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UK edition · prices in pounds, checked 25 September 2026Independent reviews · no affiliate links · no paid placements
Verdict&ValueGame reviews with the bill

Face-off

Tears of the Kingdom or Hogwarts Legacy?

Two giant open worlds on Switch, one inventive and one enchanting, both around £50 to £60.

Link standing on a wooden platform above a red canyon

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Verdict 9.2Value 7.7Overall 8.6

From £59.99 · 117 h

Flying over the Highlands coast on a hippogriff

Hogwarts Legacy

Verdict 7.4Value 7.7Overall 7.5

From £49.99 · 45 h

Both are enormous open-world adventures that appeal to families and adults alike, and both are available on Switch and Switch 2. Only one of them is also on PC, PlayStation and Xbox.

Tears of the Kingdom scores far higher with critics, but Hogwarts Legacy has a setting millions want to visit. Here is how they compare where it matters.

Round by round

  1. The world

    Hyrule's surface, sky islands and the Depths roughly triple the space of its predecessor, and all of it is built to be solved with your own inventions. Hogwarts castle is the more detailed single place, but the Highlands around it are ordinary.

    EdgeTears of the Kingdom

  2. Things to do

    Zelda's 152 shrines and physics-based building keep surprising you for a hundred hours. Hogwarts Legacy's activities repeat sooner, though its Room of Requirement and beasts give you a pleasant home to tend.

    EdgeTears of the Kingdom

  3. Welcome for newcomers

    Hogwarts Legacy has difficulty settings, an arachnophobia mode and narrated menus. Zelda has no difficulty settings at all.

    EdgeHogwarts Legacy

  4. Platforms and price

    Zelda costs £59.99 on Switch and £66.99 as a Switch 2 Edition, and only Nintendo sells it. Hogwarts Legacy is £49.99 on PC and Switch, £64.99 on PS5 and Xbox, and included in PlayStation Plus Extra and Game Pass.

    EdgeHogwarts Legacy

  5. Protection when you pay

    Nintendo refuses change-of-mind refunds on digital games; Steam gives Hogwarts Legacy buyers 14 days and two hours.

    EdgeHogwarts Legacy

The money, side by side

On Switch, Hogwarts Legacy is £10 cheaper than Zelda (£49.99 against £59.99). Per hour of play Zelda is much better value, at about 51p against about £1.10, because it lasts more than twice as long. Away from Nintendo, Hogwarts Legacy is the only option, and a subscription is the cheapest way to play it.

Our call

For the better game, Tears of the Kingdom, clearly. Hogwarts Legacy is the better choice only if you love the setting, want difficulty options, or do not own a Nintendo console, in which case play it through PlayStation Plus Extra or Game Pass.

Full Tears of the Kingdom review · Full Hogwarts Legacy review