Following a major gameplay presentation, we’ve now learned how Hogwarts Legacy takes advantage of the PS5’s unique features, particularly the DualSense controller.
Developer Avalanche Studios has that Hogwarts Legacy on PS5 will make full use of the DualSense controller. Shared in a PlayStation Blog post (opens in new tab), the studio starts with the adaptive triggers, saying: “You’ll feel the magical resistance at your fingertips through every spell, whether firing off a basic cast or summoning the strength for a more powerful charm.”
According to Avalanche, casting spells will feel unique thanks to the DualSense’s haptic feedback. Uniquely, the developer confirms this only affects the right side of the DualSense controller in Hogwarts Legacy, explaining, “we’ve specifically isolated these effects to the right side of the controller to let the DualSense become an extension of the wand you hold in the game.”
With DualSense controller’s unique features, you’ll feel every whizz, zip and crackle of magic in Hogwarts Legacy. Full details on how the adventure is making the most of the power of PS5: https://t.co/ynWQBiWdHj pic.twitter.com/XXxI986xf3May 24, 2022
But it doesn’t stop there. Calling the DualSense “your connection to the magic on PS5,” Avalanche confirms Hogwarts Legacy goes further with these features. You’ll feel effects when crushing ingredients in Potions class, hearing the screech of a Mandrake, or when taking to the skies with your broom or hippogriff.
Finally, for some added personalization, the DualSense controller lightbar will show your house colors when you aren’t spellcasting. Avalanche revealed those will be “blue and bronze for Ravenclaw, scarlet and gold for Gryffindor, green and silver for Slytherin, and yellow and black for Hufflepuff.”
Visual flair
Avalanche Studios also discussed what players can expect from Hogwarts Legacy’s visuals: “We’ve come a long way since the days of the beloved Hagrid on the original PlayStation…” referencing Hagrid’s unfortunate appearance (opens in new tab) in Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone on PS1.
Like many new-gen games, Hogwarts Legacy also provides a choice in graphics modes, offering Performance and Fidelity options. These let you prioritize a higher frame rate or visual fidelity. Backing this up is the PS5’s Tempest 3D audio tech, which Avalanche claims will let players “hear the crackle of fire as you cast Incendio, potions bubbling in cauldrons.”
Warner Bros is banking a lot on Hogwarts Legacy this Holiday season. Following a big gameplay reveal back in March, we learned that it won’t feature microtransactions. We also found out that Hogwarts Legacy is coming to Nintendo Switch.