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Hogwarts Legacy: When the Game Launches on Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One

Hogwarts Legacy is an open-world game set in the wizarding world.

Hogwarts Legacy officially launched earlier this month, allowing wizarding fans the chance to enter their own magical fantasy. The open-world RPG is set in the Harry Potter universe, and it seems like the game that many fans of the books have long hoped for.

The new game from developer Avalanche Software lets playersexperience the famed school of witchcraft and wizardry as a student in the 1800s, before the events of the Harry Potter books. Here are some basic things to know about Hogwarts Legacy, including when you can snag a copy depending on your platform.

What’s the story?

Hogwarts Legacy players will «embark on a dangerous journey to uncover a hidden truth of the wizarding world,» according to the game’s website. You can explore Hogwarts Castle, where you attend classes. You can also go beyond it to new and familiar locations, per the website.

You can customize your character, choose a Hogwarts house and grow your magical abilities by brewing potions, mastering spells and taming beasts. Hogwarts Legacy sticks to the lore but doesn’t adapt the Harry Potter books and films.

What systems can I play Hogwarts Legacy on?

PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC versions of the game launched on Feb. 10. Those looking to play the PS4 and Xbox One versions will, unfortunately, need to wait until April 4.

Nintendo Switch users will have to hang on even longer, until July 25, to play Hogwarts Legacy.

The game was first announced in 2020, and its release dates have changed three times. It’s published by Warner Bros. Games under its Portkey Games label.

Is there early access?

The Deluxe Edition or Digital Deluxe Edition for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC included 72 hours of early access, starting Feb. 7.

The PS4 and Xbox One versions won’t have an early access period.

Where can I buy Hogwarts Legacy?

If you’re interested in the Standard Edition, you can buy the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions from stores, including GameStop, Amazon and Best Buy for $70 (about 57, AU$99). You can preorder the PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch versions from those stores for $60 (roughly 49, $AU85). The PC version is available for $60 at Steam and the Epic Games store.

You can view more ways to purchase Hogwarts Legacy (including how to buy the Deluxe Edition) on the game’s website. The Collector’s Edition has already sold out, but you may be able to find it online for a markup. The official site breaks down what comes with each edition.

What are critics saying?

The game has a Metacritic score of 84 on PS5. (The score is higher on Xbox Series X|S, and a bit lower on PC, but the PS5 score is based on the most reviews, 84.)

CNET critic Sean Keane played the PS5 version and writes in a positive review that «it captures the wonder of the early books, with an intriguing original narrative, engagingly varied gameplay and intricately designed world to explore.»

J.K. Rowling and Hogwarts Legacy

The game’s connection to Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has led her critics to call for a boycott, according to The Week. Over the past few years, Rowling has repeatedly made comments that mocked transgender individuals and infuriated trans advocates.

The Hogwarts Legacy website notes that Rowling isn’t involved in the creation of Hogwarts Legacy. But her writing is the foundation for the project and she still makes money off of sales.

Technologies

Apple’s AI Health Coach Project May Need a Wellness Check

The company’s ambitious plans to introduce a virtual health coach may be going back to the drawing board, according to a report.

Apple is scaling back and rethinking its ambitious plans to introduce an AI-powered health coach, according to a Bloomberg report by Mark Gurman citing anonymous sources privy to the company’s plans.

The project, known inside Apple as Mulberry, was first reported last year, with the company expected to roll together health-related AI features as a coach or assistant. But now, Bloomberg reports, that project will be broken down into individual features introduced over time, as it has done with tools such as the sleep apnea and hearing tests added to Apple Watch and Apple AirPods.

A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bloomberg’s sources point to a change in leadership over Apple’s health technology. Veteran services head Eddy Cue is overseeing those projects and addressing pressure from competitors pushing into the health space, including Oura and Peloton as well as tech giants like Google and OpenAI, which just launched ChatGPT Health.

(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET’s parent company, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in April, alleging that it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)

Apple was also said to have built a studio for a revamped health services app that would have included virtual and video wellness instructions, and integration with existing health tools and Apple devices. It is likely that some of that content and software will still be released publicly, just not in one package, according to Bloomberg.

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Technologies

Here’s Why Taylor Swift’s Opalite Music Video Isn’t on YouTube Yet

The video is now available on Apple Music and Spotify, but it isn’t landing on YouTube for a couple more days.

YouTube may still be where many people instinctively go to watch music videos, but when Taylor Swift dropped her video for Opalite on Friday, it was noticeably absent from the platform. In fact, it won’t be landing on YouTube until Sunday, two days after its release on other streaming platforms.

So, why is the Opalite music video only available on Apple Music and Spotify Premium right now? It likely has to do with a disagreement between YouTube and Billboard, which ranks the most popular songs and albums of the week.

In December, Billboard shifted its charting methodology so paid and subscription-based streams are weighted even more favorably than ad-supported streams. Billboard started weighting paid streams higher than ad-supported ones in 2018. This most recent shift narrows that ratio from 1:3 to 1:2.5, putting numbers from platforms like YouTube at more of a disadvantage.

Following the change, YouTube posted a statement about its dispute with Billboard, calling the charting company’s methodology «an outdated formula.» It added, «This doesn’t reflect how fans engage with music today and ignores the massive engagement from fans who don’t have a subscription…We’re simply asking that every stream is counted fairly and equally, whether it is subscription-based or ad-supported—because every fan matters and every play should count.»

YouTube said that starting Jan. 16, 2026, its data would «no longer be delivered to Billboard or factored into their charts.» 

For artists like Taylor Swift who count on early streams to boost their Billboard rankings, that could make YouTube a less appealing option for debuting new content. So the Opalite video will still be making its way to YouTube, but you’ll have to wait until Sunday, Feb. 8, at 8 a.m. ET to watch it there. Representatives for Swift, YouTube and Billboard did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

YouTube has an ad-supported streaming service as well as a paid one called YouTube Premium. However, even YouTube Premium subscribers can’t see the Opalite music video on Friday. (I’m a subscriber and can confirm it’s nowhere to be found.) According to Statista, in March 2025, YouTube had 125 million paid subscribers across its Premium and Music services. (YouTube Music is included in its Premium subscription.) That pales in comparison with the estimated 2.5 billion total users on YouTube, the majority of whom still rely on that ad-supported offering. 

It remains to be seen whether or when YouTube and Billboard will mend their affairs and whether, in the words of Taylor Swift in Opalite, «this is just a temporary speed bump.»

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Technologies

Valve Delays Steam Frame and Steam Machine Pricing as Memory Costs Rise

The company says its 2026 release window remains intact, but final prices and dates are still in flux.

Valve revealed its lineup of upcoming hardware in November, including a home PC-gaming console called the Steam Machine and the Steam Frame, a VR headset. At the time of the reveal, the company expected to release its hardware in «early 2026,» but the current state of memory and storage prices appears to have changed those plans. 

Valve says its goal to release the Steam Frame and Steam Machine in the first half of 2026 has not changed, but it’s still deliberating on final shipping dates and pricing, according to a post from the company on Wednesday. While the company didn’t provide specifics, it said it was mindful of the current state of the hardware and storage markets. All kinds of computer components have rocketed in price due to massive investments in AI infrastructure.

«When we announced these products in November, we planned on being able to share specific pricing and launch dates by now. But the memory and storage shortages you’ve likely heard about across the industry have rapidly increased since then,» Valve said. «The limited availability and growing prices of these critical components mean we must revisit our exact shipping schedule and pricing (especially around Steam Machine and Steam Frame).»

Valve says it will provide more updates in the future about its hardware lineup. 

What are the Steam Frame and Steam Machine?

The Steam Frame is a standalone VR headset that’s all about gaming. At the hardware reveal in November, CNET’s Scott Stein described it as a Steam Deck for your face. It runs on SteamOS on an ARM-based chip, so games can be loaded onto the headset and played directly from it, allowing gamers to play games on the go. There’s also the option to wirelessly stream games from a PC. 

The Steam Machine is Valve’s home console. It’s a cube-shaped microcomputer intended to be connected to a TV. 

When will the Steam Frame and Steam Machine come out? 

Valve didn’t provide a specific launch date for either. The initial expectation after the November reveal was that the Steam Frame and Steam Machine would arrive in March. Valve’s statement about releasing its hardware in the first half of 2026 suggests both will come out in June at the latest. 

How much will the Steam Frame and Steam Machine cost? 

After the reveal, there was much speculation on their possible prices. For the Steam Frame, the expectation was that it would start at $600. The Steam Machine was expected to launch at a price closer to $700. Those estimates could easily increase by $100 or more due to the current state of pricing for memory and storage.

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