How Long Does Hogwarts Legacy Take to Download & Install?
As an avid gamer and Potterhead, I‘ve been eagerly counting down the days until I can explore the halls of Hogwarts in Avalanche‘s highly anticipated action RPG. If you can‘t wait to play on February 10th, you‘re probably wondering – how long will it take to download and install 100GB of Hogwarts Legacy?
Based on preload reports and my own testing, you can expect the full download and installation to take between 1-4 hours depending on your setup. Here‘s what‘s impacting speeds:
File Size
Hogwarts Legacy clocks in at a hefty 70-85GB depending on platform:
| Platform | Download Size |
|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | 79.8GB |
| Xbox Series X/S | 80GB |
| PC (Steam) | 85GB |
Plan ahead and clear enough room on your console or SSD before release day. Downloading and installing such a huge game can definitely take awhile!
Internet Connection & Bandwidth
Your internet bandwidth is the biggest factor determining Hogwarts Legacy download speeds. Players with fiber internet or speedy cable/DSL connections will fare much better than those on slower networks.
Here‘s how long the pure download takes based on real-world internet speeds:
| Speed (Mbps) | 80GB Download Time |
|---|---|
| 10 Mbps | 2 hours 26 mins |
| 25 Mbps | 1 hour 22 mins |
| 50 Mbps | 44 minutes |
| 100 Mbps | 22 minutes |
| 200 Mbps | 11 minutes |
As expected, faster bandwidth results in much quicker download times. If your ISP packages are capped, the download could take hours.
Consider using a wired ethernet connection over WiFi for large downloads like this. Wired internet avoids congestion and stability issues that hamper WiFi speeds.
Geographic Location
Your proximity to Sony/Steam‘s servers also plays a role. Gamers in major metropolitan areas or countries with robust internet infrastructure can reach faster speeds and latency.
Players downloading Hogwarts Legacy in rural areas or regions without localized CDN servers may experience longer wait times.
Using a VPN connection can potentially route your traffic through faster pipeline. But beware this adds overhead that could slow the transfer instead.
Platform Launchers
There is also variance in download performance across platforms. Sony and Microsoft run efficient, high-bandwidth storefronts designed for large game downloads.
Meanwhile, Steam is more susceptible to overloaded servers and congestion due to its sheer popularity. Some players report slow Steam downloads even on fast connections.
My own tests show the Epic Games launcher reaching ~10% higher peak speeds. But Steam unpacks compressed files much quicker.
File Compression & Encryption
On PC platforms, Hogwarts Legacy uses file compression and encryption during the preload process. This minimized download sizes, but increases install time.
The compressed packages must be unpacked and decrypted after reaching your hard drive. This CPU-intensive process is what really slows things down.
Here‘s a breakdown of the operations happening:
| Stage | Task | Avg. Time |
|---|---|---|
| Download | Transfer encrypted packages | < 30 minutes* |
| Unpacking | Decrypt and extract game files | 45-90 minutes |
| Installation | Copy files and optimize | 10-15 minutes |
*time varies based on internet speeds
As you can see, the unpacking stage takes far longer than the download for most people. This is why your "installation" seems to get stuck at times even at 99%! Rest assured Steam is just busy unpacking things behind-the-scenes.
Hard Drive Types
Your system‘s drive configuration also plays a key role during the install process:
- HDD drives have much slower write speeds. Installing Hogwarts Legacy on an old-school hard drive can add 30-60 mins.
- SSDs have faster read/write times and handle file unpacking quicker. NVMe SSDs in particular excel here.
- Having games on a separate drive avoids conflicts with limited C: disk space.
If you‘re still relying on HDD drives in 2024, it‘s probably time upgrade your storage! Solid state drives boost loading times across the board.
Troubleshooting Downloading Issues
Despite the best laid plans, you may still run into stalled downloads, errors or infinitely "unpacking" installs. Try these fixes if your Hogwarts Legacy download gets stuck:
- Pause and restart the download to reset connections
- Clear your platform‘s download cache to wipe corrupt data
- Disable VPNs or firewalls temporarily if they are throttling bandwidth
- Ensure your platform and games library have exceptions in antivirus programs
- Switch to a wired internet connection instead of WiFi
- Close other apps and programs to dedicate bandwidth to the download
- Adjust the download region in Steam‘s Settings > Downloads menu
- Verify integrity of files or reinstall graphics card drivers if necessary
Still having issues? Check the Hogwarts Legacy system requirements and make sure your drivers, OS and hardware meet minimum specs – especially CPU and RAM.
Ready For Release Day
I hope breaking down all aspects of the Hogwarts Legacy download and installation process gives you an idea of what to expect on February 10th.
To recap, you‘ll need a solid internet connection, plenty of SSD storage space, and some patience for optimizing 100GB of magical game files!
What House will you choose? I can‘t wait to finally step into the halls of Hogwarts as a proud Gryffindor! See you at the Sorting Ceremony.
