Hogwarts Legacy is a popular open-world action role-playing game set in the Harry Potter universe. It allows players to experience Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry like never before.
Written by our own Eluminum
Every year on September 1st, Harry Potter fans worldwide celebrate Back to Hogwarts Day, commemorating the day Hogwarts students return to school.
To mark the occasion, Hogwarts Day comes with great deals on our beloved Harry Potter themed games like Hogwarts Legacy and LEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4 and 5-7. So, I’m sure many of you are picking up the game once again or are playing it for the first time!
And with that being said, I will tell you how I fixed one of the immediate issues that I have faced when starting Hogwarts Legacy and some other bonus tips as well at the end.
How to Fix Getting Stuck on Preparing Shaders Screen
Some players, including me, have experienced getting stuck in the “Preparing Shaders” loading screen when starting the game for the first time and that prevents them from loading in and getting into the game.
When you launch the game, it loads up and compiles shaders that are needed for the game’s graphics. Depending on your system’s hardware, this process can take a few minutes. However, most of the time it gets stuck and fails to complete.
I fixed this by going into the game’s folder and deleting the shader files, forcing the game to recreate them. This resolved the problem.
Go to “C:\ProgramData\Hogwarts Legacy” and delete the four files there.
If you can’t find it just paste it directly into your file explorer:
Or turn hidden items on:
After doing that, launch the game again and wait for it to load, it should prepare the shaders properly this time and not get stuck.
In my experience, I only had to do this once. After that I just had to wait for it and it loads the game every time with no problems.
Remember to be patient!
Other Tips
- If you’re experiencing loading screen issues, try disconnecting your second monitor if you have one. This workaround might not be universally effective, but it’s worth trying.
- After a cutscene, you might experience some performance issues. Try quickly opening and closing your Field Guide (Esc) to reset the game’s graphics.
- To optimize your gaming experience, check your Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) for unnecessary programs consuming resources. Right-click any suspicious processes and select ‘End task.’ If you’re unsure about a program, search online for its purpose to avoid accidentally closing essential applications.
- For Upscale type, I recommend using DLSS. Adjust the upscale mode to your preference: I use Performance, but Quality or Balanced may suit you better.
- To find the optimal settings for your system, use the Run Benchmark tool in the game’s settings. This may not provide the best results for all users, but it’s worth trying.
- Disable all ray tracing options, as RTX in this game is currently experiencing issues that can lead to graphical problems and performance drops.
That’s it for this guide and I hope I helped you get into the game! See you in Hogwarts!
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
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