The Nintendo Switch version of Hogwarts Legacy has been delayed again, and not by a small amount. The Switch port is now coming November 14, 2023, which represents a four-month delay.
"We know fans are looking forward to playing on Switch, therefore creating the best possible experience is our top priority," a tweet from the game's official account reads. "Thank you for your patience." It's clear the developers aren't happy with the current state of the Switch port, which apparently needs a lot more time in the oven, and it's hard to read this any other way than a consequence of the fact that the Switch is underpowered compared to its peers.
Hogwarts Legacy was previously scheduled to hit last-gen consoles in February, but the old versions were delayed last year, with PS4 and Xbox One slipping to April and then ultimately May. Switch, meanwhile, was moved all the way to July 25 – already a five-month delay.
Players have actually been quite pleased and surprised with how well the game runs on PS4, but given the meager specs of the Switch and now two hefty delays, fans are understandably worried about its Nintendo prospects. After all, the Switch is weaker than a PS4 in several areas.
This has been a valid concern since last year. Even assuming cloud support, which is often the only way the Switch can run modern AAA games in a remotely stable capacity – excluding the first-party wizardry of the likes of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – the base system requirements for Hogwarts Legacy always made you wonder how the great but technically modest handheld would handle it.
Earlier this month, Marvel's Midnight Suns canceled its own long-delayed Switch port, though it's unclear whether technical hurdles were a deciding factor.
