10 February 2023 , 14:49
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Coinciding with today’s launch of the game on PS5, a severely lacking limited-edition Hogwarts Legacy PS5 controller has just been Accioed into existence.
The arrival of Hogwarts Legacy on PS5 today has given PlayStation and Avalanche Software the perfect excuse in which to treat players to a shiny new limited-edition DualSense controller. Admittedly, though, the resulting effort doesn’t look quite as magical as it perhaps could have been. It launched exclusively on the official PlayStation Store today but given the Potterheads' proclivity for wizard merch, it's already sold out! If you do manage to get your hands on one, or have one ordered already, bear in mind that it won't actually ship until Tuesday, February 28.
Taking inspiration from the titular wizarding school where the game primarily takes place, the Hogwarts Legacy PS5 controller itself looks… pretty bad. It doesn’t reach anywhere near the high levels of intrigue and wonder one would expect from a franchise such as as Harry Potter, seemingly taking the body of a standard black DualSense and slathering on golden patterns across both the controller’s grips and touchpad. ‘Gets the job done’ is a first phrase that springs to mind in this instance.
No Sense
Maybe this is PlayStation’s attempt to keep the PS5 controller looking subtle instead of garish? Whatever the reason, it’s a far cry from the slightly more attractive, two-tone DualSense released last year to coincide with God of War Ragnarok’s launch. That controller made the cardinal sin of just slapping a sticker on the touchpad too, but at least it was symmetrical and didn’t use the bones of a pre-existing DualSense colour. The combination of white and blue looked rather elegant, and did justice to the tone of Kratos and Atreus' grand adventure.
PlayStation has been pretty trepidatious when it comes to limited-edition DualSense controllers in general since the PS5’s launch, with very few actually being tied into AAA game releases. Hogwarts Legacy has been closely aligned with PlayStation in all the pre-release marketing, so even if the Hogwarts Legacy PS5 controller reveal has happened unusually late it’s not too surprising. Of more interest is in how this marks the first time a DualSense’s design has been tied into a third-party game’s release. Might this be the first of many? If so, here's hoping the effort improves.
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Diehard Harry Potter fans might get a kick out of this noticeably pared-back DualSense design. Others, meanwhile, will be left wanting a little bit more. Future PS5 controllers should be aiming for the red carpet treatment, and this just ain't it.