Hogwarts Legacy on PS5 Pro: Is the Upgrade Worth It?

Hogwarts Legacy on PS5 Pro: Enhanced Features Are Nice, Quality is Questionable

Hogwarts Legacy has been a fan-favorite since its release, delivering a vast open-world experience set in the magical universe of Harry Potter. With the arrival of the PS5 Pro, players expected a significant leap in visual fidelity, performance, and ray tracing—but does the upgraded version deliver? On paper, the PS5 Pro version brings higher resolution, improved ray tracing, and Sony’s PSSR upscaling to enhance textures and lighting effects. However, in practice, the improvements are inconsistent, with some areas looking impressive while others expose the limitations of the game’s Unreal Engine 4 roots. Let’s break down what works, what doesn’t, and whether the PS5 Pro upgrade is worth it.

Fidelity RT Mode: Ray Tracing with Mixed Results

One of the biggest selling points of the PS5 Pro version is the Fidelity RT mode, which introduces ray-traced reflections and shadows.

RT Shadows: An Upgrade with Caveats

Compared to the base PS5 version, RT shadows on the Pro show a clearer, more natural look, following optical principles that make lighting feel more realistic. Shadows now have softer, more accurate edges, enhancing the game's atmospheric depth.

However, the BVH (Bounding Volume Hierarchy) used to generate shadows doesn’t always update in real-time, causing animation issues. For example:

• Foliage shadows remain static despite trees and plants swaying in the wind.
• The water wheel’s shadow doesn’t move with the wheel, unlike the base PS5 version’s shadow map solution.
• During repair animations, the PS5 version provides accurate shadows, while the Pro version only shadows the before-and-after states, missing the transition.

Additionally, shadow pop-in issues are noticeable in motion, with shadows sometimes appearing and disappearing suddenly. This creates a distracting visual inconsistency, making the improvements feel unfinished.

RT Reflections: A Step Forward, But Not Perfect

Ray-traced reflections have double the resolution compared to the base PS5 version, making them much sharper and more detailed. This is especially noticeable in mirrors and water surfaces.

However, problems arise when looking at larger bodies of water:

• Reflections appear overly noisy, with Sony’s PSSR upscaler struggling to clean them up.
• Some reflections flicker or look broken, leading to immersion-breaking moments.
• Volumetric fog is missing from RT reflections, creating an unnatural disconnect between reflected objects and the in-game world.

While RT reflections do improve water surfaces, they aren’t always a clear upgrade. The PS5’s screen-space reflection (SSR) solution sometimes looks better, particularly when handling fog and ambient lighting.

Image Quality and Performance: A Questionable Upgrade

Beyond ray tracing, image quality takes an unexpected hit on the PS5 Pro due to Sony’s PSSR upscaling.

Image Clarity: Softer, Noisier, and Less Crisp

• Base PS5 version: Uses 1440p TAA (Temporal Anti-Aliasing) upscaled with FSR1, delivering a sharp but aliasing-prone image.
• PS5 Pro version: Uses 1728p PSSR, which softens the image but reduces aliasing.

This creates a trade-off:

• PS5 Pro looks smoother, with fewer jagged edges.
• However, textures look blurry, especially in foliage-rich environments.

While PSSR is improving in newer games, Hogwarts Legacy still uses an older implementation, making it less effective than expected.

Frame Rate and Stability

Despite the extra power of the PS5 Pro, the Fidelity RT mode runs at 30 FPS, just like the base PS5 version.

Performance inconsistencies include:

• Occasional frame drops in dense areas like Hogsmeade and the Hogwarts castle grounds.
• Weird performance hitches when teleporting, sometimes causing the game to switch to Fidelity mode, halving the frame rate.

Even the base PS5 version maintains a smoother frame rate in some areas, raising questions about whether the Pro optimization is truly effective.

Other Modes: What's the Best Choice?

Beyond Fidelity RT mode, the game includes several other modes, but they don’t drastically change the experience.

Performance Mode (60 FPS)

• Resolution: 1440p (both PS5 and PS5 Pro)
• Frame Rate: 60 FPS (occasional drops, especially in open-world traversal)
• Verdict: Best choice for smooth gameplay, but lacks ray tracing features.

120Hz High Frame Rate Mode

• Frame Rate: Uncapped (hovers around 80 FPS with VRR)
• Recommended? Only for VRR-enabled displays—not worth using otherwise.

Balanced Mode (40 FPS, 120Hz Output Required)

• Resolution: 1728p (PS5 Pro)
• Frame Rate: 40 FPS target
• Verdict: An interesting middle ground, but most players will prefer 60 FPS Performance Mode.

Overall, Performance Mode is the best choice for smooth gameplay, while Fidelity RT mode is only worth it if you prioritize visuals over frame rate.

Final Verdict: Is the PS5 Pro Upgrade Worth It?

Hogwarts Legacy on PS5 Pro is not the definitive upgrade fans hoped for. While ray tracing, reflections, and shadows see improvements, inconsistencies and visual glitches hold it back.

Pros:

✅ Sharper ray-traced reflections (in some areas)
✅ RT shadows improve natural lighting
✅ More stable 60 FPS performance mode

Cons:

❌ Inconsistent ray tracing quality (shadow issues, flickering reflections)
❌ PSSR upscaling makes textures look soft and blurry
❌ Frame rate hitches and occasional performance drops

For most players, the PS5 Pro version doesn’t offer a huge leap over the base PS5. If you already own the game, sticking with the base version is fine—the improvements aren’t game-changing.

That said, if a future patch improves performance and PSSR, the PS5 Pro version could become a more compelling upgrade. Until then, this is more of a small visual boost rather than a must-have improvement.

Stay tuned for more next-gen gaming insights at Land of Geek Magazine!

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