Avalanche has revealed a limited edition Hogwarts Legacy PS5 controller, due to release in the United Kingdom tomorrow, February 10th. For fans over the Atlantic, there’s a pre-order option available, but the controller won’t ship there until the 28th.
Designed by the artists that worked on the game, the Hogwarts Legacy controller might seem quite plain-looking to some, but there’s apparently a deeper story behind the chosen aesthetic, and it’s one that mirrors the very nature of the game itself…
EXPECTO CONTROL-UM!
I can’t tell you honestly how long it took me to think up a Harry Potter-themed pun for that subheading, and I’m not even sure it worked that well.
At the moment, Hogwarts Legacy is decimating expectations and records, and in recent days, it has topped the Twitch charts and has climbed the Steam ranks at an eye-watering speed.
From tomorrow, fans can get their hands on the limited edition controller, which boasts a matte-black design adorned with gold trim, which includes a rather attractive silhouette of Hogwarts itself on the controller’s touchpad. It’s an understated and subtle design, but according to Avalanche, the game’s developer, the choice of aesthetic has a little more depth to it.
From the beginning, we had a vision of a simple, clean, and sophisticated aesthetic. White, blue, and aqua, amongst a number of other colours, were tried but in the end, we chose matte black as the primary colour for the controller, not only because it contributed to our desired aesthetic, but also because it hints at the darker themes that players can expect in the game.
Jeff Bunker, Art Director at Avalanche Software
It has been said that players can get a more immersive experience by playing Hogwarts Legacy on PS5. There are features interwoven into the DualSense controller that are, of course, only available on that platform.
For instance, the lightbar around the touchpad will illuminate in the colours of your chosen house: Slytherin, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, or Ravenclaw. Furthermore, the adaptive triggers make casting spells a more satisfying experience. Finally, the audio – the in-built speaker in the DualSense allows for ambient noises, such as crackling fires and wind in the trees, to leech through into the real world.
It’s worth bearing in mind that the Hogwarts Legacy PS5 controller is being sold exclusively on direct.playstation.com and will only be released in the UK and the US. It’s expected to cost around $74.99, or around £64.99.
For more Insider Gaming news, check out our coverage of evidence surrounding a Zelda Switch OLED leak.
