Hogwarts Legacy's Hogwarts castle has at least one area that looks different depending on which version of the game is being played. When Hogwarts Legacy first released, it was only available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X consoles. However, the plan was always to bring Hogwarts Legacy to the previous generation of consoles as well.
After a short delay, the PS4 and Xbox One version of Hogwarts Legacy released to the masses on May 5. There was some concern that the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Hogwarts Legacy would have technical problems not found in the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions, but it seems those worries were largely unfounded. There's been a great deal of praise for how well Hogwarts Legacy runs on PS4 and Xbox One, and while the graphics are obviously downgraded and the performance is pulled back a bit, the experience is largely the same regardless of one's console of choice.
However, Hogwarts Legacy players have discovered one interesting difference when comparing Hogwarts castle as it appears in the PS4/Xbox One versions of the game to the PS5/Xbox Series X versions. In the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of Hogwarts Legacy, Hogwarts castle has an open-air bridge that lets players stroll outside. In the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game, this bridge is actually enclosed and looks significantly different as a result. An official reason for this has not been given, but the running theory is that the enclosed bridge is simply less demanding as the game doesn't have to render the outside world.
It's possible that there are other little differences between the various versions of Hogwarts Legacy that players have yet to discover, so it will be interesting to see if anything else comes to light as more fans check out the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game. The upcoming Nintendo Switch port of Hogwarts Legacy could have the most differences out of all the versions of the game, as it will be running on significantly weaker hardware and may require more tricks to get everything working properly.
Avalanche Software surprised many when the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Hogwarts Legacy released in such a polished state, so it's possible that the same will happen when it comes to the Nintendo Switch port as well. Getting Hogwarts Legacy's massive open world running properly on the Nintendo Switch is going to be quite the challenge, but the development team hasn't let fans down yet.
Hogwarts Legacy is out now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.