Hogwarts Legacy delayed on PS4, Xbox One, and especially Switch

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This also means Hogwarts Legacy early access is now exclusive to PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC

Hogwarts Legacy screenshot
(Image credit: Warner Bros Games. Interactive)

Hogwarts Legacy has been delayed on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, Warner Bros. Games has announced.

To be clear, the game is still set to release on new-gen platforms, including PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, on February 10, but it's now releasing later than planned on last-gen consoles. Specifically, the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Hogwarts Legacy will now launch on April 4, 2023, while the Switch version is now due out on July 25 - two and five-month delays, respectively.

Hogwarts Legacy has an early access period that lets you play 72 hours early if you pre-order the Digital Deluxe edition of the game. However, with this latest delay to the last-gen versions, that early access is now exclusive to PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. In an official FAQ for the game, Warner Bros. confirmed that "to get everyone in the game as early as possible, the Hogwarts Legacy Standard and Deluxe Editions for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will launch together on April 4, 2023 without Early Access."

Again, it's unclear why the game's being delayed on last-gen consoles, but the presumption is that the developers need more time to optimize the experience on older hardware. Ideally, this ensures the game will run well regardless of platform, but only time will tell.

Look out for another Hogwarts Legacy gameplay showcase tomorrow, December 14.

Although she is not involved in the development of Hogwarts Legacy, GamesRadar+ acknowledges the role of J.K. Rowling in the creation of the Wizarding World, as well as her publicly-stated, harmful views regarding the rights of transgender people. If you’d like to offer your support to the communities affected by Rowling’s rhetoric, consider donating to the National Center for Transgender Equality in the US, or Mermaids in the UK.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.