Hogwarts Legacy is one of the most anticipated game—if not the most anticipated—of 2023, and it’s no surprise. The game features an open-world playthrough that allows players to explore the world of Harry Potter first hand whilst also featuring breathtaking next-generation graphics.
Despite the anticipation, however, some players may not have known that there are a few differences between the version of the game available to those on PS5 and those on Xbox X. This guide explains all of the differences, which may be key for those picking up a next-gen console just to play the game.
The Similarities
First off, it’s worth noting that the two versions of the game are very similar. Since they both allow players to take advantage of next-gen specs, framerate and all of the technical specifications of the game are almost identical across both consoles. The Xbox does seem to have the upper-hand in terms of technical specifications out of the box, but some players have noted that the game appears to run smoother on the PS5 than the Xbox X despite the Xbox having the slight upper hand.
This could, however, just be some performance issues during the initial release of the game, and this might well fix itself at a later date, nonetheless, it shouldn’t be a deciding factor. Aside from this, the rest of the game, the settings, and all of the other stuff are almost identcal across both consoles.
The Differences
One of the key differences between the games is the fact that the PS5 version of Hogwarts Legacy features an exclusive questline that is not available on the PC or Xbox version of the game.
The quest involves the haunted basement of Honeydukes in Hogsmeade. This is currently a PS5 exclusive questline and will not appear in the Xbox version of the game until the following year. This seems like a long time to wait, but is one of the perks of having a PS5 over an Xbox, and it does seem that the developers are favouring the PS5 over the Xbox at this time—this is evident from the amount of advertisement for the PS5 also, whilst barely any was seen for the Xbox.
Hogwarts Legacy also seems to take advantage of the PS5 controller, and sound effects are emitted from the controller during castings of spells. Players are also able to hear nearby cat meows through the controller which creates a more enthralling experience for gamers. This, however, is not something which the developers have made exclusive to the PS5, but appears to be them taking advantage of the available hardware—the Xbox X, for example, does not have a speaker in the controller.
It also appears that the PS5 version of the game allows access to exclusive cosmetic sets and an exclusive shop to “sell items and gear at better rates than anywhere else” that isn’t available to those on other platforms. The last key difference gives PS5 players the recipe for Felix Felicis Potion to temporarily show location of chests.
At the moment, these are the only key differences between the two versions of the game, but it isn’t to say that there isn’t more exclusive content in either version of the game that hasn’t been discovered yet (or indeed, hasn’t been released).
It’s unlikely that the exclusive questline should influence a players choice of console, since the Xbox will get the questline eventually, but if players are excited to play all of the available questlines right from the outset, it’s recommended to pick up the PS5 version of the game.
