Technologies

Hogwarts Legacy: The Best PS5 and Xbox Graphics Options

The new Harry Potter game can have up to five separate graphics preset options.

While PC games often have endless menus and submenus of graphics settings to tinker with, console games have historically run the same way for everyone on the same hardware. More recently, as consoles have diverged into multiple versions, such as the PS4/PS4 Pro or the Xbox Series X/Series S, you might get a choice between Quality and Performance modes (typically emphasizing either resolution or frames-per-second), but that’s about it.

In Hogwarts Legacy, however, the Xbox and PS5 versions of the game have up to five available graphics settings. That’s more than the usual Quality/Performance split, and the details of each can be a bit opaque. That’s especially true considering one of the big selling points of console gaming is that you don’t have to worry about settings or compatibility issues.

Which one to pick depends on a couple of things – your preference for sparkly eye candy over smooth motion, and whether or not you have a TV that supports VRR (variable refresh rate) and HDR.

As a quick rundown, Hogwarts Legacy’s five graphics settings are:

Fidelity mode
Fidelity mode with raytracing
Performance mode
Balanced mode
HFR (high frame rate) mode

The question comes down to: Do you want the game to look better or run smoother? Quality settings, called Fidelity in this case, in console games generally increase the resolution and add graphics detail and complexity, but often lock the number of frames per second down to 30. Performance settings can drop the resolution and remove or downgrade graphics features, but offer higher frame rates, ideally at least 60fps — but not always. Newer TVs with higher refresh rates (or variable refresh rates) can run even faster frame rates.

In testing Hogwarts Legacy, it’s not surprising that I ended up on the Balanced setting. It feels like a shame to skip the high-end graphics the PS5 (and Xbox Series X) are capable of. But at the same time, playing at 30fps feels choppy and unsatisfying. Hence, the in-the-middle option.

I’ve also been spoiled by testing the game on a series of high-end gaming PCs. On the new Razer Blade 18, which has an Nvidia RTX 4080 GPU, I was able to run the game at its highest graphics settings with QHD resolution and get frame rates above 100fps in most cases.

Even an slightly older gaming laptop with an Nvidia RTX 3070 was able to run at a mostly consistent 60fps at high graphics settings and FHD resolution. Both of these cases, when connected to a 65-inch LG OLED TV, were far superior visually to any of the PS5 options and didn’t require me to choose graphics quality over frame rate.

What do all these performance mode settings actually do?

As Hogwarts Legacy is mostly exploration and conversation with some fighting, you can get away with the Fidelity mode and not feel like you’re losing out on gameplay. Fast-paced action or online competitive games generally require those higher frame rates for effective play.

Adding the ray tracing option tweaked the visuals slightly on the PS5, most noticeably adding more realistic reflections. But it also seemed to further degrade performance. It’s worth checking out, but you might not stick with it.

Besides the Balanced setting, the Performance setting is also somewhere in the middle. It drops some detail from Balanced, but feels like it hits 60fps more consistently without the occasional slowdown in the Balanced mode.

The extreme option on the other end is HFR Performance, which maximizes the frame rate but makes the game look worse. Again, a casual adventure/exploration game like this doesn’t need anything over ~60fps, and only some TVs even support this.

What performance setting should I choose for Hogwarts Legacy?

For my money, if playing on a PS5, I’d choose the Balanced mode, but only after sampling the other available options as well. My second choice would be Fidelity mode, and in fact, I might switch back and forth between the two depending on my mood.

But the overall best experience is going to be on a gaming PC, and our breakdown of the required specs for that is here.

Technologies

Tubi App Goes Live in ChatGPT to Give You TV and Movie Recommendations

Like the ultra-customized feel of a Tubi rec? The streamer aims to make it even more personalized.

Tubi, the free streaming platform known for its vast library of cult classics and indie movies, has added an app to ChatGPT. You can now use the chatbot to find content recommendations for TV shows and movies on Tubi, the streamer announced on Tuesday.

You may already have your own search strategy when using Tubi, but the addition of the native app within ChatGPT allows you to strike up a conversation and ask for uber-specific, personalized title suggestions. If you see a film or show that captures your interest, you have the option to click «Watch on Tubi» to stream it on a mobile device or the web. In the mood for scary movies about yetis? Use @Tubi for your prompt in the chatbot and request something like, «horror movies with aggressive yetis» and expect to see a selection of titles that fit your wish list.

«Streaming should feel effortless, and as chatbots and AI agents are becoming a common way people navigate the internet, Tubi is expanding its discovery experience to meet viewers in the moment they’re expressing intent in their own words,» Mike Bidgoli, Tubi’s chief of product and technology, said in a statement.

ChatGPT opened its app store this past December. It currently includes apps for Apple Music, Zillow, Spotify and Canva, offering the ability to connect your accounts to search, design or ask for recommendations. Back in 2023, Tubi created its own AI-powered tool called Rabbit AI for mobile users to help audiences find content to watch. The company later shuttered the feature, which used Open AI’s Chat GPT-4. With today’s launch, it’s the first video streaming service to add an app within ChatGPT.

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

Technologies

PlayStation Plus Subscribers Can Play Tomb Raider and More All April Long

Subscribers can also explore a Soulslike game that just got a big update.

PlayStation Plus, which is Sony’s version of Xbox Game Pass, offers a large, constantly expanding library of games. Subscribers can choose from the Essential, Extra and Premium tiers, each with unique perks and benefits. Starting at $10 a month, the plans give subscribers access to games and rewards, and each month, all subscribers can play a handful of new games at no additional charge. And some people on Reddit are pretty excited for a few of the games Sony is offering subscribers throughout April.

One user wrote how they are «buzzing» for the remastered Tom Raider games, while another user is willing to replay the Soulslike game Lords of the Fallen. «April fools’ joke? Because they’re actually good,» a third user wrote.

If you’re a PlayStation Plus subscriber, you can play these games now until May 4.

Lords of the Fallen

If you played Elden Ring and thought, «I wish this game had even more grimdark elements to it, like Bloodborne,» Lords of the Fallen might be for you. Choose one of nine classes to play as while you traverse the lands of the living and the dead in order to overthrow the demon god Adyr. You’ll fight all manner of monstrosities along the way, like a colossal humanoid with an arm protruding from its mouth or a giant carrion crow that wears a human skull.

HexWorks, the gaming studio behind Lords of the Fallen, also released a patch for the game on April 3. The patch is intended to make co-op sessions feel more rewarding for hosts and guests, so you and your friends should have even more fun in this game.

Tomb Raider 1-3 Remastered

Experience these classic Tomb Raider games from the 90s all over again — or for the first time — with the remastered trilogy. You’ll explore jungles, solve puzzles in the desert and tackle mercenaries and monsters along the way. While you can enjoy the boosted graphics of the remastered edition, you can also enable low-poly mode to experience these games as you would have almost 30 years ago.

Sword Art Online Fractured Daydream

A system called Galaxia has been added to Alfheim Online, allowing players to relive the past. But the system has spun out of control, displacing players throughout time. To set things right, you’ll have to work with friends and foes alike in this co-op raid battle game. But if you want to go solo, you can play story mode as characters from across space and time confront the anomaly in the VR world.

For more on PlayStation Plus, here’s what to know about the service. You can also check out other games on PlayStation Plus and games on Xbox Game Pass.

Technologies

Get Organized for Just $28 With This 6-in-1 Baseus Charging Station Deal

Ditch the cluttered cables and upgrade to this sleek USB power strip while it’s on sale for a record-low price.

For just $28, this six-in-one Baseus charging station can help you keep your desk organized. That’s 20% off and the all-time lowest price we’ve seen for this 120-watt USB power strip. We don’t expect this limited-time deal to last for long, however, so you’ll want to get your order in sooner rather than later.

You can use this charging station for just about all of your devices, including phones, tablets, headphones and laptops. It’s equipped with four USB-C ports and two USB-A ports, so you can charge up to six devices at once. It also boasts a 65-watt single-port output, enough to fully recharge a MacBook Air in less than 2 hours. And at just 323 grams, it’s light enough to take on the go, making it a great buy for frequent travelers.

Why this deal matters

This sleek Baseus charging station can connect to up to six devices at once, and is still small enough that you can take it on the go. Plus, this is the all-time lowest price we’ve seen, making it a pretty great value.