Hands On: PS5 Pro Injects More Magic into Hogwarts Legacy

Due to the sheer amount of content open world titles generally have to render at any one time, it's a lot more difficult for them to be deemed visually spectacular. Many on PS5 are more than competent, but pit them against the linear, story-focused experiences of Sony's first-party teams and they will almost always pale in comparison. Hogwarts Legacy falls into this category, so as the Harry Potter simulator finds itself one of the most noteworthy PS5 Pro launch games, team Avalance Software has smartly focused on visual features rather than a sheer resolution bump. The entire title has got a facelift, but the key PS5 Pro feature here is ray tracing.

There's no new PS5 Pro-specific mode to choose in Hogwarts Legacy; instead, the studio has provided upgrades across all the graphical options it already offered. No matter which one you pick, PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) is active to keep the resolution as high quality as it can possibly be. While it works on resolution, the frame rate cap in both Fidelity Modes stays at 30fps, and Performance Mode is the option for a solid 60fps. If your TV supports it, there's a HFR Performance Mode that uncaps the frame rate too.

Ray tracing is the main enhancement on top of any visual and frame rate boosts, which is a feature that's already available in the base PS5 version, but has been further upgraded for PS5 Pro. Essentially, ray-traced reflections and shadows look much more clear, colourful, and striking. Particularly noticeable when walking past the many stained-glass windows of Hogwarts Castle, they cast an impressive reflection onto the ground. Here are a few examples:

As you explore more of the open world, you'll start to notice these improved reflections in the body of water surrounding Hogwarts, as well as some of the caves buried into the mountains once you cast Lumos. It might well be a pre-existing feature, but Avalanche Software has put in the work on PS5 Pro to make ray tracing pop so much more.

Elsewhere, it's difficult to really pinpoint where PSSR is working and where the base visual output lies before the feature comes into play. Returning to the game over a year since its initial launch, the curated, unique cast of witches and wizards that make up the main characters in the game look outstanding. Your custom character looks out of place in comparison, with less animation work and fewer facial details. This is common amongst open world games, though, and isn't something exclusive to Hogwarts Legacy.

Overall, PS5 Pro makes a magical experience that little bit better in specific situations. The new ray-traced effects work spectacularly well — a dramatic improvement over what's available on the base PS5 — but that's about as far as things go. PSSR is being put to work, but within the vast expanses of an open world, it's more difficult to notice particular use cases. Hogwarts Legacy remains a great PS5 title 18 months after release; PS5 Pro helps it to shine that minuscule bit more.

Please see more PS5 Pro screenshots below:

How have you found Hogwarts Legacy running on PS5 Pro so far? Share your own impressions in the comments below.