is no established single best upscaler for every PC.
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What to change if performance still feels uneven
Check resolution and upscaling first
If the game is struggling, confirm that its resolution matches your actual target. In windowed-fullscreen, upscaling can render at a percentage of the display resolution. The official FAQ advises considering Upscale Mode to render to a higher target resolution with minimal artifacts. Compare available DLSS, FSR, or XeSS choices on your own system; support varies, and none is a universal recommendation.
Lower quality in measured steps
Use the benchmark preset as a baseline, then reduce settings a step at a time and retest. The published configuration above keeps several options at High while setting Fog, Sky, Foliage, Shadow, and View Distance to Medium. Your best balance depends on resolution, desired smoothness, and available GPU, CPU, and VRAM headroom. The available sources do not provide controlled FPS gains for individual settings, so avoid expecting a specific improvement from changing one option.
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- EXPLORE AN OPEN WORLD. The wizarding world awaits you. Freely roam Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, and the surrounding Overland area.
- BE THE WITCH OR WIZARD YOU WANT TO BE. Learn spells, brew potions, grow plants, and tend to magical beasts along your journey. Get sorted into your house, forge relationships, and master skills to become the witch or wizard you want to be.
- EXPERIENCE A NEW WIZARDING WORLD ADVENTURE. Experience the wizarding world in an unexplored era to uncover a hidden truth from its past. Battle against trolls, Dark Wizards, goblins, and more as you face a dangerous villain threatening the fate of the wizarding world.
- The Hogwarts Legacy Collectors Edition includes Life-Size Floating Ancient Magic Wand with Book Base, Steel Case, Kelpie Robe, Thestral Mount, Dark Arts Cosmetic Set, Dark Arts Garrison Hat, Dark Arts Battle Arena, and 72 Hours Early Access.
- Preorder Hogwarts Legacy Deluxe Edition and receive the Onyx Hippogriff Mount. Content will be delivered as a packed in code with game.
Keep ray tracing off for the cited baseline
Ray tracing is off by default, and each ray-tracing feature is toggled individually. Turning it on or off requires restarting the game; Portkey says it affects both GPU and CPU performance. For the performance-oriented PCGamesN baseline, Ray Tracing Reflections, Shadows, and Ambient Occlusion are off.
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Do not judge smoothness from a menu or a single test area. Different locations can stress the system differently, and frame rates can fluctuate across environments. Check the places where you spend time and make further adjustments there.
PC feature support and patch context
The latest PC feature update covered here is the official January 30, 2025 patch. It added exposed ray-tracing quality controls, including ray-tracing geometry quality, improved fidelity for ray-traced reflections, reflections on bodies of water, NVIDIA DLSS 4, Ray Reconstruction, and Multi-Frame Generation for RTX 50-series GPUs. The patch notes say feature quality settings are exposed individually except for ray-traced ambient occlusion. Read the January 30, 2025 PC patch notes. Avalanche’s update announcement quotes its Director of Software Engineering, Jose Villeta, describing the patch’s ray-tracing and DLSS 4/RTX 50-series support: Avalanche Software’s update article.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Official PC requirements are targets, not performance guarantees
Warner Bros. Games lists the following PC tiers, all of which require DirectX 12. These are publisher-stated system targets, not independent measurements that guarantee the same result on every PC.
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| Publisher tier and target | CPU | Memory | Graphics | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum/Low: 720p / 30 fps / Low | Intel Core i5-6600 or AMD Ryzen 5 1400 | 16 GB RAM | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 4 GB or AMD Radeon RX 470 4 GB | 85 GB HDD; SSD preferred, HDD supported |
| Recommended/High: 1080p / 60 fps / High | Intel Core i7-8700 or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 | 16 GB RAM | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, or Intel Arc A770 | 85 GB SSD |
| Ultra: 1440p / 60 fps | Intel Core i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X | 32 GB RAM | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT | 85 GB SSD |
| Ultra 4K: 2160p / 60 fps | Intel Core i7-10700K or AMD Ryzen 7 5800X | 32 GB RAM | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT | 85 GB SSD |
These tiers help frame the game’s intended resolution and quality combinations; they do not identify which component is limiting performance on your particular PC. The minimum tier supports an HDD, while the higher tiers specify an SSD, but the published specifications do not establish an SSD as a general frame-rate upgrade. Warner Bros. Games’ PC specifications provide the full requirements.
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