When first loading up their brand new PS5 console, players will be greeted with a little game called Astro's Playroom. Astro is becoming PlayStation's new mascot in a way, and the main purpose of this game is to introduce players to the capabilities of the new DualSense controller. As they play, they'll get to experience the DualSense's haptic feedback and adaptive triggers, as well as see just how fast the PS5 can load information with its SSD. This experience is ultimately meant to showcase all the new bells and whistles that come along with next generation gaming, but in doing so, it surpasses many triple-A PS4 games.
The PS5 is finally here after a long wait, and fans lucky enough to have gotten one on launch day have been loving it so far. Leading up to its release, it was difficult for players to understand just how much fancy terms like haptic feedback would affect their gaming experience, but Astro's Playroom answers those questions almost immediately. A fancy rumble mechanic and other changes may not seem like a huge deal, but players will immediately start to miss these things should they go back to playing most PS4 titles after this.
Astro's Playroom
As a whole, Astro's Playroom doesn't seem like anything impressive. It's a cute little adventure through the various components of the PS5 that highlights everything that the new console and controller are capable of, but most would agree it isn't anything to write home about in terms of gameplay or story. When compared to other triple-A PS5 games, there probably won't be much of a contest as those titles will make use of all the novelties found within Astro's Playroom. Despite this, the experience is actually incredibly fun and immersive, and truly showcases what next generation games will be like as they start to release in greater numbers.
Players control Astro as they jump, glide, and punch their way through various obstacles. The design of the levels is absolutely adorable yet simultaneously high tech, with little square, triangle, circle, and X shaped flowers being juxtaposed with towering white architecture akin to the PS5's appearance. What really sets Astro's Playroom apart from other games is how every sensation feels intentional. It's very clear that Sony knew exactly what they wanted players to see, hear, and feel as they played through the game, and the PlayStation 5 and DualSense's ability to accomplish that is incredible.
PS4 Games on PS5
It's well known by now that the PS5 is capable of playing a vast majority of PS4 games through backwards compatibility, with some even receiving updates that optimize the experience for the new console. Unfortunately, most of these optimizations don't fully make use of the PS5's capabilities, instead opting to increase the frame rate and performance and call it a day. Obviously, these changes are welcome, especially when considering a lot of games didn't even get that much, but the lack of other DualSense features makes those games feel immediately dated when compared to something like Astro's Playroom.
After feeling the resistance of the DualSense's adaptive triggers push back against the player as they fired up rockets in Astro's Playroom, it will feel inexplicably strange having that sensation missing when firing a bow in a PS4 game. Likewise, the tumbling around of Astro's friends within the PS5's controller feels so real that the primitive rumble technology found in the DualShock 4 will feel wholly inadequate to many players. These are all things that most gamers never knew that they wanted, but the amount of difference that they make to the overall experience is astonishing.
Optimized for PS4 VS PS5 Version
To get a better feel for this, players should check out a game that has a specific PS5 re-release. Assassin's Creed Valhalla, for example, is playable both as a backwards compatible PS4 game and a full PS5 version if players bought the PS4 version originally. Though it'll take a little bit of extra downloading and system space to really see the comparison, players will be able to see just how different these two experiences are. The PS4 version runs much smoother than it did on the old console, with load times that put the Assassin's Creed Valhalla PS4 experience to shame.
By contrast, the PS5 version makes use of the new console's capabilities, immersing players in 9th century England like never before. Not only does the game load faster, run better, and look phenomenal, but the haptic feedback makes every action feel more impactful. Players can feel each hit they take from an enemy, and the powerful ones they land against their opponents. Even in this game there are ways that the DualSense's capabilities could be put to better use, but the difference is still clear.
Next Generation Gaming
Astro's Playroom may not be much to most players, but it signifies what is to come in the next few years. Over time, developers will get better at utilizing the PS5's potential, possibly even finding new ways to implement these features that Sony hadn't even thought about. As these features become more and more common in PS5 games, players will likely start to wonder how they ever played the PS4 without them. At the moment many titles are still figuring out the best way to make use of these things, so it will likely be some time before they become standard in all games, but not long.
For those PS5 owners that may have skipped over Astro's Playroom in favor of diving into the PS Plus collection, it's really worth checking out. Though the game itself may not be anything groundbreaking, it's still a lot of fun and introduces players to parts of the PS5 they may not otherwise have gotten to know. At any rate, it seems like Astro is here to stay, so players may as well spend some time with the little robot.
Astro's Playroom is available now on PS5.