Here we go again, with everyone talking about Hogwarts Legacy 2 as though it were just officially announced, when it has been outright confirmed multiple times since Warner Bros. Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels publicly mentioned it to Variety in 2024. I’m already digressing, though, because now that it’s at the height of conversation once again, all I’ve been able to think about is how I may actually get to play this one on the Nintendo Switch 2 on day one, rather than waiting months before that’s even possible. Sure, I’ll undoubtedly still prefer Hogwarts Legacy 2 on PC, but at least I’ll probably have the option of playing it on my favorite handheld console whenever I’m on the go or simply feel like lying in bed instead.
Now, before I get any further, I should clarify that neither Warner Bros. nor Avalanche has confirmed whether Hogwarts Legacy 2 will launch on Switch 2, let alone whether it will arrive there on day one. Still, there are several reasons to believe the sequel will make its way to Nintendo’s latest console regardless, and an equally strong case that Switch 2 could be part of its launch-day lineup. The latter would effectively give it an advantage its predecessor never had, and it all comes down to how powerful the Switch 2 is by comparison, and how AAA developers are now viewing Nintendo’s increasingly popular handheld console.
Hogwarts Legacy 2 Has the Power of the Switch 2 in the Palm of Its Hand
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Image via Warner Bros. Games -
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The original Hogwarts Legacy did eventually make it to the Nintendo Switch, but anyone who wanted to play it there had to watch everyone else have their fun first. The PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC versions launched on February 10, 2023, followed by PS4 and Xbox One in May, while the Switch version didn’t arrive until November 14. It was originally supposed to launch on Nintendo’s console in July, but Avalanche pushed it back again, saying that creating “the best possible experience” for Switch players was its top priority.
Put the consoles in the correct order.
That still doesn’t tell us exactly what was happening behind the scenes, so I don’t want to pretend Avalanche came right out and blamed the hardware, but we’re also talking about a massive open-world RPG being brought to a console that was already struggling with some of the industry’s more demanding games. Whatever work it took to get Hogwarts Legacy running there clearly wasn’t something that could be finished alongside the other versions.
Unfortunately, those extra nine months meant Switch players missed the part of Hogwarts Legacy‘s life when seemingly everyone was talking about it. By November, people had already spent months exploring Hogwarts and discovering every one of its secrets, which were then relentlessly posted online for all the world to see. The Switch version still gave Nintendo players a way in, which was obviously better than skipping the console altogether, but arriving that late meant they couldn’t really experience the game alongside everyone else. If they wanted Hogwarts Legacy on Nintendo hardware, waiting was simply part of the deal.
Switch 2 makes that situation a lot easier to imagine going differently. Warner Bros. already went back and released a native Switch 2 version of the first Hogwarts Legacy when the console launched, and this wasn’t simply the old Switch version running through backward compatibility. It came with DLSS support, improved resolution, better loading times, smoother traversal, and even seamless open-world exploration, which is a pretty good demonstration of how much more Avalanche can actually do with Nintendo’s newer hardware. That doesn’t mean Hogwarts Legacy 2 will automatically run perfectly on Switch 2, especially when we have no idea how technically demanding the sequel will be, but at least Avalanche wouldn’t be trying to fit it onto the same hardware that made the first game’s Nintendo release such a different situation.
Switch 2 Is Already Getting AAA Games on Day One
Hogwarts Legacy isn’t the only reason I think a day-one Switch 2 version of the sequel is realistic, either, because other publishers have already started treating Nintendo’s console like a platform that belongs in the initial launch lineup. WWE 2K26, for instance, launched on Switch 2 alongside PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC earlier this year, and Madden NFL 27 is doing the same thing on August 13. NBA 2K27 will follow on September 4, again with Switch 2 included alongside the other current platforms.
Then there’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, which might be the biggest example of all. When it launches on October 23, Switch 2 players will be able to buy it on the same day as everyone on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Considering how demanding Call of Duty tends to be and how long Nintendo hardware went without new entries in the series, seeing one included in the day-one platform lineup says quite a bit about what publishers think Switch 2 can handle. Obviously, that doesn’t mean every AAA game from this point forward is guaranteed to show up there at launch, but we’re already well past the point where a major multiplatform game including Switch 2 on day one should be considered some huge surprise.
Hogwarts Legacy 2 Could Have Nintendo Players There From the Beginning
That puts Hogwarts Legacy 2 in a much better spot than the first game was ever in, assuming Warner Bros. and Avalanche actually decide to take advantage of it. They already know Hogwarts Legacy can run natively on Switch 2, they’ve already released a version specifically designed for the console, and other AAA developers are proving that Nintendo doesn’t always have to be treated like the platform that gets figured out later anymore. There is still every chance the sequel could be more demanding than the first game and require compromises on Switch 2, but compromises are a lot easier to accept when they don’t also come with a nine-month wait.
Having Switch 2 there from the beginning would also mean Hogwarts Legacy 2 gets access to an entire group of players its predecessor couldn’t reach until long after launch. Harry Potter has never exactly been something that appeals exclusively to hardcore gamers, so there are bound to be plenty of people interested in another trip to Hogwarts whose primary console happens to be a Switch 2. This time, they could potentially be discovering the sequel’s biggest surprises at the same time as everyone else. Nothing has been confirmed yet, so I’m not ready to start planning which version I’m buying, but considering how different Nintendo’s position looks now compared to 2023, I’d be far more surprised if Hogwarts Legacy 2 skipped Switch 2 at launch than if it was there on day one.
- Released
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February 10, 2023
- ESRB
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T For Teen Due To Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol
