Astro's Playroom is a 2020 platform game created and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5. It is a follow-up to Astro Bot Rescue Mission and comes already installed on every console. The game also acts as a free technology demonstration for the DualSense controller.
Astro's Playroom was announced on June 11, 2020, during the PlayStation 5 reveal event. It was released on November 12, 2020, and received mostly positive reviews from critics.
Astro's Playroom, along with Demon's Souls, was the last game released by Japan Studio before their reorganization on April 1, 2021. The game's development team was officially separated into a new studio within Sony's PlayStation Studios on the same day. A full-length sequel, Astro Bot, was announced on May 30, 2024, and was released for the PlayStation 5 on September 6, 2024.
Gameplay
Astro's Playroom is a 3D platformer game where players control Astro Bot using the DualSense controller. Like the previous game, Astro Bot can jump, hover, punch enemies and objects, and use a spin attack by charging his punch. The controller’s haptic feedback creates realistic vibrations for actions, such as walking on sand, through rain, or against wind. The game begins in a hub world called CPU Plaza, which is modeled after the inside of the PlayStation 5 console. This hub provides access to four themed worlds, each representing a component of the console. These worlds are: GPU Jungle (PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR), Cooling Springs (PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Vita), SSD Speedway (PlayStation 2 and PS2 Slim), and Memory Meadow (PlayStation, PocketStation, and PSone). CPU Plaza also includes two other areas: Network Speed Run, where players can compete in time trials and share scores online, and PlayStation Labo, which stores all collectibles the player gathers.
Each of the four worlds is divided into four interconnected levels. Two levels involve standard platforming, while the other two require special power-up suits that use the DualSense controller’s features. For example, one world includes a frog suit with a spring at the bottom. Players tilt the controller to guide the frog and press the trigger to compress the spring, mimicking real spring resistance. Another world features a ball suit, where players swipe the touchpad to move the ball. The worlds also include many robots performing activities and scenes from PlayStation-exclusive games like God of War and Resident Evil. Players can pull cable wires to collect items, including coins, projectiles, and artifacts, some of which are on enemy robots. If Astro Bot falls or is defeated, the level restarts from the last completed checkpoint.
Each world contains three types of collectibles: coins, puzzle pieces, and artifacts. Coins earned by defeating enemies or collecting items can be used in PlayStation Labo’s gacha machine to obtain in-game figurines, puzzle pieces, or artifacts. Puzzle pieces help complete a PlayStation mural displayed in PlayStation Labo. Artifacts are 3D models of real PlayStation items, such as consoles, controllers, and accessories. Players can examine these by moving the DualSense controller or using the touchpad and microphone. Artifacts are stored in PlayStation Labo, where Astro Bot and other robots can interact with them by punching or jumping on them.
At the end of each world, players reach an area inspired by the startup sequences of earlier PlayStation consoles. Completing a world rewards players with an artifact representing that console. After finishing all four worlds, a secret fifth world called 1994 Throwback unlocks. In this world, Astro Bot battles a boss inspired by the T-Rex tech demo from the original PlayStation’s first demo disc. Defeating the T-Rex earns players artifacts from the PlayStation 5 era, including the DualSense controller and PlayStation 5 console.
Before the release of Astro Bot, Astro's Playroom received updates in 2024 to promote the game. These updates added new gacha prizes featuring artifacts of PlayStation 5 hardware released after the original game, such as the slim PlayStation 5 model, DualSense Edge, Access controller, PlayStation Portal, and PlayStation VR2 with its "Sense" controllers. These items are stored in a new area called "Secret Labo" below PlayStation Labo. A portal in Secret Labo allows players to preorder Astro Bot (before its launch, it led to a countdown for its Sept. 6 release). Additionally, special "VIP bots" were hidden in each world. Players can rescue these bots by completing unique tasks. The VIP bots are themed around Gran Turismo, Returnal, The Old Hunters downloadable content for Bloodborne, and Ape Escape. When rescued, the bots appear in the portal room and can later be added to a crash site in Astro Bot.
Development
Team Asobi started working on Astro's Playroom in early 2018. The game began as a collection of technology demonstrations for the PlayStation 5's DualSense controller. It was not decided to be a launch title until later in the development process. According to creative director Nicolas Doucet, at least 80 technology demonstrations for the DualSense controller were created during the game's development.
As a tribute to the PlayStation brand, the game includes appearances by characters from multiple PlayStation franchises, as well as characters from games developed by third-party companies, such as Bandai Namco Entertainment, Capcom, Square Enix, Konami, and Activision. Team Asobi worked with the original creators of these franchises, like Tekken series producer Katsuhiro Harada, to include many hidden references to different video game series in Astro's Playroom. When designing these appearances, concept artist Toshihiko Nakai focused on making the characters recognizable, fun, and appealing to fans. Several animators at Team Asobi had previously worked on some of the original games featured in Astro's Playroom.
Reception
Astro's Playroom received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to the review aggregator website Metacritic. Another review aggregator, OpenCritic, reported that the game received "mighty" approval, with 91% of critics recommending it.
In a highly positive review, Electronic Gaming Monthly's Mollie Patterson gave the game a perfect score. She praised the variety of gameplay and the game's ability to remind players of past PlayStation experiences. She wrote, "No matter your console or company preferences, it's easy to forget how much the PlayStation's 25 years as a gaming platform have meant for our hobby."
Destructoid's Chris Carter highlighted the gameplay as a strong example of the DualSense controller's features and fast loading times. Similarly, Eurogamer's Martin Robinson praised the game as a promising look at the future of the PlayStation 5 and called it "one of the best launch titles I can remember in recent years."
Game Informer's Joe Juba praised the inclusion of cameos and references to PlayStation and related franchises, such as Uncharted, LittleBigPlanet, and Crash Bandicoot. He compared these references favorably to the licensed Lego video games.
GameSpot's Mike Epstein appreciated the game's visual quality and platforming mechanics but criticized the motion control sequences. IGN's Jonathon Dornbush enjoyed the game's tributes to PlayStation's history and the DualSense interactions but noted that the game felt more like a technical demonstration than a complete game.
During the 24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Astro's Playroom for "Family Game of the Year."