One of the most exciting unknowns about PlayStation 5 is its improvement on the new controller DualSense. DualSense offers immersive haptic feedback and adaptive triggers designed to enhance the immersion of the game of the next generation. However, the destiny of the new technology remains to be seen: will it affect future works for a long time, or will it become short-lived gimmicks?

Luckily, Sony launch Astro's Playroom comes bundled with every PlayStation 5, so as to show the players how powerful DualSense is.

The new game was produces by ASOBI, who is also the producer of the masterpiece-- Astro Bot: Rescue Mission in PSVR.

Astro’s Playroom also inherits the foundation of its previous work, where small robots can jump, punch, spin attacks, and stay in air for long. In addition, ASOBI Spent great efforts on designing the levels to show how powerful their new controller is.

The level named “Cooling Springs” is roughly set in the PS5's cooling fan, and players are thrown into a beach after entering the level. It's full of other robots, some swimming, some learning to surf, others basking in the sun - oh no, it's in the light inside the PS5. Let's not talk about logic – let it pass, who am I kidding with? I think the background design of "A beach hidden in the PS5" is very interesting, and the volume of PS5 is indeed very large. Here you can smash boxes to get coins, collect puzzle fragments, observe other robots, and exercise your ability not to get seasick.

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After the level starts, the robot you control will slide into the water from the slide. At that time, the DualSense handle starts to shake faintly like water waves. The vibration is so light that it waves at the first second and gradually fades away. The controller is not in water, while it makes you feel the buoyant as if you are going through silent water surface.

The experience in water is a bit strange but pleasant. After arriving on the beach, you feel much smoother running there. But before long, we have to cross a sandstorm blown from the building (or fan). While the durability of the robot is undergoing tests, the controller starts shaking dramatically. We have to hold it tight if we want to survive in the storm.

Astro’s Large Spring

Astro goes through the sand storm and arrive at the new area, which is the second part of the level. “Cooling Spring” has four parts connected together, and you don’t need to experience loading screen or go through a long passage (to replace the loading screen) if you want to go from one part to another. In this part, the screen shifts to be 2D. Your robot has to wear a frog suit with large spring at its base that can be used to perform great leaps, like its namesake. The power of the leap is determined by the tension applied to this spring, which you can manipulate with the adaptive triggers in the shoulder buttons of the DualSense controller (L2 and R2). The angle of the controller decides the direction of the leap, and you can adjust the direction if you don’t want to miss the coins in the air.

DualSense makes you feel like you can touch and feel the spring of the robot. When you stop moving and shake the controller, you feel like you are playing with the toy “Slinky”. The speaker of DualSense also works at that time, emitting clanks like machine. That’s the function derived from DualShock 4. Obviously, the function is not put to good use in DualShock 4, while it performs well with DualSense and the new game. It’s enjoyable as if there are two toy springs: one on the screen, the other in your hand. 

In the third part of “Cooling Spring”, the screen goes back to 3D again, and your robot need to skate on ice, which is also a highlight of the game. When you walk slowly on the ice face, you will hear the sound of your steps, and if you are sliding, you can feel the controller vibrating. In the fourth part, you go back to 2D jumping, but more difficult to master timing than in the second part.

DualSense has push the gaming experience of Astro’s Playroom to a new height, as if it’s an indispensable part of the game, even though we probably can also use DualShock 4 to jump and face enemies easily. It’s a pity that we are not able to test it with DualShock 4, as PS5 are not able to support controllers for PS4. In theory, Astro’s Playroom could also be played without VR, but that will make playing the game much less fun for sure. In conclusion, there won’t be such an enjoyable Astro’s Playroom if there is no DualSense.

New Feelings

The new controller helps improve gaming experience a lot. As the first game in PS5 that bundled with the new controller, Astro’s Playroom is undoubtedly a success. The robot can also complete its movements using other controller, but not as satisfying as using DualSense. Instead of simple vibrations in different intensity, we receive different tactile feedbacks when we are in sand storm, swimming pool, ice face, and so forth.

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The same as the other levels in Astro’s Playroom, “Cooling Spring” is essentially an exaggerated virtual sightseeing to the inner part of PS5, but it’s also a love letter to PlayStation and its history, as the treasures in the game all represent certain consoles in history. In addition, there are also other surprises in the game. You can even find some robots doing funny cosplay. You have to pay attention to every detail in every level, otherwise, you will miss something interesting.

Luckily, the level “Cooling Spring” is as beautiful as before. PlayStation’s Astro series do not emphasize on exquisite background environment. It distinguishes itself from the other games by its fashionable technology scene (with bright colors and special geometric figures). You can find lots of possibilities in the robot Utopia inside the console of PlayStation. You can travel from seaside to hot spring and ice world. It’s so amazing that we can enjoy a vivid world without wearing a VR headset.

Windbound is developed by 5 Lives Studios and will be available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, NS and Stadia on August 28. It is a single player survival game, and its watercolor art style is somewhat similar to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. Sailing on a ship, the ancient mystery sounds whispered in the ears. These distinctive settings highlight the whimsical charm of the game. This work feels like a stand-alone version of Corrosion after the combination of Raft and Wind Waker. Recently, I was lucky to try this well-made survival game. I played it for a while from the early stage of the game, and then used a certain save in the mid-term to experience some specific processes. In general, this game impressed me.