Embarking on a magical journey in Hogwarts Legacy? Ensuring a seamless gaming experience on the Steam Deck requires a deep dive into the game’s optimization process. In this guide, we’ll explore various scaling methods, test the impact of manual GPU frequency adjustment, and present the perfect settings for a captivating Hogwarts Legacy adventure.
Navigating the Settings
Start by setting your resolution at 800p and turn the TAA (Temporal Anti-Aliasing) to high. The TAA method can efficiently reduce the jagged lines, often called “jaggies,” improving the overall visual experience. For upscaling, Nvidia NIS (Nvidia Image Scaling) provides an excellent blend of performance enhancement and image quality. However, feel free to modify the depth of field and motion blur settings to suit your preference.
Choosing the Right Graphics Settings
Your choice of graphics settings is integral to the game’s performance. Adjusting parameters such as view distance and texture quality can significantly influence the game’s smoothness and visual aesthetics. Remember, finding a balance between performance and quality is key. Here are the settings I chose for Hogwarts Legacy
| Window Mode | Windowed |
| Resolution | 1280×800 |
| Anti Aliasing Mode | TAA High |
| Upscale Type | Nvidia NIS |
| Upscale Mode | Quality |
| Upscale Sharpness | 0.7 |
| Vsync | OFF |
| Effects Quality | Medium |
| Material Quality | Medium |
| Fog Quality | Low |
| Sky Quality | Low |
| Foliage Quality | High |
| Post Process Quality | Medium |
| Shadow Quality | Low |
| Texture Quality | High |
| View Distance Quality | Low |
| Population Quality | Low |
And with these graphic settings, you will be getting a good balance between image quality and performance. You can expect an image quality similar to the one you get at native resolution. The only bad part about that is that at native resolution the image is a bit muddy.
Comparing Upscaling Methods
Upscaling techniques help improve game performance without drastically sacrificing image quality. It allows for rendering the game at a lower resolution, which then gets upscaled to your screen’s resolution.
Native rendering, where the GPU renders the game at the screen’s full resolution, ensures the highest image quality but can put a heavy load on the system. Comparing this to Nvidia NIS and FSR (AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution), you might notice a difference in how the game appears, especially during movements.
Nvidia NIS Versus FSR
The Nvidia NIS method generally provides a more pleasing image, less sharpened compared to FSR. Though FSR offers excellent image quality when the camera isn’t moving, the oversharpened and blocky appearance during movements might be distracting for some players. This distinction makes Nvidia NIS the preferable choice for Hogwarts Legacy on the Steam Deck.
Optimizing Performance
Upon configuring the game with these settings, the performance significantly improves, averaging well above 40 fps indoors and outdoors. More intensive scenarios, like broom flying near the ground, can be more demanding, with fps ranging between 30 to 40.
Experimenting with GPU Frequency
Manually adjusting the GPU frequency can enhance performance and battery life. Testing frequencies from 1600 MHz to 1200 MHz, with 100 MHz decremental steps, revealed interesting results. In most scenarios, a frequency of 1300 MHz yielded the best performance.
Finalizing the Perfect Settings
Taking all these factors into account, the most optimized settings for Hogwarts Legacy on the Steam Deck includes a GPU clock frequency set to 1300MHz, coupled with the use of Nvidia NIS for upscaling. Pair these with a refresh rate limit of 30 fps for the most consistent frame rate.
Optimizing games like Hogwarts Legacy ensures that players get the most out of their Steam Deck. By fine-tuning these settings, players can enjoy a smooth, visually pleasing gaming experience on one of the most exciting handheld consoles on the market today.
So, hop onto your broomstick and dive into the magical world of Hogwarts Legacy, confident that your gaming experience is optimized for the best performance possible on the Steam Deck.
