Hogwarts legacy is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated games on PC and consoles of 2023. This is partly due to the irresistible charm of the magical Harry Potter universe created by J. K. Rowling, but also to the potential shown by Avalanche Software's work through the trailers, gameplay videos and information shared by developers over the years.
Since the launch of Hogwarts Legacy is now approaching, we thought we'd create a handy summary article everything you need to know on the game ahead of its debut in stores, with details on the release date and prices, the various editions available and a summary of what we can expect in terms of gameplay and plot.
Release date, early access and preload
The launch of Hogwarts Legacy is a bit of a special case, as it will basically be staggered release dates based on the platform. The first versions to arrive on store shelves will be the PS5, Xbox Series
Purchasers of the Deluxe Edition of Hogwarts Legacy for PS5, Xbox Series play 72 hours in advance compared to the release date, which is February 7, 2023. Keep in mind that early access is not planned for the PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch versions.
As regards the preload, Warner Bros. Games customer service has confirmed that it will be possible to download the game files of the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions in advance, but without indicating a precise date and time, while this option will not be available for PC. No details for the moment regarding the PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch versions.
Price, editions, pre-order bonuses and exclusive PlayStation content
Hogwarts Legacy will be available in both digital and physical versions Standard Edition and Deluxe Edition. There is also a rich Collector's Edition (retail only), but given the limited availability practically all copies have already been pre-ordered and it will be difficult to get one.
By pre-ordering or pre-purchasing the game before launch you will also be entitled to a series of bonus. Not only that, the PlayStation versions also include exclusive content and therefore not available for other platforms. Below are details on prices, editions and booking bonuses.
Pre-order bonuses and exclusive PlayStation content
By pre-ordering or pre-purchasing any physical or digital version of Hogwartsw Legacy you will receive as bonus the Obsidian Hippogriff extra mount. PS5 and PS4 players will also receive the recipe for the Felix Felicis Potion.
The PS5 and PS4 versions of Hogwarts Legacy also include the exclusive mission "Hogsmeade Haunted Shop." According to the official description, players will take part in "a disturbing and mysterious adventure" involving Madam Mason, a Hogsmeade shopkeeper, and the exploration of a dungeon full of dangers. By completing this mission, you will gain access to an exclusive shop in Hogsmeade, where you can sell your items and equipment at better prices than other shops in the game.
Standard Edition
The Standard Edition of Hogwarts Legacy will be available in physical and digital formats at the following prices:
- PS5 e Xbox Series X|S - 74,98 euro
- PS4 e Xbox One - 69,99 euro
- Nintendo Switch - 59,99 euro
- PC (digital only) - 59,99 euros
You will be able to pre-order the physical versions of the Standard Edition via Amazon.com, with delivery scheduled for the day of the game's release, via the boxes below. Digital versions of the Deluxe Edition are available via PlayStation Store for PS5 and PS4, via Xbox Store for Series X|S and One, via Steam and Epic Games Store for PC. At the time of writing, pre-purchase of the digital version for Nintendo Switch is not yet available.
Deluxe Edition
The Deluxe Edition of Hogwarts Legacy will be available in physical and digital formats. Please note that the digital versions for PS4 and Xbox One of the Deluxe Edition are included with those for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S and cannot be purchased separately. Below are the prices:
- PS5 and Xbox Series
- PS4 and Xbox One (physical) for 79,99 euros
- Nintendo Switch - 69,99 euro
- PC (digital only) - 69,99 euros - available from 7 February 2023 thanks to Early Access
The digital versions are available via PlayStation Store for PS5 and PS4, via Xbox Store for Series X | S and One, via Steam and Epic Games Store for PC. At the time of writing, pre-purchase of the digital version for Nintendo Switch is not yet available.
The Deluxe Edition of Hogwarts Edition as previously mentioned guarantees early access to the game for 72 hours only on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. So you can start playing from February 7th, rather than February 10th.
In addition to this bonus, this edition includes the "Dark Arts Pack", which includes:
- The ghostly mount Thestral, a creature well known to Harry Potter fans.
- Il aesthetic set of the Dark Arts, that is, an outfit for your character inspired by the Dark Arts.
- L'Dark Arts combat arena, which is an arena in which players can engage in combat challenges.
Furthermore, exclusively for the thimble versions of the Deluxe Edition, the Dark Arts sachet hat, another aesthetic element to customize your character.
Collector's Edition
Hogwarts Legacy will also be available in the Collector's Edition version for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series At the moment this rich collector's edition is sold out for all platforms, but with a bit of luck some users may decide to give up their pre-order, so keep an eye on availability in the days before the game's launch.
The Collector's Edition includes 72-hour Early Access (PS5, Xbox Series " (an extra outfit to customize the protagonist). The main course, however, is represented by the physical collectibles included, namely a replica of a magic wand that floats "as if by magic" above a base in the shape of a spell book and the exclusive steelbook, depicted in the image above.
Official artbook
The most die-hard Harry Potter fans might also be tempted by the official Hogwarts Legacy Artbook, entitled "Harry Potter - Hogwarts Legacy: L'Arte e il Making Of" and published in Italy by Panini Comics.
The volume will have a hard cover and will consist of 252 pages, which will include illustrations, concept art and insights relating to characters, enemies and settings, as well as interviews and statements with the Hogwarts Legacy development team. Let's read the official description:
"Discover the secrets of making the epic video game Hogwarts Legacy, set in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter!"
"Travel through the conception phases of this vast and immersive action RPG: this book will take you behind the scenes of the game with exclusive interviews from the Avalanche studio, extraordinary preliminary concept art, renderings and illustrations that will allow you to immerse yourself in the creation of this experience of unique game."
The Italian version will be published by Panini Comics at the price of 59 € and if you want you can purchase it via the Panini Comics website at this address or from authorized retailers.
However, there are doubts about the release date at the moment: on the dedicated page of the Panini Comics website the dates of 7 and 10 February 2023 are mentioned, while other retailers indicate a generic "February 2023". Only the English version is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.it, at a price of 51,95 euros. We will update this article as soon as there are more precise details on the matter.
System requirements, Denuvo and ray tracing
Before its debut in stores, the developers of Avalanche Software announced the complete official requirements of the PC version of Hogwarts Legacy, from the configuration necessary to play decently with a resolution of 720p and 30fps, up to the very demanding one to enjoy the best of the game with 4K resolution, 60 fps and maximum graphics settings.
Lows - 720p, 30 fps, low preset
- Operating system: Windows 10 64 bit
- CPU: Intel Core i5-6600 (3.3Ghz) o AMD Ryzen 5 1400 (3.2Ghz)
- RAM: 16 GB of RAM
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 4GB o AMD Radeon RX 470 4GB
- DirectX: DX 12
- Storage space: 85GB
Recommended - 1080p, 60 fps and high preset
- Operating system: Windows 10 64 bit
- CPU: Intel Core i7-8700 (3.2Ghz) o AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (3.6 Ghz)
- RAM: 16 GB of RAM
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce 1080 Ti o AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT o INTEL Arc A770
- DirectX: DX 12
- Storage space: 85GB
Ultra - 1440p, 60fps e preset Ultra
- Operating system: Windows 10 64 bit
- CPU: Intel core i7-10700K (3.80 GHz) o AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (3.80 GHz)
- RAM: 32 GB of RAM
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
- DirectX: DX 12
- Storage space: 85GB
Ultra 4K - 4K, 60 fps e preset Ultra
- Operating system: Windows 10 64 bit
- CPU: Intel core i7-10700K (3.80 GHz) o AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (3.80 GHz)
- RAM: 32 GB of RAM
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT
- DirectX: DX 12
- Storage space: 85GB
Furthermore, from the Hogwarts Legacy Steam page we learn that the game on PC will be protected by anti-tamper technology Denuvo. Warner Bros. Games customer service has confirmed that this version will support ray tracing for shadows, reflections, ambient occlusion and "qualitative presets", even if the latter part is not very clear.
What type of game is Hogwarts Legacy?
Hogwarts Legacy is a Role playing game open world single player action game, set in the 1800s of the magical universe of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. The title is developed by Avalanche Software and published by Warner Bros. Games through the Portkey Games label.
Players will take on the role of a new fifth year student at Hogwarts, to be created from scratch using an editor in which they will be able to choose their gender, physical traits and which of the four iconic Hogwarts Houses (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin) they belong to . Once these preparations are complete, players will officially enter Hogwarts Academy and begin their lives as students. It will therefore be possible attend magic lessons to learn how to cast spells, create potions and so on, but also explore a rich open world, which includes Hogwarts castle and iconic locations such as the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade Village, on foot or riding a magical broomstick and fantastic creatures.
However, we will not be simple Hogwarts students. In fact, our character is in possession of a key to reveal an ancient secret that has the potential to destroy the magical world. We will therefore embark on an adventure full of dangers, we will face dark wizards and dangerous creatures and finally it will be up to us to decide whether to protect this secret for the good of all or whether to give in to the temptation of the Dark Arts.
The plot of Hogwarts Legacy is completely original, that is, it is not based on any book by J.K. Rowling, who in any case gave her approval to Avalanche Software's vision. The game is set in 1800 so we will not find iconic characters such as Harry, Hermione and Ron, but there will still be historical figures from the history of Hogwarts, such as Nearly Headless Nick and the unpleasant headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black, the grandfather of Sirius Black, as well as numerous links to the wizarding world.
On the gameplay side, Hogwarts Legacy presents itself as an adventure and action game with a third-person view accompanied by a complex role-playing system. This means we can customize our character not only through the editor, but also during the course of the adventure, deciding for example to specialize in certain offensive and defensive spells, even those of the Dark Arts if desired. It will also be possible to modify our character's equipment to enhance his characteristics in battle and activate passive bonuses of various kinds.
The open world structure will offer great freedom to players, who will therefore be able to explore Hogwarts and its surroundings, collect resources and useful objects, as well as undertake numerous missions and side activities, which unfortunately do not include Quidditch, which is absent in the game.
As previously mentioned, Hogwarts Legacy is a singleplayer game, meaning it does not include online or offline cooperative multiplayer features. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning the fact that in addition to the Dark Arts Pack, which can be purchased separately and included in the Deluxe Edition, the game does not feature extra in-game purchases.
If you want to know more about Hogwarts Legacy we suggest you read our special which summarizes the details shared during the Gameplay Showcase in December. Furthermore, if you want to stay up to date with the latest news on the game, here you will find all our news and insights dedicated to Hogwarts Legacy.
