How to unlock and upgrade your broom in Hogwarts Legacy

Hogwarts Legacy Flying - Three students with brooms — (Image credit: Portkey Games)

Hogwarts Legacy Guides

Hogwarts Legacy screenshot — (Image credit: Warner Bros )

Hogwarts Legacy spells: Every spell you can learn
Hogwarts Legacy Merlin trials: How to solve the trials
Hogwarts Legacy Room of Requirement: How to get in
Hogwarts Legacy Demiguise statues: Unlocking Alohomora
Hogwarts Legacy eye chests: How to crack them open

Your Hogwarts Legacy broom is a vital tool for flying across the not-so-small countryside surrounding the titular school of witchcraft and wizardry, but the game isn't that clear about how to unlock flying, or when you'll get your very own broomstick. Unlike in Harry Potter's journey, a nice teacher isn't going to send you the latest broom just for the fun of it. The temptation to run off into the area surrounding Hogwarts to explore is enticing, but you'll make slow progress with just your two feet to carry you.

While you can also get flying mounts later in the game, your trusty broom is the next best way to move across the map quickly—save for fast travel via Floo Flames, that is. Here, I'll explain how to get your Hogwarts Legacy broom so you can unlock flying and explore the wider map, as well as how to get broom upgrades, too.

How to get a broom in Hogwarts Legacy

Image 1 of 2

Hogwarts Legacy flying - Spintwitches in Hogsmeade — You can buy a broom from Spintwitches after flying class(Image credit: Portkey Games)

During your second day at Hogwarts—that is, once you've returned to the common room to rest, not just when a day-night cycle occurs—and have completed the quest Jackdaw's Rest, you'll receive the quest Flying Class, where it's off to the Flying Class Lawn in the Bell Tower Wing of Hogwarts. Here, you'll get a little flying lesson from Madam Kogawa and a tour of the castle by air if you choose to accept Everett Clopton's offer—this gets some points deducted from your house, but it's well worth it for the aerial sequence.

After you've finished the class, you can head to Spintwitch's Sporting Needs in Hogsmeade to buy a broom. This store is closed the first time you head there, but after the class you can grab yourself a broom of your choosing for 600 galleon. If you don't have enough, remember that you can sell gear or get it by looting containers, camps, and treasure vaults.

Flying itself is pretty straightforward on the whole: when out in the world just hold tab and press 3/ L1 and circle/ LB and B to bring up your broom. You can ascend with space, descend with Ctrl, and get a speed boost with left mouse click, though this will drain the metre in the bottom right. Wait for it to fill back up and you can boost again.

Hogwarts Legacy broom upgrades

Buying a broom also unlocks the Flight Test quest with Imelda Reyes at the Quidditch Pitch. Completing these can get you upgrades for your broom to improve your flying experience.

Albie, the proprietor of Spintwitches Sporting Needs will offer you the Flight Test quest, which takes you to the Quidditch pitch to meet with Imelda Reyes. You must complete the Broom Trial and beat her best time, which you'll see displayed at the top of the screen once you get started. Return to Albie's shop to complete the quest. Wait for him to contact you via Owl Post to let you know it's the upgrade ready to buy for 1000 Galleons.

The quest for the second upgrade is available immediately after buying the first one, so talk to Albie to pick up Sweeping the Competition. You'll need to place on the leaderboard of a different race this time. Once done, return once more to Albie to complete the quest to wait for him to contact you to purchase the second upgrade for 4000 Galleons.

The final upgrade is from the quest The Sky is the Limit. You'll need to place on the leaderboard of this final race too, and it's the longest race by far. If you're having trouble, make sure you collect as many of the gold bubbles as possible otherwise you won't have the speed to get the place you need. With that done, head back to Albie's shop and wait, once again, for him to contact you about the final upgrade. You'll be able to buy it for 7,500 Galleons.

PC Gamer is the global authority on PC games—starting in 1993 with the magazine, and then in 2010 with this website you're currently reading. We have writers across the US, Canada, UK and Australia, who you can read about here.