The PlayStation 5 is set to launch later this year and Sony is currently teasing PlayStation fans with small reveals. The latest example is a showcase of the PS5's DualSense controller from Summer Game Fest's Geoff Keighley. The 24-minute video goes provides Keighley's first impressions with the DualSense controller, an interview with Sony head of marketing Eric Lempel, and, most excitingly, the first look inside the PS5 bundle-in demo experience Astro's Playroom.
Astro's Playroom was announced as a PS5 exclusive game during Sony's June unveiling event. It was shortly confirmed afterward that Astro's Playroom isn't a full game like Astro Bot Rescue Mission is for the PS4. Rather, Astro's Playroom is a bundled-in experience on the PS5. It's a sort of demo experience introducing new PS5 users to the features of the PS5 and the DualSense controller.
For the first time, Keighley showed off on-stream just what Astro's Playroom looks like when it's being played. At first glance, it looks a lot like Astro Bot. It's a third-person game where the player takes control of a little Astro and explores. The opening room is the "CPU Plaza," hinting that the game takes place inside of a PS5. From there, the demo opens up like a theme park. Each area representing a different facet or feature of the PS5. The one area that Keighley shows is named "Cooling Springs."
As far as gameplay goes, Astro's Playroom features a lot of simple platforming, mini-games, and small puzzles. Much of the gameplay is intended to showcase features from the PS5's DualSense controller. Some examples shown include pressing on the touchpad in different ways to perform actions or blowing on the microphone to open a door. It's not so different than the ways that controller features have been showcased before, but it's useful and does give the technology a chance to stand out.
What's clear from the short video of the demo is that it's intended to be a charming introduction to the hardware. Also, it's a way for new PS5 owners to have something to try out without paying for a game, something new console buyers very much appreciate. PS5 owners will get to see the full Astro's Playroom later this year.
Astro's Playroom and the PS5 release holiday 2020.
