Highlights
- Hogwarts Legacy’s PlayStation-exclusive quest line will soon be available to all players.
- Console-exclusive content has been a controversial practice in the gaming industry, and the release of Hogwarts Legacy’s console-exclusive quest on multiple platforms marks a step towards ending this concept.
- While console-exclusive games are becoming less common, console-exclusive content is still prevalent, penalizing players who prefer one platform over another.
After an extremely successful first year, Warner Bros. has announced that players should expect some exciting things from Hogwarts Legacy in 2024. Not only will the game get some new content and features throughout the year, but the PlayStation-exclusive quest line will also finally be available to everyone. And its mass release will hopefully be a sign of things to come from the gaming industry.
Console-exclusive games have been a thing for a while, but along with that, studios have also decided to offer console-exclusive content. While players can buy games like Hogwarts Legacy on any platform they wish, they are not able to access the entire game unless they are on the right platform as a stipulation. Even though that exclusive quest line was not necessarily game-changing, locking it to only one console just felt wrong. Luckily, that will be rectified soon, and that should really mark the beginning of the end of the concept altogether.
Avowed’s Wands Aren’t the Only Feature That Might Surpass Hogwarts Legacy
Avowed already looks to iterate well on spellcasting combat from Hogwarts Legacy, but it is likely to excel in another shared feature as well.
Hogwarts Legacy Needs to Be the End of Console-Exclusive Content
The Need For Console Exclusive Content Has Seemingly Passed
There was a time when console-exclusive content was a fantastic way to drive players to certain platforms. There was only one place to experience Nintendo titles, players who wanted to venture into the world of Sonic the Hedgehog had to pick up a Sega device, anyone who wanted to dive into Halo needed to pick up an Xbox, and those who wanted to take Ratchet and Clank for a spin could only do it on PlayStation. Nowadays, the concept of console-exclusive games still exists, but the idea seems to be on its way out.
As the biggest gaming platforms continue to grow closer with the likes of crossplay, the concept of console-exclusive games seems to be slowly vanishing. Now, players can access any brand-new Xbox game from their PC. Additionally, Sony has begun bringing its own first-party exclusives to PC, and titles like MLB The Show are available on every major platform. The only studio that has not begun exploring other markets is Nintendo, but that may change eventually.
While console-exclusive games seem to be slowly on their way out, console-exclusive content seems to still be pretty prevalent. Players may be able to experience games like Marvel’s Avengers or Hogwarts Legacy on any platform they want, but they will not get the full game unless they play on certain platforms. Spider-Man is only obtainable on the PlayStation version of Marvel’s Avengers, the spooky shop questline in Hogwarts Legacy is locked to PlayStation, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare had an entire mode locked to one device, and even LEGO games have been guilty of this practice.
Locking portions of a multiplatform game behind what console players choose to buy it on just feels wrong. Players should not be penalized just because they want to play a game on an Xbox over a PlayStation, or vice versa. It would be one thing if it were just technical differences, as seen with certain AAA games that release on the Switch, but it is far more than that. And even though some of this content does eventually launch on other devices, the entire concept should really go away in 2024.
Hogwarts Legacy is just the latest in a long line of games that have adopted console-exclusive content. Luckily, the questline will finally be available on other devices a year after the game’s initial release. It is probably one of the best quests in the game, so it is great that everyone will be able to finally gain access to it. However, it should never have been locked behind the PlayStation to begin with, and hopefully, the gaming industry is realizing this.
Harry Potter: Hogwarts Legacy
$36 $60 Save $24
Hogwarts Legacy is a game that allows players to explore an open world, including locations such as Hogwarts, Hogsmeade, the Forbidden Forest, and the surrounding Overland area. Players can create their unique witch or wizard character, learn spells, brew potions, grow plants, and tend to magical beasts during their journey. Sorting into a Hogwarts house and forging relationships with other characters enable players to master various skills and shape their characters’ development.
The game features an original wizarding world adventure set in an unexplored era, where players uncover a hidden truth from the past. Challenging encounters await, such as battles against trolls, Dark Wizards, goblins, and a dangerous villain who poses a threat to the fate of the world.
- Franchise
- Harry Potter
- Released
- February 10, 2023
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol
- How Long To Beat
- 26 Hours
- Metascore
- 84
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
