Earlier this week Hogwarts Legacy pre-orders went live, allowing eager witches and wizards to secure the swanky Deluxe and Collector’s Edition of the much anticipated Harry Potter RPG. But these pre-orders listings also revealed that the game will have exclusive content on PlayStation platforms.
There had already been controversy surrounding the decision to lock the flying Thestral mount behind the $80 Deluxe Edition of the game, but the news of a PlayStation exclusive quest and in-game item has caused further anger among the very passionate Potter community.
The Hogwarts Legacy listing on the PlayStation Store reveals that players on either PS5 or PS4 will have access to an exclusive quest, and if you pre-order the game on PlayStation you’ll get the Felix Felicis Potion Recipe. Chandler Wood, Community Manager for developer Avalanche Games, confirmed that the liquid luck potion will be “exclusive to pre-ordering any PlayStation version of the game” via Twitter.
The Felix Felicis potion is exclusive to pre-ordering any PlayStation version of the game.August 25, 2022
Exactly what the Felix Felicis potion will do within Hogwarts Legacy hasn’t been detailed, and the exclusive quest also remains shrouded in mystery for now. However, a listing on Amazon Germany (spotted on Reddit, and confirmed by VGC) suggests that it could be called “Hogsmeade Haunted Shop,” perhaps a hint at The Shrieking Shack, which plays a pivotal role in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Xbox and PC gamers have been quick to voice their displeasure at this news, with multiple reddit threads springing up filled with users expressing their frustration. The response on Twitter has also been fairly negative with many fans particularly unimpressed with the PlayStation exclusive content only being officially confirmed after pre-orders for the game have gone live.
These things have GOT to be more clear. Finding out when pre-orders are live that a console gets an exclusive mission isn't okay. Like the exclusivity or not, I don't care, I'm saying we shouldn't find out about it like this. #HogwartsLegacy https://t.co/j3tuXEgVTkAugust 25, 2022
The nature of the content has also been questioned. Felix Felicis is an important potion in the Wizarding World, Harry uses it to obtain vital information needed to defeat Voldemort in the sixth instalment Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Plus, as noted above, there are unconfirmed rumors that the exclusive quest could involve The Shrieking Shack, which is a location of great significance in the Potter universe. An item and location that are so prominent in the Harry Potter books/movies being PlayStation exclusive has understandably riled some fans up.
Of course, it should be noted that Hogwarts Legacy is far from the first game to indulge in platform exclusive content. And there are examples of titles where Xbox players who have got the extra goodies just for playing on Microsoft hardware. Nevertheless, just because this practice is fairly common doesn’t mean it’s still not disappointing. After all, the best course of action would be to allow all Hogwarts Legacy players access to the same content regardless of where they choose to play.
How significant this PlayStation exclusive content is will be revealed in time. And, either way, it’s likely that Hogwarts Legacy will offer a meaty experience on all platforms when it launches on February 10, 2023. The game is set to launch on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One and PC, with a Nintendo Switch version coming at a later date.
