After saving Highwing during “The High Keep” Main Quest in Hogwarts Legacy, you unlock the ability to ride on the friendly white Hippogriff without the need for a saddle. Those who have purchased the Deluxe Edition or preordered the game will have access to additional flying Mounts, including a Thestral and Caligo, an exclusive Onyx Hippogriff. Initially, all your Mounts will fly slightly faster than a Broom without any upgrades due to the lack of restriction in elevation or stamina usage. However, as you progress through your journey as a Hogwarts student, you might wonder if you can upgrade your saddle or Mount speed to fly faster.
Related: All landing platform locations in Hogwarts Legacy
Can You Upgrade Mount Speed in Hogwarts Legacy
Unfortunately, all flying Mounts in Hogwarts Legacy have the same base speed and cannot be upgraded with any special saddles. On the other hand, you are able to upgrade your Broom by visiting Albie Weekes at the Spintwitches Sporting Needs in Hogsmeade. Upgrading your Broomstick to the max requires three monetary investments totaling 12,500 G. Yet, each subsequent purchase only becomes available after clearing a Broom Trial with Imelda Reyes. Specifically, all three upgrades and Trials will be accessible after you have reached “It’s All Gobbledegook” in the main questline.
Conversely, your saddle and Mounts have no upgrades in Hogwarts Legacy but will retain the same speed capabilities throughout your entire playthrough. In our case, we verified this fact by completing the main storyline and acquiring all Broom upgrades. However, we were unable to discover any means of such enhancements. A future DLC might introduce Mount or saddle upgrades, but until then, you must be content with how fast your Hippogriff or Thestral currently flies.
Is a Broom or Mount Faster in Hogwarts Legacy
As noted above, a saddled Mount is slightly faster than a Broom without upgrades in Hogwarts Legacy. Still, some students might wonder if a fully upgraded Broom is outdone by a flying Mount. Based on our somewhat elementary testing and timed trials, a Broomstick with Tier-3 Upgrades is slightly faster than a flying Mount. Moreover, the Broom is more agile and easier to maneuver.
Additionally, the character animation and space required to take out and put away one’s Broom are much smoother and more convenient than a Mount. In other words, your magical Broomstick is a superior means of travel once you have fully upgraded it in Hogsmeade, while a flying Mount is more focused on cosmetic beauty and grandeur. The only advantage a Hippogriff or Thestral will have over your Broom is that the Beasts can fly at higher altitudes without any Stamina boost limitations.
