One of the few expected announcements made during Sony’s May State of Play showcase was Astro Bot, a sequel to the PS5 pack-in demo, Astro’s Playroom. The Team Asobi-developed original was pre-installed on every PS5 console, making for a 100% attach rate.
It was essentially designed to show off the power of the then-new console, and made for an impressive demonstration of the DualSense controller’s haptics and adaptive triggers, too. The new game expands on the concept, with six galaxies to explore and over 80 levels.
Astro Bot is effectively a full game based on that initial tech demo. Your goal remains to find Astro’s scattered crew, and you’ll be able to unlock 15 new abilities for Astro to use across the game.
Team Asobi placed an emphasis on utilising the DualSense controller’s capabilities here, too. The developer said controls have been improved, and platforming should feel more responsive. If you liked the speedrun challenges of Astro’s Playroom, you’ll be happy to learn that Astro Bot includes levels you can repeat to improve your times.
Astro Bot arrives September 6 on PS5, and pre-orders will be available starting June 7.